Introducing Our Four New Vice Presidents at Keeley Companies
By: Rusty Keeley
There is nothing that energizes me more than planning for the future. This year, while taking a hard look within the Keeley Companies’ current organizational chart, I realized change needed to happen. There were four instrumental individuals who deserved a Vice President title for their dedication and direct impact on the success of our company.
Guess what? They all happened to be women. I know what this could look like, but these four individuals deserve the Vice President title due to their results. We are shouting this from the rooftops in hopes that by drawing attention to the situation, we can inspire others to also take a hard look at their Organizational Chart.
Equality is a personal passion of mine and trust me, you can find countless articles on the subject. One quote from the Harvard Business Review article: “A Study Used Sensors to Show That Men and Women Are Treated Differently at Work” struck me the most, “Companies need to approach gender inequality as they would any business problem: with hard data... Companies also need to focus on the more fundamental — and more difficult — problem of reducing bias. One way to do so is to [recognize rightful] promotions."
Based on hard data, each of these women deserve to be promoted. At Keeley Companies, we use the #KeeleyWay – a strategic planning method starting with a five-year vision that breaks down into a one-year measurable scorecard, a process is uniform across all leaders. The four women promoted have successfully crushed their scorecard goals year-over-year, achieved results on purpose, and have contributed to our growth and culture.
April Lopinot | L. Keeley Construction | Vice President of HR
April Lopinot launched the L. Keeley HR department in 2015 building it from the ground up. Since her arrival, L. Keeley has grown from 50 to over 500 people she proudly and fiercely serves with a smile every day. She is a leader of every cultural pillar and her passion for our people drives her results year over year. With her dedication to the well-being of all Keeley’ns she was instrumental in the strategic launch of #KeeleyLife, our Health and Wellness Program. She developed and executed our world-class Internship Program that now spans all of the Keeley Companies with over 40 interns annually. She continually finds creative ways to attract the best recruits and builds key partnerships with educational institutions. Our retention and net promoter score have both increased under April's leadership. She goes beyond the call of duty to make sure our benefits for our Keeley’ns are literally the best in the industry.
April - Watching you create a Human Resources Department and build relationships has been truly impressive. I’ve enjoyed working by your side as we create #KeeleyLife.
Bianca Strickland | ADB Companies | Vice President of HR
Bianca started as the receptionist at ADB Companies six years ago and instantly rose to the top. Within months she was making an impact far beyond her responsibilities, shaping the future of ADB. After many promotions, Bianca took over the entire HR Department and began to grow our people while building our world-class culture. She has fought to keep ADB’s benefits the best in the industry, wages fair for all team members, and built incredible recognition programs. She now runs a team of 15 responsible for Recruitment and HR for all of ADB Companies including ZeroDay Technology Solutions, Mercury Communications, and Inspired solutions. While building the team, she also earned her MBA to bring more expertise to all of Keeley Companies. Under her leadership, retention and our net promoter score has increased significantly.
Bianca - I’ve always admired the passion you have for our PEOPLE and willingness to fight for their betterment on all fronts from salary, to benefits, to tenure, to opportunity, and to recognition. You’ve accomplished so much since stepping in and leading the evolution of our HR Group.
Mary Sly | Keeley Companies | Vice President of #KeeleyCares
Mary Sly is known across Keeley Companies for her passion and unmatched devotion to giving back to the community. As the leader of #KeeleyCares, Mary steers a committee of 22 Keeley'ns, driving involvement and tracking hours for over 1,500 Keeley’ns nationwide. In addition to supporting individual Keeley’ns, Mary is also involved in every single event and organization supported by Keeley Companies. In 2019 alone, Mary has personally completed over 500 hours of service. She has played an active role with World Pediatric Project for multiple years, housing children during their time in St. Louis while receiving treatments and other medical care. In addition to her incredible dedication to #KeeleyCares, Mary’s true talent lies in her genuine nature and desire to build meaningful relationships with every person she meets.
Mary - I’m so proud of your leadership and ability to connect with PEOPLE on such a personal level. You have a joyous smile and amazing gift that makes each person feel truly special.
Nicole Kreeger | Keeley Companies | Vice President of Marketing
Nicole Kreeger has made an incredible impact on our culture, brand, and success in her three years as a Keeley’n. Nicole created a strategic vision for the marketing team and built the foundation of what is now a seven-person powerhouse that serves all of our Keeley Companies. With her vision for the future and the vital role she plays in cultivating the #KeeleyWay, Nicole and her team manage all client proposals & presentations, social media, websites, internal & external events, collateral & swag, internal communications, public relations, and telling the Keeley Story. In addition to all of the amazing work she does within the Keeley Companies, Nicole also has a passion for giving back as a proud #KeeleyCares committee member and longtime supporter, and Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient, of Pedal the Cause. Nicole is a driving force behind all of our cultural initiatives and continues to make Keeley Companies world-class for every Keeley’n, customer, and partner.
Nicole - It’s hard to comprehend the growth of our Brand since your arrival as a Keeley’n...but its nothing short of spectacular. We are just getting started in so many ways and shaping the future of Keeley.
I cannot begin to express how proud I am of these four individuals. Their leadership and devotion to shaping the Keeley Companies for the future is something I am truly grateful for. I can't wait to see how they empower others to exceed expectations and take our company to the next level.
