WE USA

Movers & Shakers Spotlight – Kristen Taylor

From her nomination:

“Kristen is a role model by embracing company values and her always-positive attitude creates a great work environment where teamwork is evident. She excels in her role and her mentorship has positively affected many other engineers and project managers within the group. Even under stressful conditions, Kristen is always positive. She is a leader who projects a sense of calm, which provides confidence in the people who work with her. She will be an outstanding regional manager in the coming years.”

Kristen Taylor is a Senior Project Manager at HRI, Inc., which is a part of Barrett Industries, the Colas USA subsidiary that operates throughout the Northeast United States. Kristen has been a part of the Colas USA Family since 2010. Prior to becoming a Senior Project Manager, Kristen worked as a Project Engineering Intern, Project Engineer/Estimator, and Project Manager.

Read more about Kristen through the following spotlight.

Describe your role to someone who is not familiar with the construction industry or Colas USA.
My role as a Project Manager is very diverse. It can include estimating, accounting, planning/scheduling, and coordinating all in the same day. Every day is different and that is part of the reason I enjoy this job so much.

What has been your favorite project so far?
It is hard to narrow down my favorite project to just one. I have really enjoyed working on all the projects at Penn State University, since that is my alma mater. It has been fun to improve and work on the campus that I went to school at.

I have also enjoyed working at the University Park Airport over of the years. Airports offer a unique challenge as they have different standards than roadways.

What drew you to working within the construction industry?
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my Civil Engineering degree once I graduated. There are a lot of different paths a Civil Engineer can take. I was hired as an intern at HRI, Inc. in college and discovered I loved it!

What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
My two little boys motivate me to wake up and go to work every day.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?
My favorite hobby is photography. I love to take pictures of landscapes and sceneries.