Kim Scott, Vice President for Blach Construction, comes from a family with deep roots in the construction industry. Her father was a general contractor and her grandfather worked for the California Department of Transportation, so it’s no wonder she was drawn to the field.

Scott studied engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and joined Blach Construction upon graduating. She started as an entry-level project manager, doing detail-oriented work to ensure projects were running smoothly. She then advanced to a role in business development before taking on her current role.

Scott’s focus is providing leadership to Blach’s education market, the largest sector in the company. Under Scott’s direction, the company takes on public K-12, community college and higher education projects through collaborative delivery methods, such as lease-lease back and design-build. Projects can encompass modernization or new construction of a wide range of educational facilities, including classroom buildings, STEM spaces, athletics and performing arts facilities, outdoor spaces and everything in between.

Scott enjoys working with clients at the beginning of the process to determine needs, challenges and concerns, and budget and schedule constraints, but she’s most passionate about helping clients connect with their communities, particularly on high-profile projects.

“I like to understand what the owner’s biggest concerns are around a project, and then take ownership for mitigating those challenges,” she says. “A lot of times, construction can be perceived as something stressful. The construction process itself can be challenging, but at Blach, we understand that school projects are really about creating spaces that will positively impact a student’s education. We want the owner and their community to be proud of every project we build.”

Collaboration with the client is a big part of that approach. “We believe in partnerships and believe the construction experience can be non-adversarial,” she says. “Working together in collaborative delivery, we become part of the team earlier and solve challenges before we start the projects. This sets our clients up for a different, more positive experience.”

As an associate member liaison for CASBO, Scott participates in local section events, the annual golf tournament, the CASBO Annual Conference & California School Business Expo and a host of workshops.

“When I first started working in engineering, I never thought I’d come to know the inner workings of public education in the state of California or understand the challenges districts face. Through CASBO, I’ve been exposed to all of these,” she explains. “With its focus on training and development, CASBO is a great resource, because there’s always something new to learn about school business. Of all the industry organizations that I participate in, CASBO is top-notch.”