Employee Spotlight – Katey Erck

You’ve been at FMP for 2 years now- what made you excited to join FMP?

Honestly, Carolyn, one of our Managing Partners, was one of the biggest reasons I was excited. She was so excited about the project I would be joining, which I knew was a big opportunity for FMP, and I wanted to be a part of it. She has a long history with the client and all of her enthusiasm really came through to me during the hiring process. While I still play a role on that project, today I’m most excited to work with other clients and get to know new organizations. I want to continue to grow in different areas and go deeper into some of the areas I supported when I first started at FMP.

You’ve had the opportunity to work onsite with one client for a good portion of your time this year. What have you gotten out of this experience?

Being immersed in a different organizational culture has been a big learning experience. It requires you to be extremely adaptable so this experience stretched me at times. I’ve had to learn how decisions are made within the organization and adjust to different workstyles, learning preferences, and personalities. When you’re onsite, you are in a situation where you’re a part of the organization, but there is somewhat of a distance at the same time—it creates an interesting dynamic. I’ve learned so much more about the client by being onsite than I ever thought I would.

You are co-chair of FMP’s Learning Committee- can you tell us about this and why you’ve joined/why you like it?

I joined the Learning Committee right when I joined FMP because I wanted to get to know co-workers and I am personally passionate about learning and growing. It felt like a great opportunity to support this at FMP. For context, the mission of the Learning Committee is to create a learning forum that allows employees to identify, recommend, and access resources that will aid in their development. We do this by assessing, defining, and addressing learning gaps and identifying and organizing existing and future resources. In particular, we’re currently working on a series of learning events on project management. This topic is directly related to employee needs and I’m proud to say that we’re focusing on doing it in a smart and thoughtful way. I feel like we sat down and really considered everything from how people learn best, to how they retain the material, to as what makes the most sense for FMP in regard to resources. 

What is something that you are most excited to learn or try in the future?

Recently I realized that I wasn’t doing much besides working and working out. I’ve been reflecting on what I’m doing with my time and how I can give more back. I just signed up to volunteer at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA). Since it’s located right by FMP in Shirlington, traffic is never an excuse. I just hope my cat, Rosey, doesn’t get jealous! I also signed up on BeTheMatch.org. Be the Match is a global service that helps match bone marrow donors with those in need.