A likable leader

Published: November 1, 2009

Heather Turner Loth Photo submitted by MSI General Corp.

By Jessica Stephen

The Town Hall Library in Merton might not be what it is today without Heather Turner Loth.

“I really do not think our project would have taken off the way it did without her,” said Heidi Cox, director of the library, which is shared by residents in Merton and North Lake.

Turner Loth, a project director at MSI General Corp., Oconomowoc, led the construction of a 1,200-square-foot addition and remodel of a 3,600-square-foot building for the library project.

The $25 million, yearlong construction project began in August 2008.

But the real work started with municipal meetings and research that tested even the unflappable Turner Loth, said David Keck, vice president of sales and marketing at MSI.

“She would apply pressure to the right people to make sure everything kept going,” Cox said. “I could come to her with all sorts of crazy, kooky sustainable-building ideas and she looked into them.

“She always stays on top of things, all the details. When I had a question, she always got back to me.”

A graduate of the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Turner Loth started as an intern with MSI 10 years ago. Today, she is a successful project director who has led the remodeling of 45 Pick ’n

Save grocery stores since 2001, including as many as 10 in one year. Last year, she won MSI’s Project Director of the Year award.

In addition to emerging as a leader in her own company, Turner Loth has established herself as a leader for women in construction through her role as president of Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women, said Fran-cesca Tenuta, vice president of WCREW.

“Heather is the real deal,” Tenuta said. “You can just count on her to solve the problem. And she does it in a way that’s likeable and approachable, not lighting a match and burning a bridge. I just think she’s a natural leader.”

Part of what makes Turner Loth a strong leader is her dedication to collaboration and communication, Keck said, which came in handy while working with community members on the Merton library project.

“She kind of invigorates me with her blogs and Twitters and LinkedIn,” he said. “You name it, she has mastered the way to connect and interconnect with people.I really admire that.”