When she says that out loud, MacQuaid seems to understand the weight of it, but she does not lead with it. She does not see herself as someone who set out to be first. She sees herself as someone who was given support, took an opportunity, worked hard, and found a place in the trade where she could help others do the same.

MacQuaid is a third-generation sheet metal worker, born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. Her father, Pat Brennan, and his brothers own Brennan Heating and Cooling in Great Falls, a SMART Local 103 signatory contractor. She grew up around the trade, but that did not mean she planned to make a career in it. “I’ve been around it my whole life, but it definitely wasn’t what I wanted to get into,” said MacQuaid.

In high school, MacQuaid was a strong student. She was drawn to reading, writing, people, and how the mind works. After graduating from Charles M. Russell High School, she stayed in the community and attended the University of Providence, where she studied psychology. At the time, college felt like the path she was supposed to take. MacQuaid has also always been independent. She moved out of her parents’ house when she was 18, bought her own trailer home, went to college, waited tables, and worked part time at the family shop when she could.

Then one job changed the way she looked at her future. While working on a Davis-Bacon project at a library, MacQuaid went from making around $12 an hour to more than $20 an hour. At the time, that felt like real money. More importantly, it showed her what the trade could offer: steady income, benefits, retirement, and a path forward without taking on years of college debt.

She knew she could always go back to college. She also knew that if she entered the sheet metal apprenticeship, she could earn a living while she learned and begin building a future at a young age. In Local 103, she could become vested in her retirement in five years. Even if sheet metal was not for her long term, she would have gained training, experience, and a foundation.

When MacQuaid first talked to her dad about entering the trade full time, the conversations were not easy. “At the time, he would always tell me, ‘You’re too smart to be a tinner,’” said MacQuaid. It was not that Pat did not respect the trade. He had built a life in it. Like many parents, he wanted what he thought was more for his daughter. MacQuaid saw it differently. She filled out the apprenticeship application herself, submitted it, and was accepted into the Montana Sheet Metal Workers JATC. She started her apprenticeship in 2020.

The first two years were hard. Being a woman in the trade brought its own challenges. Being the boss’s daughter added another layer. MacQuaid knew people were watching her. She knew she had to earn respect. She was also learning skills that did not come naturally at first. She had always been more English-minded. Reading, writing, and traditional schoolwork came easier. Geometry, layout, working with her hands, and the physical demands of the trade took time. When people said she was not going to make it, she heard them. Sometimes, she believed them. “When people would give me a hard time or say that I wasn’t a good apprentice or that I wasn’t going to make it, a huge part of me would kind of internalize that,” said MacQuaid. “I would wonder if they were right.”

What helped was the work. What helped was time. What helped was her dad.

MacQuaid worked often with Pat, who she describes as one of the best journeymen and teachers she has ever known. He taught her how to do things the right way. He modeled patience, honesty, integrity, and hard work. MacQuaid said she owes much of her success to him. “I would not be half the tradeswoman, or half the person, I am today without his guidance,” she said.

Pat taught MacQuaid in the field and watched her grow from apprentice to journeyman, instructor, and now training coordinator. “MacQuaid is smart enough to do anything,” said Pat. “There are a lot of opportunities in this trade. You don’t have to spend your whole career crawling in and out of attics. You can carry the tools, work in TAB, teach, coordinate, or take your career in a lot of directions.”

What stood out most to Pat was MacQuaid’s ability to prepare. A lot of their work was out of town, which meant planning mattered. MacQuaid made lists, worked the job, came back the next day, and checked those lists again. She was always thinking ahead about what needed to be ready before they got there. “She was the most organized apprentice I have ever known,” said Pat. “She was meticulous, and it wasn’t just for herself. It affected the whole project.”

The apprenticeship also gave MacQuaid something she did not expect. It gave her a place to belong. When she came to school in Butte, she was no longer only the boss’s daughter or the only female at the shop. She was another apprentice trying to learn. Her classmates did not have the same preconceived ideas about her. In the classroom, she began to form her own identity.

She was strong in bookwork, math, and testing. Her classmates had other strengths. They helped each other. MacQuaid helped them study. They helped her pound fittings together, carry material, and handle the moments where brute force was needed. “When you build a team, you don’t want everyone to have the same strengths,” said MacQuaid. “You want people to balance each other.”

Those classmates became lifelong friends. They gave her confidence and, as she put it, “a well-needed lesson in the art of smack-talking.” Sitting in class with them was the first time she truly understood what people meant when they talked about the union as a brotherhood and sisterhood. Over time, MacQuaid’s confidence grew. She began to trust what she knew. She began to understand that taking the harder path had made her more well-rounded. “I kind of started finding my own truth and believing in myself,” said MacQuaid.

That truth did not come all at once. It came through work, mistakes, doubt, instruction, friendship, and the slow process of becoming good at something that once felt unfamiliar.

After turning out in 2024, MacQuaid began teaching part-time that fall. Her first class was Fire Life Safety, an area of growing importance in Montana as the union works to increase the number of trained fire and smoke damper technicians and supervisors. Teaching came naturally to her, but not because she had every answer. MacQuaid believes honesty is part of what makes a good instructor. “I was very nervous,” said MacQuaid. “What I found is just to be completely honest. If someone asked me a question that stumped me, I’d be like, ‘You know what, I don’t know, but let’s find out together.’”

MacQuaid loves seeing apprentices succeed. She loves the light bulb moments. She also knows teaching is not just about technical knowledge. It is about communication, patience, and understanding how different people learn. “I get way more excited at their accomplishments than I do my own,” said MacQuaid.

In previous years, MacQuaid said the Fire Life Safety class had about a 50 percent pass rate. This year, she taught 16 apprentices, and 15 passed the test. She now sits on the Fire Life Safety board in Montana. Of the state’s current technicians and supervisors, many came through her class.

Andrew Nichols, regional representative for SMART Local 103, has spent 31 years in the trade, including 28 years carrying the tools and more than three years as a representative. When the training coordinator position became available, Andrew said MacQuaid was the first person who came to mind. “She has great attention to detail and commands a presence when she teaches,” said Andrew. “She has respect. She gets people’s attention. I’ve watched her teach, and no one is on their phones. No one is horsing around. She was a natural choice for us.”

MacQuaid officially took over as training coordinator at the end of March. Within weeks, she was attending the regional apprentice competition, planning graduation, preparing for her first board meeting, coordinating interviews, and attending job fairs. The Montana Sheet Metal Workers JATC currently has 80 apprentices enrolled in the program. Local 103 has roughly 600 members and 20 signatory contractors across the state. Montana is a large state, and the work includes HVAC, residential, architectural, and service. Some of the bigger projects include hospitals, correctional facilities, and major construction projects in areas like Big Sky.

MacQuaid sees opportunity in all of it. Her goals for the training center are clear. She wants to update the training space, create more room for hands-on learning, strengthen curriculum, add technology, and eventually build toward a computer lab that supports programs like Revit and detailing. She also wants more communication between the union, the school, and contractors. “I want that communication and collaboration so I can help form this school to fit the needs of my apprentices and the demand of Montana,” said MacQuaid.

MacQuaid brings a unique perspective to the role. She comes from a union family and a contractor family. She understands labor and management. She also understands people. Her psychology background has not gone to waste. In fact, it may be one of her greatest strengths as a leader.

When she teaches, she asks questions. She asks for thoughts. Sometimes, she even asks about feelings. “The initial reaction you get is, ‘Feelings? We don’t talk about those. I left them in my truck this morning,’” said MacQuaid. But she keeps asking because she knows people bring their lives to work. They bring grief, stress, fear, frustration, pride, doubt, and everything else that comes with being human. Those things affect how people learn, communicate, and show up. “I want them to know that I’m a friend, I’m an ally, and my main goal is just to bring out the best in you,” said MacQuaid. “I want you to be the best version of yourself, no matter what that looks like.”

That kind of leadership comes from the support MacQuaid received herself. Her dad taught her the trade. Her mom has always been her soft place to fall. Her former coordinator, Dale Carpenter, was there through every step of her apprenticeship, boosting her confidence when she felt insecure and pushing her to start part-time instructing. Steve Klippenes, now her lead instructor, was once her teacher and remains a trusted mentor. Her classmates became lifelong friends. Her husband, Bryce Black, has supported the demands of her new role, even when it means time away from home.

Bryce said he is incredibly proud of her and believes there is no one better for the role. “She is incredibly smart, driven, and has the biggest heart,” said Bryce. “She truly cares about this program and the people in it. She is an inspiration to everyone. Honestly, she is stubborn enough to be the best at anything she sets her mind to.”

He also adds that the distance is hard, but they try to make the most of the time they have together. “We miss each other deeply when she is away, but I try to focus on the positives,” said Bryce. “When we are together, we are very intentional with our time. When you are married to someone who shines as bright as my wife, you understand that you have to share that light with the rest of the world.”

MacQuaid Brennan did not become a sheet metal worker because it was expected of her. She did not become an instructor because it was easy. She did not become training coordinator because she was chasing a title. She got here by working through doubt, learning the trade, earning respect, and accepting the support of people who believed in her. Now, she wants to offer that same support to others.