By Tom Cowan, Director of Operations with Nexus 5 Group
Katie Reed joined the team at Nexus 5 Group as a Project Engineer in October 2022. She came to us with logistics knowledge and over 12 years of experience in the customer service industry. Katie grew up in the Kansas City area and became a Park University Pirate, graduating with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Katie Reed – Project Engineer – Started October 2022
Katie's Role at Nexus 5 Group
As a Project Engineer, Katie assists Project Managers with budgeting and estimating, schedules, contracts, subcontracts, submittals, and RFIs (Requests for Information). She also communicates with personnel and field technicians about the expectations for projects relating to schedule, hours, materials, and estimate-to-complete.
Katie tracks the progress and position for each project on a weekly basis and discusses concerns with the Project Manager and accounting team. As a Project Engineer Katie also assists in project walkthroughs to ensure quality and accuracy to the scope and to monitor progress. In addition, she assists the Superintendent with documentation as needed to ensure on-site success.
Katie and her husband, Ryan with their two kids Harper (age 6) and Hudson (age 5).
Harper and Hudson repping their teams. They are best buds!
Before Nexus 5 Group...
Katie grew up in the KC area and met her husband Ryan in 2014. The family of four, Husband Ryan, Kids Harper (age 6) and Hudson (age 5) live in Parkville, Missouri. Ryan runs an insurance and financial business in Parkville, recently celebrating his 18th anniversary.
Katie has worked in the service industry for 12+ years as a server and bartender where she met many people and forged lasting relationships. The schedule of nights and weekends allowed her to stay home with the babies during the day and complete college courses online while they slept. She graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration-marketing from Park University in 2018.
“With young kids and late work hours, we decided it was time for me to explore other opportunities, driving me to the full truckload team at a local logistics company. Here, I coordinated the operations to move truckload shipments. It was a challenge being post-covid with supply chain issues, but I learned a lot about the grind. It was the stepping stone I needed to explore different industries and find the right fit. This is where Nexus 5 Group comes in. I came across the company information and after learning of their values, I was immediately interested. Ultimately, it was through a relationship with a former fellow employee, Emma (now a Project Engineer for Nexus 5 Group) that showed me a rewarding career was possible there. Although I have no construction experience, I was grateful to be offered the position as Project Engineer. Three months in, I am enjoying my time here and learning a lot.”
Katie spends most of her time with family. Harper enjoys playing t-ball, watching basketball with dad, and making jewelry. Hudson enjoys collecting baseball hats, playing soccer, and shooting them with nerf guns.
As a family, they like to watch K-State play as the kids have adopted dad’s fandom and are now Wildcat fans. She and her husband often host Chiefs games at home. Both kids are involved in Jiu Jitsu, so they spend nights watching their lessons. Outside of family time, they enjoy trying new and different styles of food, reading, and being outdoors.
Harper and Hudson repping their teams. They are best buds!
The kids cheering on KSU (Dad’s alma mater).
Katie and Ryan at Top of the Rock in Branson, MO on a family trip.
"Katie has been a welcome addition to Nexus 5 Group. She has shown a great willingness to jump in and assist in any way possible. She really carries a “serve well” attitude in all she does and has been eager to learn new things. She brings a brightness to the office and has quickly become a dependable and reliable project engineer." Josh McDonald – Senior Project Manager
"Katie is the perfect fit for Nexus 5 Group. She is like minded and shares our company culture/attitude about life. She is an incredibly hard worker but her true passion is her family. I knew she would be the perfect fit when she reached out about working at Nexus 5 Group. She originally mentioned applying for an accounting position, but I knew the Project Engineer was a better fit. She has blended seamlessly into the team, and I’m excited to see her continue to grow!" Emma Green – Project Engineer