Name: Kate Calder, CPSM
Title: Director of Marketing & Culture
Firm: C2 Design Group
SMPS Chapter: Upstate New York
Number of years in the A/E/C industry: 17
How has SMPS helped you in your career? I have a deep appreciation for SMPS and the valuable knowledge this chapter and our members share. The networking has been the most impactful to my career. I’ve made life-long friends with several members of our chapter.
I’ve held several roles on the Upstate New York board of directors including president (2016); I’m now currently president of our chapter again. For the last four years, I served as our chapter’s Education and Programs Director. During that time, it was a goal of mine to offer members a CPSM Bootcamp. In the fall of 2021, our chapter formed an alliance with SMPS New York to collaborate in offering a CPSM Bootcamp for both chapters. I also opted to sit for the CPSM exam during this time. The experience was tremendous and I’m proud that our chapters still partner in offering this resource to our members. Since 2021, our chapter has five, new CPSMs.
Helpful hint to share with your fellow SMPS members: I absolutely love listening to Mary Abbajay’s podcast, Cubicle Confidential. My role at my firm has a culture/human resources component to it. She offers great advice for different workplace scenarios.
Tell us something we would be surprised to learn about you: I suffer from imposter syndrome. Oftentimes, I’ve gotten stuck comparing my career path to others. Over time, I’ve learned that we all have different experiences that shape us and that it’s ok to have a different story. I’ve been fortunate to have some truly fantastic mentors in my life both personally and professional. I believe in paying it forward. It’s important to me to help others in reaching their goals.
What I did at work yesterday: My daily responsibilities shift from day-to-day. Yesterday, I finalized a proposal for a higher education client, ordered client gifts for the holidays, RSVP’d to industry conferences for the fall and reviewed new candidates for open positions at our growing firm.
As a CPSM, how has certification benefitted you? Earning my CPSM certification solidified the value of my experience and A/E/C marketing knowledge. I believe wholeheartedly in continuous learning. This designation highlighted my commitment to professional excellence and my career aspirations as a marketing thought leader.
