Gray Stakes Claim in Phoenix

Gray strives to attract the best talent and meet new customers wherever they are—which drives the formation of talent hubs. Jordan Woeste, assistant project manager, and Jeanne Kelly, project manager, from the Mission Critical team at Gray are relocating to Phoenix to assist with implementation and building relationships for both new talent and customers.  

We asked them a few questions about the Talent Hub, their plans, and goals for this latest addition to the Gray family.  

Q: How long have you been at Gray? 

Jordan: Four years 

Jeanne: Eight years 

Q: When did you both learn of this potential career-altering opportunity to be involved with the Phoenix Talent Hub? 

Jordan: The talent hub has been an ongoing discussion, and we felt we could begin integrating ourselves into the market space now. 

Jeanne: When the Phoenix talent hub was first mentioned, I had just recently transitioned to Mission Critical from another team at Gray. I was looking forward to my next adventure and thought a move to Phoenix would be great for me and my son. I really want to be on the jobsite daily and be a part of building something new. 

Q: Why are Talent Hubs so crucial to Gray’s growth? 

Jordan: One key benefit is that this will alleviate a lot of travel for people who go to work on out-of-state projects. Our goal is to pull local resources and integrate the Gray culture in these new areas where we see opportunity for projects or where we may already have existing projects. Phoenix is becoming a major hub in technology and future innovations, which makes it a great place for us to launch a talent hub. 

Jeanne: What’s neat about the talent hubs is that they follow where the opportunities are. And it could not just be solely focused on one market but a plethora of markets in that area. It will ebb and flow, adapting as needed to the market space of that region.  

Q: How will you infuse the Gray culture into this new talent hub? 

Jordan: While Jeanne and I aren’t local to Phoenix, we’ve had the privilege of being connected to the Gray culture. We feel with our experience, we can instill those core values into this talent hub. I think an additional benefit is our institutional knowledge, which will help us be great liaisons for people and help them find the tools they need to be successful.  

Jeanne: It all starts with the core values of Gray. As we partner with new subcontractors in the area, everyone who sets foot on a Gray jobsite must understand and buy into these core values. We need to lead by example and set expectations for individuals. Although there will be local and regional safety policies, we have to uphold the highest level of safety, quality, and productivity that are up to Gray’s standards. 

Q: What are you most excited about in this new career adventure?  

Jordan: Personally, it’s an exciting opportunity for me to grow my career help others grow their careers. It’s a phenomenal chance to win projects with new customers and grow the Gray reputation in a new region.    

Jeanne: It’s such an exciting journey to be part of a group that will change Gray’s history. We are part of the first teams to build a presence in Phoenix and instill the culture of Gray here in this region. I’m thrilled that my son will be part of this as we relocate—I get the opportunity to be on the jobsite more and be present as a mom. My hope is to flourish personally and professionally with this new adventure. 

Q: What are your goals you hope to accomplish within the first six months? 

Jordan: Right off the bat, we need to hire the few positions that we know are needed. I’m also looking forward to exercising my business development skills in a way that I haven’t had a chance to do up until now. We hope to be constantly building new relationships and fostering those into eventual partnerships. 

Jeanne: The most critical goal is building a strong foundation between the different working groups. We will be hiring many new folks who will need to be fostered in the Gray way of processes. To succeed, we need a solid foundation of collaboration and transparency, built around Gray’s core values. If that baseline is established right from the start, we will build a successful, thriving talent hub and community here in Phoenix! 

The Gray family continues to grow, so check out the Gray Careers page for new opportunities across our Regional Offices and Talent Hubs. For more information on the Phoenix Talent Hub, feel free to contact Jenny McMillian, Gray Southwest regional manager, Jeanne Kelly, or Jordan Woeste.