BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | AMANDA SUEHS
Posted by [email protected] on Mar. 9, 2023 / Spotlight / Subscribe 0
Amanda Suehs
Strategic Marketing & Business Development at Kimley-Horn
SMPS Member since: 2016
Board of Directors Position: Special Events
What does your committee (or position) do?
The goal of our committee is to curate events that target all members of the AEC industry and beyond. Our focus is on our members’ end users/clients and providing a space for those in the AEC industry to come together with our marketers/business developers. We pull from various public and private industry sectors and make sure our events are geographically spread across the greater Houston area. Each event typically has a networking and informational component so anyone from marketing to design to construction can attend.
Why did you want to be on the board?
I started my membership with SMPS Houston in 2016 when I was brand new to the industry. This organization helped build my foundation in the AEC industry and connected me with peers that I am still friends with today. I see my time on the board as a way to give back for the years that SMPS members poured into my professional development. I hope to show those new to the industry how great this community can be if you dedicate your time and career to AEC. I also champion SMPS within Kimley-Horn, and I hope to use this platform as a way to inspire others on my team to actively get involved in their chapter.
What do you hope to accomplish as director/chair?
I haven't thought too much about what I want to accomplish, but I do have goals for the committee and reasons why I joined the board (mentioned previously). I guess I would view my time on the board a success if I build lasting relationships with my board members, continue to create amazing events with my committee, and champion SMPS Houston as a great community to potential new members.
What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a board member?
My advice would be not to worry about the time commitment or ability to get it all done. We all have full-time jobs, work-life balance constraints, and families, so it's a very understanding and flexible group. I would encourage you to ask yourself: Can I give back to an organization that has helped me? Is there something that should change about SMPS Houston to make it better? Is there a skill that I don't currently have but could use in my career? Do I have a passion for volunteering? If the answer is yes to any of these, then please consider joining the board.
Why do you love SMPS?
I, like many others I have met since joining SMPS, fell into marketing for the AEC industry. No one during my undergrad communications/business degree or MBA told me that I should graduate and go work for an engineering firm. But once I found this career, I fell in love and can't imagine doing anything else. SMPS is a community of those who fell in love with an industry they probably knew nothing about at some point in their career. There are mentors who have championed my professional development, there are peers who made me feel like I wasn't alone in my struggles and there are right-out-of-college grads who had no idea that this community existed. We all come together to bond over similar challenges while celebrating individual successes. It's hard not to love SMPS once you get involved.
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