Employee Spotlight: Anne Keener, Marketing Coordinator

1. How did you come to do what you do?
My background is in Fine Arts/ Interior Design, I feel at home in the AEC industry. Right after I graduated from AIA, I moved back to Pennsylvania away from internships and IIDA connections… which timed unfortunately with the economy taking a big ole’ dive. I worked a variety of roles including small scale residential design, commercial work designing rail stations, logistics, business development and moved into sales and marketing due to the creative component. Working parallel with AEC is the most fulfilling part of my job. I love seeing project renderings, drawing sets and final project photography which is all very exciting to me!

2. What are your favorite types of projects to work on?
I enjoy creating project profiles and posting our recent wins on our company portal. The Arora team offers a vast amount of specialty scope which I honestly find fascinating whether its GIS, Fire/Life Safety, MEP, Special Systems, ATLAS & Maximo services it is rewarding working with such a diverse team. Seeing the progress plans, site photos and final professional photography helps bring the project to life in our submittal packages & expanding our portfolio.

3. What is the best career lesson you’ve learned so far?
Always take the high road. One of my favorite managers encouraged my team to take the high road especially when deadlines were overwhelming. I appreciate working in a collaborative space and the marketing team at Arora is by far the best group! Don’t be intimidated by long and impressive titles, some of the successful people I’ve met have the best stories and sense of humor, and alternately don’t overlook upcoming talent, you never know what’s ahead for them, and root for them! And just one more, it’s ok if you don’t have a linear path, (most don’t) explore and try new things, be adaptable to grow professionally.

4. What do you enjoy most about working at Arora?
What I enjoy most is working across departments with sales for exhibit and event planning, accounting for event costs, the engineering team for opportunities or profile feedback, and welcoming new hires with Arora Gear and posting on our company portal. There is much more I can list but in essence, my workload is always varied, I get to connect with many colleagues with all levels of experience and knowledge. I enjoy changing gears rapidly!

5. Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy hiking or exploring trails with my family and being outside to “re-charge”. My kids are growing up fast, my daughter joined the military right after high school, so I’ve been carving out some time for creative outlets like painting, wood burning art, and I just started gardening veggies and sunflowers. My son is in middle school and is involved in a lot of activities, so he continues to keep me busy!