KEITH B. GABRIEL
Waxhaw,NC
Summary
Experienced with managing client relationships and ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction. Utilizes team leadership and problem-solving skills to address client needs and improve service delivery. Track record of implementing customer-focused strategies and fostering collaborative environments.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Client Services Leader
Keck & Wood
Rock Hill, SC
06.2025 - Current
- Streamlined communication channels between clients and internal teams, improving response times.
- Mentored junior staff on best practices in client management and relationship building.
- Facilitated regular client meetings to review progress, gather insights, and foster strong partnerships.
- Built client relationships by responding to inquiries, identifying and assessing clients' needs, resolving problems, and following up with potential and existing clients.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of projects, meeting or exceeding client expectations.
- Mentored departmental team, boosting efficiency, success and morale among employees.
- Maintained client files with sales contracts, records of client interactions, client notes, and other information.
- Increased client engagement with targeted outreach campaigns.
- Evaluated employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Planned, created, tested and deployed system life cycle methodology to produce high quality systems to meet and exceed customer expectations.
Product Development Manager (Civic and Municipal)
Samet Corporation
Charlotte, NC
11.2023 - 06.2025
- Develop and implement business strategies to pursue multimillion dollar public projects in Mecklenburg County and surrounding counties. Analyze acquisition of new clients and develop retention strategies. Prepare presentations for project interviews for owners and owners’ representatives. Communication with CRM programs and keeping track of current and future projects. Strong in organizational skills and contract negotiations with engineering firms, subcontractors, and owners. Gather materials for RFP submittals and help build team that will be responsible for respective projects. Conduct research by utilizing resources to stay abreast to current market trends, projects coming to market, and projects awards in all sectors. Deep understanding of client operations and the ability to build and maintain relationships. Work with Executive Vice President and Operations team to develop a strategy around interview preparation, project approach, and project completion.
- Awarded projects resulting in over $100M.
- Pursued 250M.
- Attend trade shows and college career fairs to build relationships with the future workforce.
- Work with minority trade partners to ensure partnership.
- Market research to create competitive advantage.
- Offers building structures, site selections, pre-construction, and engineering services. Largest General Contractor in NC.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop innovative product solutions aligned with market demands.
- Streamlined product development processes, enhancing efficiency and reducing time-to-market.
- Collaborated with engineering and marketing teams to define product specifications and requirements.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
JE Dunn
Charlotte, NC
09.2021 - 01.2023
- Recruited to advise and collaborate with senior leadership to build effective and advancing DEI for the NC region. Responsible for creating, facilitating, implementing, and institutionalizing business practices and initiatives that promote a diverse and inclusive culture. Lead alignment of key stakeholders and leadership teams on creation of affirmative action plans and progress. Partner with Marketing and Business Development to respond to RFP requests and participate on project interview teams. Responsible for educating teams, preparation of required reports and deliverables to achieve targeted project goals. Lead the East Region’s efforts in identifying minority Construction Management Major college students to receive scholarship awards. Heavy focus on supplier diversity and notifying first/second tier minority trade partners of construction projects in the NC region.
- Nominated and selected for NC A&T (North Carolina Architectural & Technical State University) Advisory Board
- Leadership team member for Black Employee Resource Group BUiLD (Blacks United in Leadership & Development)
- Community Partner at various high schools in Mecklenburg County to bolster workforce development / recruiting.
- Keynote speaker for companywide Mentorship Program
- Created Workplace Roundtable Discussion for Employees
- Awarded $75M Customer Resource Center project in Charlotte, NC.
- Private construction company offering construction management services, design, build & integrated project delivery.
Economic Development Manager
Duke Energy
Charlotte, NC
01.2015 - 01.2021
- Promoted to oversee $500,000+ annual budget to conduct site readiness and contracting with engineering and site consultant firms in North and South Carolina. Oversaw the Site Readiness Program in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida. Led the creation of customer facing business cases to assist optimal economical decisions with external customers to close deals. Provided thought leadership in areas of energy and drones to help build out site development and infrastructure through webinars and article publications. Built authentic and productive working relationships to meet deadlines and produce outstanding deliverables. Devoted special emphasis to valued punctuality for effective relationship building with landowners, local economic developers, site consultants, board members and county leaders.
- Leadership of a Site Readiness project to identify, assess, and evaluate 75+ acres for potential industrial sites.
- Evaluated 283 sites to execute 52 major projects resulting in +11,250 jobs and $8.4 billion in capital investment.
- Monitored quarterly newsletter to engineering firms, site consultants, county leaders and c-suite Fortune 500
- Attended Economic Development conferences and seminars to advance learning on new ideas and trends and enhance professional network.
- Led the Economic Development Diversity and Inclusion Coalition with a mission is to create a safe space for colleagues to discuss a plethora of topics that enabled them to see situations from a different perspective.
- Economic Development Specialist, 2020-2021
- Recruited by VMI network (Duke Energy Executive) to manage a $200,000 annual budget in conducting site readiness in the Carolina’s. Responsible for assigning engineering firms and site consultants to each of the projects under evaluation. Supported the Economic Development team with response to Request for Proposals and developed newsletters highlighting Economic Development projects.
- Designated Safety Officer for the Economic Development Team (2 years) leading the safety priorities and messaging.
- Led a Site Readiness Program to identify, assess, and evaluate 75+ acre for potential industrial sites and readiness.
- Innovated and created the Economic Development’s Drone Program that produced top quality drone videos as a business development tool for site readiness projects; visionary solution considering/during the pandemic lockdowns.
- Created a monthly report to show statistics of wins on Site Readiness locations throughout the 6-state footprint.
- Identified as high potential and shadowed Economic Development and Site Readiness Managers on project visits to accelerate learning and readiness.
- Developed drone program for Economic Development team, which led to over $1B in revenue.
- $25B public (NYS: DUK) regulated US electric & gas utility in the Carolinas, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Education
Construction Management Diploma - Construction Management
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina01.2024
MBA -
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Chapel Hill, NC12.2022
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA05.2012
Skills
- Client relationships
- Client relationship building
- Team development
- Staff training
- Client rapport
- Lead generation
- Team leadership
- Strong leadership
- Cross-functional coordination
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Relationship building
Timeline
Client Services Leader
Keck & Wood
06.2025 - Current
Product Development Manager (Civic and Municipal)
Samet Corporation
11.2023 - 06.2025
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
JE Dunn
09.2021 - 01.2023
Economic Development Manager
Duke Energy
01.2015 - 01.2021
Construction Management Diploma - Construction Management
North Carolina State University
MBA -
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Bachelor of Science - Psychology
Virginia Military Institute