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J.S. Held Acquires Shechter & Everett to Expand Forensic Accounting Capabilities for Family Law Disputes in Florida
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Kate Kline has been with J.S. Held since 2019 and is based in Toronto, Canada. “I like setting goals for myself, whether they're short-term or long-term goals. I get a lot of satisfaction out of building a plan and seeing it come to fruition,” says Kate.
When a surety receives a notice of claim, it doesn’t always have the construction experts on staff to answer the complex technical questions. Kate works with sureties through all stages of a bonded contract to minimize their exposure.
Her role as Senior Project Manager in J.S. Held’s Surety practice involves determining contract defaults, retendering for completion contractors, conducting cost-to-complete analyses, interpreting contracts, and reviewing documents, as well as overseeing project management and monitoring.
“Kate always remains calm, objective, and the voice of reason. She drills down into the details of every issue, exploring the alternatives to formulate, present, and execute her conclusions.”
Ron Hicks
Encouraged by the other mechanical engineers in her family and by her aptitude for math and science, Kate pursued and earned a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering & Management from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Kate has worked in the construction industry for over 15 years, starting as a third-party mechanical commissioning agent, then working for a general contractor for large commercial projects, where she was the project manager for the mechanical and electrical subcontractors. She also worked as a project manager for a facilities management company for five months.
These roles helped Kate develop strong relationships with various project stakeholders in addition to better understanding their unique perspectives. “I learned how to be very organized and able to track a lot of information, as well as how to review and interpret contract documents,” she says.
Kate met Ron Hicks while working as a Commissioning Agent over 15 years ago. They worked together for three years when Ron offered her a role working for a General Contractor. At that time, she had every intention of staying on her current career path as she found it both interesting and challenging. Years later, however, when Ron mentioned an opportunity at J.S. Held, promising that every file involved a different type of project — each presenting its own unique challenges — Kate was intrigued.
“Right off the bat,” says Ron, “I noticed that Kate had what we call a ‘Je ne sais quoi’ or an unexplained quality in how she handles herself and the challenges posed by the construction industry.”
The Surety practice generally focuses on Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) construction projects, acting as a “bridge” in instances where parts of a project fall through. If a contractor defaults or goes bankrupt, or a contract is terminated, a surety can step in and, for instance, help find a completion contractor.
A signature project for Kate involved a wastewater treatment plant in Ontario. The project included new construction as well as system and equipment upgrades to three existing buildings. When J.S. Held was brought on, the mechanical subcontract, originally worth approximately $40 million, was terminated, leaving $1.5 million in scope of work to be completed. For over a year, Kate monitored the progress of the completion work on a weekly basis using J.S. Held’s 360° photo technology and provided the client with progress updates. In addition, she reviewed all completion costs being claimed on the performance bond. This was challenging because most of the completion work is being done on a time-and-material basis rather than a lump sum, which involved tracking and reviewing large amounts of data on behalf of the client.
Another standout project for Kate involved a large community center in the Toronto area. The mechanical contractor filed for bankruptcy and, therefore, was unable to complete their subcontract. The surety had given a performance bond and was obligated to see that its scope of work was completed at the surety’s financial risk. On behalf of the surety, Kate and the J.S. Held team successfully negotiated with the completion subcontractor, reducing the client’s exposure by a significant amount.
Kate realized early on in her career that if you don't enjoy working with your colleagues, you won't enjoy your job—no matter what it is. Most importantly, she enjoys the team she works with on a daily basis, as well as the other J.S. Held employees she has met and worked with along the way.
Kate enjoys spending her free time in the kitchen. Her go-to hobby is cooking and experimenting with new recipes, which are enjoyed by her partner, Brandon, and two young children, Kenzie and Aiden. Outside of the kitchen, Kate enjoys reading and cherishes quality time with family and friends.
“I catch myself saying ‘it could be worse’ to myself and others all the time. It helps me put things in perspective if I’m ever starting to feel frustrated or stressed out about something. I think about the good things in my life and how lucky I am, which always makes the challenges in life easier to deal with.”
Kate Kline
Interested in learning more about Kate Kline? Send her an email at [email protected] or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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