Keri Lynn Wallenkamp, PMP
Keri Lynn Wallenkamp, PMP, is a seasoned project management professional with a unique focus on creating impactful spaces for growth and learning. Currently serving as the Senior Manager of New Center Development at LEARN Behavioral, Keri oversees the planning, execution, and launch of new centers across the United States, ensuring that children with autism and other specialized needs have access to high-quality educational and behavioral services. Her approach combines strategic planning, team management, and community engagement, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and innovative problem-solving to deliver meaningful outcomes for every project she leads.
Keri's career path is distinguished by versatility and adaptability. With a foundation in finance and local government budgeting, she transitioned into construction and infrastructure work during the COVID-19 pandemic, discovering a passion for building projects that directly serve communities in need. Over the past six years, she has managed projects ranging from small-scale $15,000 initiatives to multi-million-dollar portfolios, including developments for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her expertise spans project planning, cross-functional team coordination, and collaboration with general contractors, architects, and engineers nationwide, demonstrating her ability to navigate complex, high-stakes environments with skill and precision.
Beyond her professional achievements, Keri is deeply committed to community involvement and leadership. She serves on the Board of Zoning Appeals in Random Lake, coaches youth basketball, and actively participates in volunteer initiatives that support children and families. With certifications in Project Management Professional (PMP) and Professional Leadership, Keri combines technical expertise with a people-first philosophy, fostering environments where teams can thrive, innovation can flourish, and communities can benefit from thoughtfully designed spaces for growth and learning.
• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Certificate in Professional Leadership
• Project Management Institute
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
• ST JUDE AND CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF WISCONSIN
• Girl Scouts of Manitou Council
• Village of Random Lake
• Random Lake Basketball Club
What do you attribute your success to?
I really do believe that where I am today, at the age that I am, I'm very young for my field and for my role, is I have truly had the greatest mentors in all different aspects of spaces, from government and public policy to construction and design. I even had great college professors, and it's just been so good to have that mentorship. Because at my age, I'm sitting in a position that most likely you'd see somebody in their early 50s holding.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Probably the best advice that I've ever received is to be consistent. Continue to show up, continue to offer a helping hand. Everyone can be a part of a team, whether your job is very individual-based. It's still supporting something somewhere along the lines. So just showing up and being consistent is always going to be the best way to move through life.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be scared. It's such a fun industry. There are so many opportunities for women to really put their foot into it, have fun, get dirty, get hands-on. And there's so much to learn, and once you've got the grasp, your imagination can build so many fun, cool things. We need to liven it up a little bit.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges I face are being a young woman in a male-dominated field. A lot of the challenges sometimes are as simple as age and sex factors that are constantly brought up, like 'Do you have this? Do you understand this? Do you need me to show you this?' And having that ability to kind of maneuver and say, 'Hey, I do know this,' or 'Oh no, would you mind showing me how you do this?' So a lot of that does still come up, unfortunately. On the opportunities side, honestly, it's the educational side. There's so much ongoing learning. A lot of people say project management is dead, that AI is going to take over project management, but you don't see that. There are so many opportunities to use AI as a tool. Project management is so people-oriented - people think it's all admin work or operational behind the scenes, but really you're managing people. And the way people are today are different than where they were 20 years ago. The technology is different. So there's so many opportunities when it comes to the educational side that is so beneficial for this field.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'm a very open person, so I respect blunt honesty and making processes easier. If I don't know there's a problem, I can't fix it. My biggest thing, and what I tell my team every single day, is whatever the problem, we are going to be the solution, we will find the solution. We are outside-of-the-box thinkers. And so I really like the creativity, the honesty. Transparency is huge, not just in work, but these are values I teach my kids. You take accountability, be honest, and you're always communicating - you will see that things will be better for you in life.