At KCM Group, strong project management comes from experience, communication, and the ability to keep a lot of moving pieces headed in the same direction. Carrie Ann Riera brings more than 29 years of construction and project management experience to her role as Project Manager, with a career built around problem solving, coordination, and a genuine passion for the work.
Carrie’s interest in the built environment started long before her career did. As a child, she could often be found in the backyard building miniature cities out of Legos, blocks, Matchbox cars, and even her mother’s Tupperware. Her father worked in construction, and occasional visits to his jobsites gave her an early look at the industry.
That interest followed her into junior high, when a group of high school counselors introduced students to architecture, engineering, and construction. At that time, girls were not permitted to take shop classes, which were prerequisites for courses such as model building, blueprint reading, and drafting. Carrie’s parents wrote a letter to the superintendent, and Carrie was interviewed about her interest before being allowed to enroll.
Her path eventually took her to Boston, where she worked in property management while paying her way through school. Managing properties in Beacon Hill and Back Bay exposed her to a different kind of construction problem solving — from basement leaks and penthouse water damage to sewage backups — while teaching her the importance of long-term budgeting and planning.
After several years in property management, Carrie returned to Connecticut to finish her degree in Construction Management at Central Connecticut State University. As part of the program, she was required to work on different construction sites. She quickly discovered that she had found the right fit.
“I loved being needed all moments of the day,” Carrie says. “People were asking questions and seeking answers. I really liked that.”
That same energy has carried through a career spanning construction, healthcare, utilities, and project controls. Carrie has managed complex projects at Baystate Medical Center, including a $200 million, 630,000-square-foot hospital expansion and a $4 million cardiac, pediatric, and emergency department expansion. Her healthcare experience also includes the new Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care project at Griffin Hospital and major renovations at Franklin Medical Center. Throughout her career, she has led teams, developed budgets and schedules, and stepped into projects facing significant challenges. She has also learned to communicate with a wide range of audiences — from construction crews and subcontractors to doctors, executives, and corporate leadership.
Today, Carrie represents KCM in Connecticut, working closely with clients and management teams to understand what is happening across active projects and where attention is needed. She enjoys the challenge of learning how each team works, understanding individual responsibilities, and keeping multiple scopes and priorities moving forward.
“You have a lot of responsibility in this work — schedule, budget, different personalities to work with,” she says. “I like that. I’m very passionate about construction, putting the parts and pieces together and managing expectations.”
Outside of work, Carrie stays just as busy. She enjoys spending time with her three dogs and is an active with the Elks and the Suburban Women’s Club of New Britain, helping organize fundraisers for local charities, food shelters, and high school programs.