2021 Women in Construction: Kerrie Julian, Senior Project Manager, STV|DPM

What was your greatest achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? My greatest achievement in the last year was that I was able to stay 100% billable with two projects. Frequency Therapeutics that was in the planning stages of a 60K sf lab/office fitout and relocation, while 55K sf Gates Medical Research Institute was 50% complete with construction when the pandemic caused a shut down. We took that time to relook at some infrastructure issues for when construction started back up in June.

What are you most looking forward to post-pandemic? I have missed seeing my coworkers, clients, and friends in person. You learn so much from being together and building those relationships. I can’t wait to get back to industry events, live music and hanging out. Or the impromptu get-togethers where you can have a few drinks and laughs.

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months? I went from spending 10-15 hours in the car commuting to being able to do morning yoga and take longer walks with my dog. I feel like I’ve learned more about time management and preparing for meetings because I have the time now. Early in the pandemic, I attended a zoom call on stress management and a simple thing like regulating your breathing can realign your mind. When I’m feeling overloaded, I take a few minutes to concentrate on breathing to refocus. I also set smaller daily goals from my larger “To Do List”. It has helped immensely.

What steps have you taken to ensure the continued success of your firm? Throughout the last year, while busy with the day to day, I have tried to stay involved in Corenet and reaching out to contacts to stay connected.

Why should women consider a career in the A/E/C industry? Why wouldn’t they?

Starting out in the A/E/C business, who or what empowered you? When just starting out, I still had so much to learn. I tried to get in the field as much as possible. I had some great mentors along the way and tried to soak in all that I could, so I would say that I empowered myself. As I grew more confident in what I was doing, others empowered me to continue to develop and share my knowledge and experiences.