FHWA Works: Employee Spotlight - Kelly Keele, P.E.

Full Name: Kelly Keele, P.E.
Title: Highway Design Manager
Division/Department: Central Federal Lands (CFL) Highway Division
Location (City/State): Lakewood, CO

1. How long have you been in your role and how did you choose this transportation field?
   I have been in my role as a Highway Design Manager at CFL for about 2.5 years, at CFL for 4.5 years, and in the transportation field since 2005. I have a couple of architects in my family and my dad was a concrete contractor. I found architecture too subjective but civil engineering was a good fit because there are standards/guidelines to follow but you are still allowed creativity in developing your design. My dad was often frustrated with road designers because “the design looked good on paper but didn’t make sense in the field.” I wanted to be the type of designer that my dad would want to work with. I try to always think about if a design makes sense and if it is constructible as I am developing or reviewing plans and encourage others to do the same.

2. What do you find interesting about your job and what do you do on a daily basis?
   The most interesting part of my job is the variety, of both people and projects. My work varies greatly from day to day, but generally I manage and support a group of designers developing PS&E’s (plans, specifications, and estimates) for Federal Lands projects.

3. What has been your biggest accomplishment over the last year?
   My biggest accomplishment over the last year has been successfully supporting a group of designers (including onboarding several new employees) and attaining group cohesiveness in a virtual work environment.

4. Prior to working at FHWA, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?
   For a couple of summers in high school and college I worked at a local cabinet shop building and sanding custom-made cabinets.

5. What are your hobbies in your spare time?
   In my spare time you’ll find me planning for, training for, or undertaking self-propelled adventures in the mountains (running, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, etc.). I love being outside and exploring new trails. I also like to garden, which has proved to be very challenging in Colorado.

6. What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned in your career to get you where you are today?
   One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my career is to not take things personally and be open to constructive criticism. We all started out by having a lot of comments on our first plan set, but the successful designers use those comments to learn and improve and eventually teach others.

   Also, realizing that we all make mistakes, so acknowledge and own your mistakes, but focus your energy on seeking a solution to move forward.

7. Complete this sentence: "People would be surprised if they knew..."
   that every year I create my Christmas cards by hand.