Kathleen Vanderstappen – Mortenson

Kathleen Vanderstappen confesses that she gets bored easily. So it made sense to choose a job that comes with a lot of variety.

That’s exactly what Vanderstappen found at Mortenson, where she works as a senior design phase manager.

“The fast pace of construction has always kept me on my toes and constantly learning,” she said. “In the last six years specifically, the ambiguity in the design phase of projects has been both challenging and fun to navigate.”

Vanderstappen, who also won a Rising Young Professional award from The Daily Reporter in 2018, works closely with clients from the onset of Mortenson’s selection as construction manager into the early stages of construction, serving as the liaison between clients and the Mortenson team. She manages the design phase process of multiple projects, ensures that these projects are geared toward success from the start, and serves as a valuable resource for clients throughout design and into the construction phase.

Her first project with Mortenson was the 1.1-million-square-foot distribution center for ULINE in Pleasant Prairie. The facility includes rack storage space, speed bays with loading docks, 23,000 square feet of two-story office space, and 3,600 square feet of shipping and receiving offices. Her responsibilities for the $87 million project included scheduling, planning, quality control and managing customer relationships.

Currently, she is the main point of contact from Mortenson on the preconstruction of the future Milwaukee Public Museum.

“Kathleen is a focused, passionate professional who has excelled among her peers while supporting others,” said Mortenson Marketing Coordinator Lauren Giannini. “She lifts while she climbs by empowering others to succeed.”

Vanderstappen said that one of the biggest challenges in her job is managing work-life balance.

“We’re in a demanding — and very rewarding — industry where expectations are high,” she said. “It’s important to be able to disconnect from work so you can be your happy self at both home and work.”