Kimberly A. Beebe

I have been a project manager of capital construction projects for 25 years. I started in 2000 after getting my degree in construction management from Michigan State. Before construction, I was in the real estate industry for 8 years. My most recent role was working in-house for a large organization doing their capital construction projects, where I would hire the architects and the construction companies. Prior to that, I was a project manager who worked for construction companies, for general contractors and construction managers. I've built Walmets, skilled nursing facilities, and worked on massive projects on 40-acre sites with buildings that are 200,000 square feet. The job is incredibly challenging because if one thing doesn't happen, the next thing can't happen. You have to manage multiple phases simultaneously - site work, underground utilities, building pads, foundations, building construction, exterior work, landscaping, and all the interior finishes. It's a strategic planning challenge from beginning to end, but I thrive on solving issues. I'm very good at not taking no for an answer. When I worked in the city of Detroit, I took our building permitting process from over a year to about 2 months. I went directly to city councilwoman Mary Sheffield and the Speaker of the House, and eventually got through to the Director of Governmental Affairs to the mayor. I was able to call the head of the City of Detroit Building Department directly when inspectors would give us invalid violations that could stop projects for weeks or months. My brain just thinks logically and strategically - I love algebra and strategic planning. When I'm thinking about running errands, my brain automatically figures out how to do them the quickest and most efficiently. It's exhausting, but it's how I'm wired. I really enjoy being in the field and working with the guys on site, especially when I have a good superintendent and we make a good team.