For Karen Morris, construction is not just an industry. It’s part of who she is.
Long before she began creating proposals and helping teams pursue projects, Karen was spending summers on job sites surrounded by contractors, equipment, and concrete. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong passion for construction, problem solving, and building relationships that would ultimately shape a career spanning nearly three decades.
Today, as Proposal Coordinator at Epsten Group, Karen brings a unique perspective to every pursuit. Her path from construction sites and business ownership to marketing and business development gives her an understanding of projects that few proposal professionals can match. More importantly, it allows her to help tell the stories behind the sustainable, impactful work Epsten Group delivers every day.
Construction Runs in the Family
Construction has been part of Karen’s life for as long as she can remember.
Her paternal grandfather owned a flooring and acoustical contracting business. Her maternal grandfather was a general contractor. Her father operated a commercial concrete company for 25 years, and several of her uncles owned concrete businesses as well.
“To say construction, and especially concrete, runs through my veins is an understatement,” Karen says.
While many kids spent their summers on playgrounds, Karen spent hers on construction sites, riding in tractors, operating equipment, setting forms, and tying rebar. Job sites became her classroom long before she entered a college lecture hall.
Those experiences instilled a strong work ethic and gave her an appreciation for the people who turn ideas into reality.
Learning the Business from the Ground Up
While earning her degree in English, Karen worked for one of her uncle’s concrete companies. The industry looked very different then.
Before smartphones, cloud storage, and digital plan rooms transformed the profession, Karen’s days were spent delivering blueprints, collecting checks, processing timecards, submitting paperwork, and handling countless tasks that kept projects moving forward.
At the time, they felt like simple errands. In reality, they became an invaluable education.
Traveling across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex introduced her to contractors, owners, suppliers, and construction professionals throughout the industry. Along the way, she learned the value of relationships and gained firsthand experience in bookkeeping, accounting, and business operations.
After getting married, Karen and her former spouse launched a lawn care company that eventually expanded into a fertilization and weed control business. Over the next 17 years, she balanced entrepreneurship with part time work for her uncle’s company, where she continued expanding her construction knowledge.
She learned estimating, operations, accounting, quality control, concrete mix designs, and the science behind concrete itself.
“There is far more to concrete than simply pouring gray stuff into forms,” she says.
In 2014, Karen sold the lawn businesses and joined her uncle’s company full time. As the business grew, so did her responsibilities. She became involved in marketing, estimating, accounting, operations, proposals, and nearly every other aspect of the company.
It was an exciting and demanding time that helped prepare her for the challenges ahead.
Turning Challenge Into Opportunity
In 2016, Karen’s career took an unexpected turn when her uncle passed away while the company was managing active projects and future contracts.
Almost overnight, Karen and her mother became owners of a commercial concrete company.
“Two women. One commercial concrete company. An industry traditionally dominated by men.”
What could have been an overwhelming setback became an opportunity to lead.
Together, they honored her uncle’s legacy, fulfilled every commitment, strengthened client relationships, and successfully operated the company for years. Through that experience, Karen developed skills that continue to serve her today, including leadership, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to solve problems under pressure.
Those years reinforced an important lesson: trust is earned through consistency, hard work, and follow through.
When her mother retired in 2023, Karen stepped away from the business to focus on family and recharge after years of wearing every hat imaginable.
That pause ultimately helped her see what came next.
Combining Construction, Writing, and Strategy
The next chapter of Karen’s career arrived through a lifelong friend who encouraged her to pursue an opportunity in the proposal world.
For many people, the transition from construction company owner to Proposal Coordinator might seem unexpected. For Karen, it felt like a natural evolution.
“I’ve always loved writing,” she says.
Although her degree was in English, construction became her professional path because it was the world she knew. Throughout her career, she spent years preparing technical proposals, estimates, bid packages, submittals, and other construction documentation.
Those experiences taught her how to organize complex information, understand project requirements, and communicate technical concepts clearly.
She also discovered that she genuinely enjoyed the pursuit process.
“There’s something exciting about helping position a team to win a project before the first piece of equipment ever arrives on site.”
The role allowed her to combine three things she loves: construction, writing, and strategy.
Rather than building projects herself, she now helps tell the story of the people who do.
“In many ways, I didn’t leave construction. I simply found a different way to help build great projects.”
Helping Teams Win Meaningful Projects
Most people never see the work that happens before a project is awarded.
Proposals, qualifications packages, interviews, and pursuit strategies all take place behind the scenes, but they play a critical role in determining which teams earn the opportunity to serve a client.
Karen believes one of the biggest misconceptions about the industry is that the best company automatically wins.
“Projects aren’t won by the best company. They’re won by the team that can clearly demonstrate why they’re the best fit.”
That’s exactly where her role comes in.
As Proposal Coordinator, Karen reviews solicitations, develops proposal strategies, coordinates with technical staff, gathers project information, updates qualifications materials, and manages the countless details required to submit a successful response.
She describes her role as being part project manager, part detective, and part air traffic controller.
No two pursuits are exactly alike, which is one of the things she enjoys most.
The work also gives her a chance to combine creativity with technical expertise. Whether she’s designing proposal layouts, maintaining project profiles, or helping shape messaging, every effort supports the larger goal of connecting clients with the right solutions.
Finding Purpose Through Collaboration
When asked what she enjoys most about Epsten Group, Karen points to the people.
“What I enjoy most about working with Epsten Group is the collaborative culture and the team’s mindset.”
That spirit of collaboration is something she experiences every day while working alongside architects, engineers, consultants, and business development professionals.
She is also grateful to work for a leader who invests in her team and creates opportunities for growth and success.
When asked to describe Epsten Group in a single word, her answer is simple:
Collaborative.
Supporting Projects That Make a Difference
Among the many projects Karen supports, one type stands out above the rest: zoo work.
As an animal lover, she finds these pursuits especially rewarding because they combine creativity, sustainability, and meaningful impact.
Every zoo project is unique, offering opportunities to create healthier, more functional habitats that improve both animal welfare and visitor experiences.
Although she is not the one designing the spaces, she enjoys helping communicate the story behind the work and the expertise of the team delivering it.
Researching habitats and learning about different species has become an unexpected benefit of the role.
“It’s rewarding to support projects that create happier, healthier, and more sustainable environments for animals.”
Looking Toward the Future
Karen is passionate about making a positive impact, even in ways that may not always be visible.
Much of that perspective comes from being a mother. She cares deeply about the kind of world future generations will inherit and believes sustainability is ultimately about being a good steward of the resources and environments entrusted to us.
Her love of travel has reinforced that belief, providing opportunities to experience different places, cultures, and natural landscapes firsthand.
Seeing the beauty of the world serves as a reminder of what we are all working to protect and preserve.
That sense of purpose is one of the reasons she finds fulfillment at Epsten Group.
“I enjoy being part of a team that values both technical excellence and creativity in how we communicate and win work. It’s rewarding to know that even my role in proposals helps support sustainable, impactful projects that shape better environments.”
As she looks ahead, Karen remains focused on growth, learning, and continuing to support projects that make a difference.
Whether she’s coordinating a complex pursuit, collaborating with colleagues, or cheering on her daughter as she reaches new milestones, she approaches each opportunity with the same mindset that has guided her career from the beginning: work hard, build relationships, and leave things better than you found them.
