2019 Women in Construction: Cortney Kiewel, Assistant Project Manager at Green Leaf Construction

How many years have you been in your current field? 7

What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first “real” job was waitressing at an UNO’s restaurant. That experience really provided me with customer service and communication skills in dealing with all types of personalities.

Who are three women – living or dead – that you would like to have drinks with and why? Eleanor Roosevelt because she was a highly influential human rights advocate who was also a pioneer in women’s rights, Nancy Pelosi for her fearless congressional leadership and Indra Nooyi for her immense success as a female CEO.

What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? Having finished college during the recession, I was apprehensive about what the future held for our industry. I was fortunate to find good companies within the industry who invested in my growth and provided continued opportunities.

Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? In 2017, I had the opportunity to manage my first project valued over $1 million for Bosch Thermotechnology. This was a multi-phased renovation within an occupied building. We had to carefully coordinate construction phasing and activities to allow the call center within the facility to maintain operation throughout the project. This project definitely was a game changer for me both in the volume and in coordination to support their continued operation.
What are you doing differently in 2019 that has had a positive impact on your career? I can’t say that there is any single thing I have done differently in the past few months, but I continue to focus on maintaining and growing relationships with customers and subcontractors.