Her Story
About Karin D.
Karin D. Montgomery is a Land Development Project Manager with over a decade of experience guiding complex, multidisciplinary construction projects that shape communities across Texas. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Construction Engineering Management and a Master of Business Administration, both from California State University, Long Beach, giving her a rare combination of technical depth and strategic business acumen. Her career path began with an early interest in engineering that evolved into a passion for hands-on construction management after an internship exposed her to the field side of the industry. That dual perspective — office-based planning paired with on-site problem-solving — has become the hallmark of her professional approach ever since.
Currently with Brookfield Properties, Karin leads residential subdivision and infrastructure initiatives from concept through completion, overseeing budgeting, master planning, and cost forecasting while coordinating across contractors, regulators, and internal stakeholders. Before joining Brookfield, she spent more than eight years at her alma mater, California State University, Long Beach, where she managed campus-wide construction initiatives, controlled project budgets, and trained teams to execute complex builds successfully. One of the defining moments of her early career was leading the construction of a sustainable dormitory complex on that same campus, a project that earned recognition and helped launch her professional trajectory. She has since earned certifications including the PMP and Google Project Management credential, reflecting her ongoing commitment to professional development.
Beyond her project work, Karin is an active voice for mentorship and industry advancement, holding leadership roles with the Project Management Institute and the Urban Land Institute's Master-Planned Communities council and Austin Young Leaders Steering Committee. As one of relatively few women working in a male-dominated field, she is a vocal advocate for women entering construction, encouraging them to lead with confidence and competence. Grounded in a personal commitment to transparency and honesty, she credits much of her success to the mentors who shaped her early career and to her own persistence in seeking out answers and solving problems — values she continues to pass on to the teams and colleagues she works with today.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karin D.
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to the people I've worked for and alongside throughout my career. I'd also credit a bit of stubbornness — when I want to understand something, I make it my mission to figure it out, whether that means digging in myself or finding the right person to help me get there. That mindset has carried me through my entire career, along with a consistent openness to learning.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've ever received is simple, and it's something I still repeat today: follow through. If you have a question, ask it — and see it through until you have an answer. If there's a problem or something pending, make sure you're the one keeping it moving and following up. That principle has served me well in every aspect of my life, not just my career. It really does come down to following up and following through.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is that the men in this field aren't as intimidating as they may seem. I work in a male-dominated industry with very few women around me day to day, but I've found that my male colleagues are willing to teach, train, and give full respect — as long as you demand it. If you plant your feet, know your work, and clearly show who you are and what you stand for, they will respect that and welcome you in. The key is that you have to know what you're doing, and you have to insist on being treated accordingly.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'd say the biggest ongoing challenge in construction is our industry's slowness to adopt new tools and ways of working. The world around us is moving faster than ever, and construction hasn't always kept pace. At the same time, that's exactly where the opportunity lies — there's real potential to speed up processes and drive greater efficiency across the industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Full transparency and honesty are the values I hold most important, even when they're difficult to practice. It's not always easy to be the one delivering hard truths or bad news, but building that honesty into who you are creates deeper trust. When people know you'll always be open with them, they trust what you say and what you do.
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