ESRW March 14th Lunch Meeting with special guest Kelli Williams

Reading over Kelli Williams’s CV, the list of projects with her fingerprints all over them is an impressive one. The Guntersville, Alabama, native graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Building Construction, working her own way through school as part of a coop program that gave her exposure to parts of the job that aren’t taught in a classroom.

Her goal, going into university, was to obtain a degree and enter a career field that she could make money at, that would interest her and challenge her, as Williams had always had an interest in STEM programs. Construction seemed to fit the bill, and over the last twenty-plus years, her talents have led her on an incredible journey—her first big project being the addition of the LSU stadium in Baton Rouge. Later, she began work on the Destin/Ft. Walton/Valparaiso airport, which brought her to the coast. Next came a project with Navy Federal in Pensacola, and then Williams later moved into more industrial and environmental work.

Eventually, Williams started her own business in Mobile. When Lord & Sons Construction was contracted to build Spanish Fort Elementary, she took a job with the company and became project lead for the school. In April of 2023, she became Senior Project Manager for the Baldwin Prep construction project. In her words, “Baldwin Prep is important to the community in a lot of ways,” she says of what makes this project a particularly personal one. I have learned so much from the educators, administrators, and design team about what makes this school different from others, and it is exciting. What they do is preparing local students to enter the workforce, which is essential to a growing and thriving community, as a strong workforce brings attractive jobs to the area. In my opinion, that improves the quality of life for everyone who lives here.”

-Excerpt from “Building a Future” published in the February issue of Social Eastern Shore