Meet Metropolis . . . Karen Canlon, True Team Player

This article continues our series on the men and women who make magic happen here at Metropolis Group. If you would like to recommend someone for a future employee spotlight, please email us with your nomination and let us know why you love working with this team member.

Karen Canlon

Senior Project Manager

Metropolis Team Member Since . . . May 2004

Industry Experience

Karen joined the construction industry as an expediter in 1987. She went to an employment agency and requested a challenging assignment in a field that she could “learn and grow into.” The agency sent her to a small expediting firm, where she embraced the rapid pace. Over the years, she has seen the industry evolve from typewritten forms to its present online portal.

Karen worked at two different companies before finding her home at Metropolis Group, where she discovered the ideal blend of challenge and camaraderie. “I really enjoy the people here,” says Karen, who was named 2017 Employee of the Year. “Everyone is open and friendly. The work is hard and it can get stressful, but there’s always someone you can go to.”

Role at Metropolis

Now a senior project manager, Karen guides her team of project managers and sign-off coordinators through the construction life cycle. “We help clients secure permits from the various city agencies so they can do the work,” she explains. Then, once the work is completed, she and her team spearhead the sign-off process. As a Metropolis veteran, Karen also helps train team members and assists project managers with challenges that arise.

“Karen is a dedicated and conscientious employee,” says Senior Vice President Andrew Pisani. “Her contributions to Metropolis are unmistakable and undeniable. She is knowledgeable, patient, and persistent. Clients and colleagues alike appreciate her honesty, professionalism, and her problem-solving abilities. I personally appreciate our working relationship and open communication.”

Favorite Project

Karen has enjoyed all her projects, but she finds the plaza restoration project at 140 Broadway especially satisfying—partly because of her close involvement, partly because of geographic proximity. “I attended meetings with Andrew Pisani and learned a lot from him, as I do with many of our projects. Also, the client contacts were top executives who were very precise and knew exactly what they wanted—the type of people I love to work with,” she explains. As a bonus, she can literally watch the progress of the restoration, across the street from the office.

Best Part of the Job

When it comes to Karen’s work life, variety adds just the right touch of spice. “The industry is constantly changing, especially during the past year,” she says. “When the city moved procedures online and we were all working remotely, everyone stayed in touch and stuck together, helping each other through.” She especially appreciates how approachable her Metropolis colleagues are, including senior management.

Little-Known Fact

Karen loves the hustle and bustle of her career, but she prefers a slower pace for her leisure time, when she indulges her love of nature and history. Karen has a special fondness for classic movies. “Classic movies have so much going on. The stories are intricate and always have some plot twist. The acting is just amazing, relying more on dialogue and theme instead of action and special effects.”