Meet the Houston Marketing Team Driven by Connection
South of the smooth asphalt of US 290, beyond the towering IH 610/IH 69 interchange, and past the IH 10 frontage roads, you will find one of Consor’s marketing teams hard at work on creative transportation pursuits. They’re inspired by sprawling Houston, Texas, which attracts a unique blend of people from various backgrounds and cultures, making it a hub for art and innovation. Get to know this creative, forward-thinking team through the lens of Marketing Director Karen Kubos.
But first, a little about Karen… This marketing superstar is celebrating 11 years working with Consor, and in that time she’s grown a driven team of five that delivers proposals focused on transportation planning, design, and construction services. When Karen isn’t mobilizing her colleagues to participate in charity races or community clean-ups, she’s sharing those local stories of connection on LinkedIn! She was drawn to AEC because it is the intersection of business, communications, and creative writing. Karen’s team conveys how Consor can support our Texas communities through top-notch public infrastructure and beyond.
We asked Karen some questions to uncover what makes her team stand out in the AEC marketing world.
What does success look like for your team?
To me, success means always sharing laughs and having fun together, even through the busy times. Fostering an engaged team where everyone feels happy, supported in their professional development, and excited to work together is what matters. That’s the secret ingredient that drives marketers to deliver proposals and other marketing materials that truly showcase the great civil engineering work we do.
What’s a project your team recently collaborated on that you’re proud of?
In 2022, Consor refreshed our brand. This was a huge effort for the marketing and communication teams nationwide, and each team member played a role in the content creation and communication around our brand launch. We submitted these efforts for the 2023 Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Marketing Communications Awards (MCAs) and won the corporate identity-brand refresh and internal video categories! We were also selected as finalists in the brand awareness campaign mixed-media and internal communications-digital categories. Receiving this recognition at the award ceremony for the efforts of our entire team was special and validating!
If your team was a band, what roles would you serve?
My longest-running teammate, Trudi Garrett, plays the cowbell. She is everyone’s cheerleader! Lauren Fisher is more of the bassist because she is steady, calm, and cool. Meanwhile, Caitlin Williams is the keytar player—funky and outspoken. And Aubrey Felchak, who recently joined my team, makes me think of a drummer because she is super focused in her efforts. That makes me the band manager, the perpetual hype woman always looking for new ways to promote my team! Our band name would be GIRT (it’s an inside joke).
What motivates your team?
Our team thrives on friendly competition and the energy generated by the fast-paced proposal process. And that aligns with how Consor’s central region pursues work—goal-focused and driven. Due to our great partnerships with the operations teams, they see the wide-reaching value of marketing and involve us in pursuit decisions. This blend of mutual advocacy and aligned drive helps support our growth and success as a firm.
What word describes your team?
“Adaptable.” One of the reasons our team is so successful is that we are highly capable of adjusting to change. In fact, we welcome it! We share the same goal and understand that change helps us exceed expectations—we’re always working to present Consor’s qualifications in a technical yet easy-to-understand manner. We partner with our operations teams and adapt to the ever-changing needs of client partners.
What’s a goal that your group has for 2024?
Consor’s central region has some big growth goals this year, and we’re excited to support those efforts by delivering competitive proposals. But my biggest goal for our team is prioritizing a healthy balance between productivity and enjoyment. We find time to connect over shared interests, like volunteering, watching the latest season of Love is Blind, assessing the fashion of the Met Gala, or going on a ride together during Bike Month. You also might catch us enthusiastically discussing pop-culture icons like Taylor Swift!
One of the best parts about Karen’s team? There’s currently an opening for a senior marketing coordinator! You can also keep an eye out for opportunities to join one of our marketing teams across our geographies here.
