A native of San Clemente, CA, he owns I.A. General Building Contractors, following a successful 20-year Naval career as a Seabee Chief. Ismael's diverse roles in the construction field have ranged from general labor to positions of increasing responsibility, including foreman, superintendent, project manager, safety officer, quality control officer, and operations manager. His extensive experience across these roles equipped him to successfully execute over 300 government and residential construction projects, collectively valued at 100 million dollars.