Women in Construction Spotlight: Kimberly Reuther
Keeley has amazing Design/Build capabilities and we are always striving for continuous improvement and growth. We have great design partners that we work with on a regular basis, but our Financial Facilities Team knew it was time to bring some of those talents in-house. Kimberly Reuther is Keeley Construction’s first Interior Designer, and she works primarily with our Financial Facilities team, bringing visions to life for financial institutions across the country.
Kimberly joined the Keeley Team in November of 2021 and hit the ground running. As the first Interior Designer, there has been a lot of implementation of new processes and procedures that didn’t previously exist. She has loved being able to help grow the team’s Design/Build capabilities while shaping how the design process works within the group. Kimberly is constantly striving to meet goals while jumping into projects that were already in-progress when she started while also working on ones that are about to begin. Since she is able to shape her role and path for the future, she feels incredibly empowered in what she does as she is laying the groundwork for future Interior Designers.
“I feel empowered every day at Keeley. I feel empowered to develop this Design team for the future. Everyone here is very collaborative and everyone has a voice. We are all working towards a common goal of fulfilling clients’ visions, building relationships, and meeting and exceeding our scorecard goals.”
Kimberly grew up around construction as her dad, grandpa, and uncle ran their own home building company. She has always had a passion for design and even began drawing floorplans and rearranging her bedroom on a monthly basis when she was just eight years old. Growing up going to jobsites and being around her family’s company made the transition into construction easier. However, entering a male-dominated industry will always present its own unique set of challenges. Joining Keeley was Kimberly’s first time working at a construction company, but she has taken the challenges in stride doing everything she can to learn how everyone’s roles work together. Going to jobsites and understanding the ins and outs of the industry has allowed her to build relationships within the company and beyond, giving her insights on how to better help her team and her clients. So, if Kimberly could give one piece of advice to women starting out in the industry, it would be:
“Everyone wants to feel respected and like an integral part of the team. Find a company that values your voice and has team members that share your values and have your best interest in mind. Your success hinges on who you work with and how much they respect you in your role.”
Since Kimberly is the first Interior Designer at Keeley, she has been able to craft a vision for the future that is driven by her dreams and goals. As she grows, she wants to be a true interior design resource for Keeley and come up with a cohesive strategy on a large scale. She hopes to lead a talented group of Keeley’ns and mentor those young team members through their careers, teaching them the lessons she has learned. The most important lesson she wants to share with others is that you can’t truly succeed without the help of other people and without helping other people. She is always cognizant of how she impacts her team and strives to leave everything better than she found it, including relationships, client interactions, and processes.
The Keeley’n culture is unique, and Kimberly has fully embraced it from the moment she walked in the door. As for her favorite thing about being a Keeley’n?
“The people. I love all the things that Keeley does for the people here – KeeleyLife, KeeleyGreen, KeeleyOne, #KeeleyCares. This culture allows me to meet and work with amazing people while learning more about how to be a better person and elevate myself both in and out of the office.”
Kimberly, thank you for taking on this brand-new position with grace and passion. We are so grateful to have you as our first Interior Designer and we can’t wait to see how you shape the team for future success!
