Kirsten Ibarra the 2024 Phelix Up & Comer – In Her Own Words
Posted by sreynolds on May. 27, 2025 / Best Practices / Subscribe 0
Kirsten Ibarra – Up & Comer Award
Kirsten Ibarra, Marketing Coordinator, worked with Pulice Construction for almost 3 years. During her tenure, she was recognized as a true professional who brought “a positive attitude and team player mentality” to the firm. Her peers submitted her for SMPS Up & Comer 2024. They spoke of how, “without any industry experience, she quickly learned the business and contributed to various areas of [their] marketing realm.” Phelix Award judges could see through the submittal that she was highlighted as “a true team player [… who] has grown her presence with her firm and the AEC community.” She “is the key in developing and delivering marketing campaigns for her firm and SMPS.”
Kirsten was honored by the win. When we sat down together, she described how she “likes being challenged, learning new skills, and growing in her career.” She is very open to direction and does not shy away from assignments that are outside of her expertise. She further spoke about how SMPS has been an important support system and an invaluable resource to help develop her marketing and graphic design skills. When she first joined, she committed to several committees to get a full scope understanding of the association and to see where she could make an impact while equally gaining the greatest value. Being recognized by her friends, family and community was concrete confirmation of the hard work she’s put in.
Kirsten’s message to others new to the industry is to not “be afraid to get involved.” Joining SMPS allowed her to expand her network and her abilities through practice and peership. “There are certain areas of development you may not be trained on in the setting of the 9-5. SMPS members are very willing to help, support, and show newcomers the ropes.” From trade show graphics to unique visuals, seeing how others craft the message of their firm into visuals is very eye-opening. It teaches marketers to look for themes, nodes in branding, and design their own flavor to be more robust and recognizable.
Thank you for your time, and congrats on your win!
About Kirsten Ibarra
Kirsten Ibarra is a marketing professional with three years of experience in the AEC industry. She currently supports Ames Construction in proposal development and tradeshow marketing. With a background in graphic and web design, she has a passion for visual storytelling and bringing clarity and creativity to technical content. Hobbies include tennis, running, reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and attending Comic Cons.
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