Kristin Flanery: Advancing our Collaborative Culture with Passion and Energy

“We are one cohesive team at Opus, and that's powerful for our clients. In addition to delivering great value, I find our one-team model and interacting with all departments across the organization hugely rewarding. Our people at Opus are everything!"

We agree with Real Estate Development Coordinator Kristin Flanery – our people are everything. Our greatest asset. Our most powerful differentiator.

Truth be told, Kristin exemplifies the kind of passion and energy that drives all of us at Opus to go beyond the checklist and truly care for our clients.

[Check out how we Truly Care for Clients.]

Based in our St. Louis office, Kristin manages all office functions and supports the development team with consulting agreements, proposal responses, presentations and other important deliverables. She also manages local social media content and organizes trade shows and events for brokers and associates in our St. Louis, Kansas City and Indianapolis offices.

With a background in design, office management and marketing, Kristin is an invaluable member of Team Opus. Prior to joining us in 2015, she was operations and office manager for a St. Louis-based solar energy company for three years, preceded by four years as a project coordinator in Pfizer's Drawing and Engineering department. In 2002, she completed a certificate in architectural drafting and CAD/CADD from St. Louis Community College.

Coordinating Commercial Real Estate Development Success

Kristin is confident, capable and has an abundance of energy. She continually juggles multiple responsibilities and is a fantastic team player who has earned the respect of our associates, partners and clients.

“Our team at Opus is truly exceptional," she said. “It's never just one associate making things happen. It's always the team working together to meet, and many times exceed, our clients' expectations."

One example was District Flats, a student living project in Columbia, Mo.

“Student living projects often have tight timelines due to student arrivals in the fall," said Kristin. “It was late July, and we were wrapping up the District Flats project. Several of us from the St. Louis and Kansas City offices were making weekly and often daily trips to Columbia to complete final punch list items. Time was of the essence, and it was all-hands-on-deck. We worked tirelessly to arrange furniture, set up televisions and complete every last detail. It was so rewarding and one of many times I've been amazed with Opus' leadership and the fact we do everything as a team in all aspects of our operation."

Goal-Oriented Physical Fitness & Philanthropy

Ask anyone who knows Kristin and they will tell you she's goal oriented – at work and beyond.

One of Kristin's greatest joys is physical fitness. “I'm huge into health and fitness," she said. “I believe in fueling your body for a high level of performance to keep it thriving! I exercise and move my body daily with boot camps, strength training and outdoor workouts like bike riding with my kids or family hikes."

Between 2012 and 2016, Kristin was a Professional Figure Competitor in the International Federation of Physique Athletes, a drug-tested and polygraphed organization of natural athletes. And in 2015, she won a powerlifting meet with the best Wilks score – lifting a total of 605 pounds between the squat, bench and deadlift at her body weight (130 pounds).

Last year, Kristin went a step further and combined physical fitness with another love:  philanthropy. Her gym, Burn Boot Camp, sponsors an annual “Be their Muscle" campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, so children with the debilitating muscle disease can attend a special camp designed for them. Kristin was determined to help as many kids as possible and promised to complete one burpee exercise for each dollar raised. In July alone, she raised $2,500! (That's a lot of burpees!)

She then chaired a fundraising event at a local restaurant that raised an additional $4,600. In the end, her St. Louis-O'Fallon gym ranked #3 in the nation out of 215 gym locations, raising more than $15,000.

According to Kristin, “Being physically fit and sharing it with other helps me bring an even higher level of energy to my work at Opus."

Delivering with a High Energy Level

Kristin's manager and coworkers witness her high energy level every day.

“Kristin has tremendous spirit that advances our collaborative culture and is contagious with our partners and clients," said Joe Downs, Executive Vice President & General Manager. “People gravitate toward her energy, and she contributes greatly to creating an atmosphere that is productive and fun, which translates into great business and service to our clients."

In addition to her daily responsibilities, Kristin is a member of Opus' Standard Work Committee, which optimizes performance by setting, communicating, following and improving work standards. She is also an Opus Foundation Action Team member and Opus Volunteer Council Office Champion, roles that assist with finding new nonprofits for grant funding and volunteer opportunities for our team.

In her free time, Kristin volunteers throughout the St. Louis area, including a term serving as a board member for Home Sweet Home furniture bank.

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Our associates are talented, dedicated and knowledgeable. They streamline complex projects and always deliver value to clients. Read more profiles of our team.

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