“We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust, and care for each other.”
These are the words Project Coordinator Misty McConnell shared with the St. Joe team at the end of 2020, and according to St. Joseph Office General Manager Heather Richards-St. Clair, Misty lives by this quote.
And by example, she inspires the team to live by it as well.
Years ago, Misty started out as a receptionist with Phoenix Scientific, and was soon promoted to Executive Assistant. After she had been there for several years, the company was bought and nearly everyone was let go, including Misty.
After that she struggled to find a job that she enjoyed as much.
“I loved that job. It was like a little family to me. It was my first real job and I had worked very hard to get where I was,” Misty said. “I enjoyed the work and the people, and those things were extremely important to me.”
She was working as an executive assistant at Triumph Foods when she learned of the opening at P1 Group.
“P1 brought all new experiences. I started learning everything from the ground up and I still learn something new every single day,” Misty said.
In her five years with P1 Group, Misty has become an invaluable asset to the St. Joe division.
She was able to hit the ground running. Now, not only does she successfully perform her Project Coordinator responsibilities for multiple project managers, running large mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and sheet metal jobs, she is also a full time coordinator for the warehouse.
Even with all this responsibility, Misty still manages to be the face of the office, greeting every visitor, team member and customer with a genuine smile and warm welcome.
Heather notes there is never a moment when Misty is not offering her help, regardless of whether it falls under her role or not.
Misty’s importance to the St. Joe office extends way beyond her role as Project Coordinator. Heather says she is the lifeblood of the construction team.
“She dedicates all of her time at work (and sometimes after work) to ensuring everyone has what they need to be successful,” Heather said.
“Her goals are not measured by revenue, or gross profit, but by how she so diligently keeps everything organized and supports her team.”
It didn’t take long after she started at P1 for Misty to realize she had found what she so dearly missed from Phoenix: not just a job, but a career and a family.
“Call me crazy, but I enjoy coming to work with this group,” Misty said.
“After all, we do spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our own families. I hit the jackpot when I became part of the St. Joe team.”
Family Fun in the Sun
Misty loves the sunshine, so when she isn’t working, you will likely find her beside the pool. She and her husband Ken love to host pool parties at their home and spend weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks when they have the chance to get away.
When Misty was working at Phoenix, Ken actually worked for P1 predecessor AD Jacobson. When Ken went to work for Phoenix, the two became friends, began dating, and 19 years later remain solid partners in crime.
Filling out their family are Misty’s two daughters, Darian and Delanie, step-daughter Maggie, step-son, Kenny, and two adorable fur babies, Dude and Miley.
About the author
P1 Construction is a single-source specialty subcontractor specializing in mechanical, electrical, millwright, and architectural metal construction facility solutions.