Megan Muller
Michelle Valenta is the Regional Controller for the Piedmont Region of Reeves Construction Company, the Colas USA subsidiary that operates throughout North & South Carolina, Georgia, and the northern part of Florida.
Read more about Michelle through the following spotlight.
Describe your role to someone who is not familiar with the construction industry or Colas USA.
I am responsible for the financial reporting for our manufacturing and construction activities at the Piedmont Region of Reeves Construction Company. I also help the Operations Team by providing reports to help them forecast, track how they are doing, and make business decisions.
What has been your favorite project so far?
While my job is not construction project specific, my favorite project was creating a ReportsNow that automated the Financial Statement Support Schedule for quarterly reporting. The process increased my knowledge of ReportsNow, Excel, and financial reporting. I received a lot of feedback from the regions that the report saved them time and was very valuable to them. It felt good to create something helpful and we are still utilizing the report today.
What drew you to working within the construction industry?
As an accountant I didn’t necessarily choose the construction industry. Many accounting students gravitate towards public accounting, but I knew that wasn’t for me due to having a young son at the time. When I applied for the job at Simon, another Colas USA subsidiary, I was interested in the responsibilities and the fact that the company was well known in the community.
After working in construction, I am excited every day that we build the roads that connect everyone together. Knowing that we have a small part in making sure people can get to the hospital, see their families, or make a living truly fulfills me.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
I love coming to work because each day is a little bit different. I love problem solving. Whether it is finding a more efficient answer, creating a more streamlined process, or finding the root of an issue, I get excited about helping the company in any way I can.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I love animals. I grew up in a house where we had dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, frogs, snakes, and even a pet mouse! To this day I love to help with rescues and have fostered several dogs, including a mama who had 11 puppies at my house when I lived in New Jersey!
From her nomination:
“Michelle has a lot of accounting experience from other subsidiaries within Colas USA and has brought best practices to Piedmont North. Because of this, she has become the model we should look at when it comes to mobility for the company. She is a great team player. She has become a solid Regional Controller who the Regional Manager relies on.”