Women in Construction Spotlight: Taylor Cheatham
From credit unions and logistics facilities to grocery stores and multi-family apartment complexes, the Keeley Building Group continuously builds communities and fosters relationships across the nation. Our team members in the Building Group are passionate about their craft, whether they’ve been in the industry for 20 years or 20 days. Taylor Cheatham, Assistant PM, is grateful she found her passion for construction and that it led her to Keeley.
Taylor joined the Keeley family in April 2022 after spending years in the automation industry. She was excited to make the switch and with Keeley as her first construction job, she has had the opportunity to work with a lot of amazing team members on various projects as she learns her role and more about the Building Group as a whole. She has gotten to work on a renovation project at the APA, new builds for Financial Facilities, and a few other local projects in St. Louis. Being able to learn so many facets of the industry so early on in her career has been an extremely rewarding and empowering experience.
“I feel like the Keeley’ns I have worked with allow me to take on as much as I am willing to and if I need help, I am always able to go back to them for it and I know I am always supported in my decisions.”
Taylor grew up around construction, so she always knew she wanted a career where she could see her hard work come to life. She originally went down the manufacturing route and worked at a robotics automation company. It was at that job that she realized construction was the career for her. Her company was working on a project at one of their facilities and Taylor got to work with the GC on a regular basis, which is what sparked her passion and career change.
Through this transition, Taylor has learned a lot of lessons, but the most important one has been to truly work with people and not against them. Whether she is working with team members, partners, subcontractors, or leadership, she tries to meet them in the middle in order to effectively do her job and build a strong, long-lasting relationship. This positive mindset and excitement to work with all types of people has allowed her to thrive in this male-dominated industry. By showing her willingness to step in where needed and eagerness to learn new things, she has been able to grow quickly in her role while earning the respect and trust of her team members. Taylor has had a great experience in the industry thus far, so if she could give one piece of advice to other women starting out, it would be:
“Be authentic and honest. If you don’t understand something, just ask. Never try to act like you know everything about everything because no one ever does. Never take yourself too seriously or be too afraid to ask questions or not know something.”
Even as an Assistant PM, Taylor has started running some of her own work. She is excited to continue to grow and eventually become a project manager. Keeley has helped her hone in on her vision for her professional development and she can’t wait to see where this road takes her at Keeley. Taylor truly sees herself at home with Keeley and loves the people and the culture.
“The culture at Keeley is truly unmatched. Our leaders are really open to feedback and the entire organization is incredibly open and supportive. You never have to hide something if you are having a hard time outside of work or on a project. You can voice those concerns to continuously improve processes for the future.”
Taylor, thank you for bringing you passion to Keeley! We are so excited to have you in the Building Group and can’t wait to see what innovative ideas you bring to the table. Your future is so bright!
