Women in Construction Spotlight: Elise Brown

By: Claire Sauer

Our Civil Group takes on challenging projects and executes quality work while exceeding expectations. This would not happen without every single team member from the field to the office. Elise Brown, Estimating Coordinator for the Civil Group, has been an essential part of the success the Civil Group has experienced over the past few years.

Elise found herself in the construction industry by luck, and she is so glad that she did. After a few conversations with Keeley’ns and visits to the office, she felt that the position was a perfect fit for her. She valued the culture and being surrounded by a team that works hard and makes the execution of a project feel less like a job and more of a passion.

Since beginning her journey with L. Keeley two years ago, Elise has been a vital part of many monumental projects for the Civil Group. From the start, Elise has been inspired by the values of L. Keeley. The value of Empowerment has truly resonated with her and has allowed her to feel empowered in many aspects of her work. She is grateful for the opportunity and support from her team to grow and succeed in her role. While the past two years have been both exciting and challenging, Elise has learned to embrace the setbacks and mistakes and understand that they are crucial parts of succeeding and growing.

Since joining the male-dominated construction industry, Elise has seen just how rewarding it can be, despite its challenges. The nature of her work and the world-class Keeley culture have allowed her to grow and look at her work from another perspective. At L. Keeley, she has never felt undervalued or excluded and that inspires her to continue to work hard and vocalize her ideas and opinions. Her team is extremely hardworking and passionate about the collective success of the group, company, and her as an individual. If she could give one piece of advice to young women starting out in the industry, it would be:

“I would like all women starting in the industry to understand that although you are in the minority, you are not alone. It may be easy to feel inferior, but your opinion, experience, and voice are extremely important to the success of yourself and to those around you. Always ask questions and demonstrate your willingness to learn and contribute.”

Since joining the Keeley family two years ago, Elise has fully taken advantage of the Keeley culture and everything it has to offer. It is her favorite thing about Keeley, and she is grateful for the people, resources, and opportunities that are readily available to her and the encouragement to utilize them. As for her future with Keeley, Elise wants to continue investing in her industry and professional development to ensure that she can be a beneficial team member and leader. She is also excited to watch the continued success of not only the Civil Group, but of L. Keeley as a whole.

Thank you, Elise, for your dedication and positive attitude every single day. Your bright smile is infectious, and we can’t wait to watch your future success!