Managing a construction project is no simple feat—it requires careful organization, good communication skills, and a deep well of knowledge to draw from. To manage a team of people who manage those projects is an even greater challenge, and it’s one that Korellis’ Jessica Arens earned when the contractor promoted her to Director of Project Management, earlier this year.
Arens comes from a lifelong background in construction, which began with her father owning a masonry company. She followed him into the industry, though she sought to carve her own path. For a time, she worked for a company that was one of Korellis’ vendors. Her interactions with Korellis made a strong impression on her, and when she sought out a new career challenge, she was welcomed with open arms.
Arens has spent the last eight years with Korellis. She started as a commercial administrator, putting together proposals and bids for different projects. She moved around a bit within the company, eventually becoming an assistant project manager, then a project manager, and then, this February, the Director of Project Management.
“My job is to lead our team of project managers and administrators to help them become the best team possible and support our field force that gets all of the work done,” Arens said. “I’m also still the project manager for our Department of Energy projects, and that requires a lot of attention to detail on my part. Additionally, I’m part of our Westville Correctional Facility project team, which requires a lot of attention. I juggle many different tasks, so no two days look the same.”
The work Korellis does for the Department of Energy (DoE) is incredibly prestigious and demanding. The government jobs are ones that only a handful of companies around the United States are capable of. Entrusting Arens with managing them is an immense sign of trust in her capabilities.
“There’s a lot of pride in earning those contracts—there are only twelve contractors nationwide that are even allowed to bid on them,” she said. “To be included in that group means a lot to us; it means we’re getting recognized for operating at an elite level. When you actually win one of those bids, it's even better. It’s saying that we’re here and can do this.”
The work involves DoE facilities in New Mexico and Texas, including Pantex—a facility responsible for work on the country’s nuclear stockpile. Korellis crews travel to these sites, spending weeks, sometimes months, at a time doing tear-offs, coatings, and, in some instances, full deck replacements.
“We put a lot of trust in our field team because they’re amazing. Without them, we couldn’t accomplish this,” she said. “We make sure that they come back for breaks every three weeks or so and that they’re back for the holidays. We also know that it’s not just our workers that make these projects happen. It’s their entire families. The travel isn’t easy on their families, so they are giving a lot to Korellis in these instances, and without that support, this work wouldn’t be possible.”
Arens’s wealth of experience and long-term tenure with the company see her operating as something of a jack-of-all-trades. She helps with anything that needs doing, even tasks that might not fall under her official job requirements.
She loves her job, but her favorite part is finding innovative ways to organize projects and improve workflow.
“I love organizing projects as a whole and helping people get things done easier,” she said. “It’s great to see how that helps things get done efficiently, with the best result getting delivered to the customer. I’m also seeing this new team of project managers grow, and that’s very rewarding.”
Few things are more satisfying to her than wrapping up a project and showing it off to her family.
“Whenever we finish a project, I’m like a kid in a candy store,” Arens said. “I’m driving my daughter around and pointing out all the different roofs that Korellis has done, saying, ‘Look at that! We did that!’”
Arens, as a woman in a leadership role in an industry where most of her peers in similar roles are men, is also a trailblazer. She started out further down the ladder, but through her ability and consistent success, claimed one of the most important roles in the company.
She noted that she is not the only woman at Korellis to accomplish that feat, describing the company as having a culture where everyone’s contributions are valued.
“It’s different being a woman leader in this field, but when I’m at Korellis, it doesn’t feel that way,” she said. “Everyone here is treated exactly the same. It’s a very fair team, and I appreciate that they acknowledge the expertise that different women can provide. They don’t hold someone back because they’re a woman trying to make it in the construction industry.”
To learn more about Korellis, visit korellis.com.
