Join us in welcoming Meredith Lovejoy to the Lehrer Cumming team. Meredith joins our New York office as a Business Development Director. She will be responsible for driving rapid new client acquisition and revenue growth throughout the NY market.
How long have you been working in the construction industry?
25 years
What brought you to Cumming?
Relationships! I have been networking with a couple of people from Lehrer Cumming and have enjoyed the interactions, and I admired their projects. I found that many roads lead to Lehrer Cumming. I am excited to partner with a well-established NY firm with an international reputation and footprint.
What advice would you give to those in the AEC industry?
No matter what role you play or what your area of expertise, listen to and learn what your colleagues do. It’s helpful to understand all aspects of the design and construction process and having that knowledge can be incredibly useful when you least expect it.
What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
There are many things that come to mind. First, my husband and I have been raising our sons — twin boys — with me working full-time since their birth. This feels like a tremendous accomplishment to me, although it’s not done yet — they are now 13 years old. Other accomplishments that come to mind: I have initiated and implemented CRM programs and websites, as well as experiential client engagement events that each have felt like a tremendous accomplishment at the time. I am also proud of and pleased by the relationships I have developed and nurtured with colleagues and peers over the years.
Probably my greatest professional accomplishment was helping to rebuild the architectural firm where I worked during 9/11. The physical office was destroyed by fire when the towers collapsed, and with it, all the backup files were lost. I played a significant role in rebuilding the firm’s collateral. Using the CRM software I had implemented, I was able to reach all their clients, engineers and subconsultants, photographers, etc. within days of the disaster to not only let everyone know we were okay, but also to rebuild files and resume business activities. Due to the insurance requirements, we had 12 months to file losses and rebuild a 65-year-old firm from scratch (and nothing was in the cloud in those days). It was a life-changing experience for me.