Our region’s future is bright thanks to the strong leaders who are navigating change and cultivating successful teams today. These leaders are not only a catalyst for the change that is happening right now, but they are molding and shaping the leaders of future generations. FIRST & 42 is shining the spotlight on the region’s stars from the 2020 class of Leadership Kalamazoo. All eyes will be on the spotlight to learn about these leaders’ “firsts” in life as well as their answers to a few deeper questions about their leadership and vision for our community. Today, we get to learn more about Marika Hawes-Ruhrup, project manager at TowerPinkster.
Marika enjoys her role as Project Manager at TowerPinkster because she learns something new every day. “Each day is a new day with new schedule, new challenges, new highs, and unfortunately some new lows at times,” said Marika. Growing up, Marika remembers the first time in her life that she felt like a leader was when she had to “run” for student council in middle school, wanting to be a leader among her peers. Marika spends much of her days in communication with her design teams of architects, engineers, and designers as well as with clients and contractors working through project challenges and meetings. In order to manage this busy schedule, she makes time to reflect and stay focused on her work, but also makes time to spend with family and friends. Powering her leadership is humility, which is her leadership superpower. To learn more about Marika, read on.
First Things First
WHAT WAS THE FIRST JOB YOU REMEMBER WANTING AS A CHILD?
My first memory of a job desire was to be an attorney.
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST CHOICE FOR EATING OUT LOCALLY?
I grew up in a small town (it is actually a village), and there were no chain restaurants or easy takeout. I remember, after working for my grandparents at their auction business, we would get to go out to eat after the auctions. That was a big highlight.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU FELT LIKE A LEADER?
I remember having to “run” for student council in the middle school time frame and that felt like the first time actually wanting to be a leader with peers.
The Deep Dive
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR CURRENT POSITION? WHAT ARE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES?
I have been with TowerPinkster for five and a half years and a project manager about three of those years. Each day is a new day with new schedule, new challenges, new highs, and unfortunately some new lows at times. I spend much of the day in communication with my design teams of architects, engineers, and designers as well as with clients and contractors working through project challenges and meetings. I focus much of my time on project schedules and associated tasks at hand to ensure milestones are achieved. Our teams lead the project through concept to construction documents and then we support construction needs through communication with the construction management team. A great part of TowerPinkster I enjoy is that every project has a different team, so I am able to always be working with a variety of projects as well as a variety of people. I learn something new every day!
WHAT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWER?
Humility.
HOW HAS YOUR LEADERSHIP GROWN THE MOST IN THE PAST YEAR?
With every project team, every client, and every design, you learn more. I am not sure there will ever be a perfect project, so I have worked to continue to learn and improve. I also recognize the difference between a good leader and a great leader, which is how you handle the imperfections that are a part of the project journey.
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU PRACTICE SELF-CARE AND MANAGE YOUR ENERGY AS A LEADER?
My family is also a very busy part of my life. With three kids (15, 12, 9) in active stages of their lives, I do struggle with finding time for self-care. I enjoy what I do professionally, and I enjoy my time with immediate and extended family and friends. Together, it does seem to work. Utilizing the quiet times—whether it is five to ten minutes in the morning, driving alone, or within the workday—to gather thoughts and plan helps keep me focused on the tasks of the day. I have also found podcasts while driving to be a part of self-care.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
Kalamazoo is strong and an exciting place to be a part of. I hope we can increase discussion on the value of public education in our communities and better support educators and administrators that are shaping the next generations. The Kalamazoo Promise brings so much opportunity to our youth, businesses, and culture of Kalamazoo. We can become a community for others to model based on our focus on education, small business growth, and diversity.
