GMC employees recognized among Birmingham’s Rising Stars in construction

Congratulations to Reid Fincher and Katie Strickland on being named two of the Birmingham Business Journal’s “2018 Rising Stars of Real Estate and Construction.”

This list recognizes up-and-coming talent in the Birmingham area’s commercial and residential real estate, construction, architecture and related industries. These honorees are 30 years old or younger and are already making a tangible impact on their companies, industries and on the Magic City as a whole.

As a landscape designer, Reid quickly became an integral part of the landscape and planning team upon joining GMC. He has been a key player on many of the projects that are positively impacting the Magic City, including Birmingham’s Second Avenue street improvements; the Birmingham Zoo’s new front entrance and arrival experience; 20th Street APPLE feasibility study for streetscape improvements; ongoing work with UAB, including the College of Arts and Sciences building and the new residence hall; Lane Parke master plan in Mountain Brook; Homewood High School renovations and addition; Jones Valley Corridor tree planting plan for the Rotary Club; and other work on the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System.

Also worth noting is Reid’s commitment to serving his community, including service through organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and Jones Valley Teaching Farm. He recently worked with students at Woodlawn High School to give them hands-on learning experience by bringing them in to help with the design of a park on a nearby vacant lot. The students worked through the design process and then actually helped build the park the following week, giving them a look at the process from idea to implementation and hopefully, sparking interest in some for a future career path.

For the last five years, Katie has designed civil engineering projects such as Lane Parke and the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook; the City of Pelham’s new elementary, middle and high schools, recreation center and library; UAB’s new residence hall; and the new Alabaster and Athens high schools.

Her leadership is demonstrated through the variety of projects for which she is responsible. Her approach is highly collaborative and based on the belief that working as a team means listening to different perspectives to yield the greatest possible result. She believes that being a leader doesn’t mean your way of thinking is necessarily best, but that you have the ability to recognize what works and the responsibility to make the best decision.