A Common Threads Conversation: Leading with Skill and Insight

Estrees Marshall
Can you describe what you do for McKinstry?

Lakisha Gorham
I’m working in Tampa with a school district client, and our main focus is to ensure that all the kids have proper cooling and heating in their buildings. The teams I manage make sure everything is handled from beginning to end.

Estrees Marshall
Good, good. I lead the team in collection efforts so owed money is not outstanding for a long period. Our biggest project currently is moving over to a new financial system. I am part of the implementation team.

Estrees Marshall
How did you end up at McKinstry? What has been your path here since you arrived?

Lakisha Gorham
I started in InfoCentre as a customer service representative. About a year in, I started working in operations supporting the account managers in Service.
Then, an opportunity came in Fire Protection. I transitioned into an account manager role and later became the service manager for that team.

After COVID hit, things changed a little bit for me. I had an opportunity to come to Tampa to work on the ActiveOps team. I also had family here, so everything aligned for the next step in my journey with McKinstry. I’m the lead Facility Operations consultant leading the Workflow Team. We created an office at the client’s site. We work closely on a daily basis to ensure we’re providing the highest service while nurturing our partnership and trust.

Estrees Marshall
How is it working in the same building with your client?

Lakisha Gorham
We’re right there with them in the heartbeat of it all. Over the last five years, we’ve built a great partnership and program and have seen many successes, which has led us to our most successful back-to-school year yet.

Estrees Marshall
Nice. I love that. My journey here started when I got the call from McKinstry to be the senior billing specialist. When the spot opened up to be a supervisor for Accounts Receivable, I went for that. I knew I wanted to lead people. That’s where I’ve always wanted to go with my career progression. I’ve worked in accounts receivable roles for most of the past 10 years, so in moving back to AR and building my team—I love it.

Estrees Marshall
What is your role in Unity Alliance and why did you opt in?

Lakisha Gorham
My role is the Tampa local lead. I opted in because I was familiar with other alliances. I’m always super proud of all the efforts and open conversations that McKinstry has for inclusivity. I thought it was really important.

And then, being in an office outside of Seattle, we’re always trying to bring that Seattle McKinstry culture to the other offices. That was also really important to me. Taking this role felt like another great avenue to make that happen.

Estrees Marshall
I’m the national vice chair of the Unity Alliance. I’ve been on the Unity Alliance steering committee for a while. This is my third year.

After my first year here, I struggled, and it was my connections that I had from the Unity Alliance and the steering committee that kept me grounded. So being in the alliance is really important to me.
Everybody encouraged me. This is one company that really goes by their values. That’s another thing that keeps me here — the values of the company.

Lakisha Gorham
I feel the same.
I love working here because there are so many opportunities for growth and knowledge sharing.

Lakisha Gorham
What part of your identity shapes how you show up at work?

Lakisha Gorham
This is a hard one.

Estrees Marshall
Agree!
It’s just how I was raised in the South — in the church. You go to work. You do what you’re told. I’m very Southern, so you know, calling people “Miss such-and-such” and “Mr. such-and-such.” It took me close to being 30 years old to stop doing that in the workplace.

Lakisha Gorham
It’s just in you.

Estrees Marshall
It really is, yeah. So that’s why I show up at work the way I do. How about you?

Lakisha Gorham
How I am at work doesn’t differ much from how I am outside of work, especially being a leader and dealing with many personalities and so many different paths. I try to be empathetic, sincere and genuine all while being strategic and client/task focused. I try to hold on to my true values and that’s how I show up at work every day.

Lakisha Gorham
What part of your upbringing shows up most in your leadership?

Estrees Marshall
Probably how my mom taught me how to be a mom, which is crazy, but I feel myself showing up as a mom a lot. Not necessarily saying I’m here to tell you what to do, but almost in how I relate to the people I work with — whether they’re older or younger. And the younger ones, especially the ones fresh out of college, I tend to try to guide them a little bit more and help them transition into the workplace.

Lakisha Gorham
Yeah, there’s a line. There’s a huge balance. I get that. I’m the same. [My employees] sometimes call me “mama bear.” But then on the other side, the client calls me “the hammer.” So, to me that’s a good balance because the client knows I’m going to get the work done and show up as needed, but I’m also here to make sure that the team is good and has everything they need to be successful and that I’m encouraging their growth and future career.

Estrees Marshall
Yeah. I really want to always be uplifting and help nurture others to grow — even if you’re leaving my team. Whatever your career aspirations, I want to see you reach them because somebody did the same for me. So, I just try to show up like that for my team.

Lakisha Gorham
Where at McKinstry do you feel the most you?

Estrees Marshall
I guess I would say I feel most “me” in the Unity Alliance only because I have a close relationship with the steering committee. The alliance knows me, and I’m able to fully be myself with them.

Lakisha Gorham
That’s awesome. Yes, I’m excited to get some longevity with the alliance and build those relationships as well.

I feel most myself working with my team. I strive to come up with resolutions that lead to success for both the client and McKinstry. It’s a great feeling to be at work and still feel like myself.

Estrees Marshall
Yeah. I like that.

Lakisha Gorham
What makes you feel like you belong here?

Estrees Marshall
I feel seen. I feel cared about, like I’m not just a number. My management team creates the feeling that this is where you’re supposed to be. They are encouraging. They give you the space to be human and the autonomy too.

They’re always there to answer questions or give advice. I never feel like I’m on an island by myself. Also, other people take time to get to know me, not just my immediate supervisors, but also the leadership above them.

Lakisha Gorham
For me, what makes me feel like I belong here is very similar. I feel like my voice matters. It feels good to be a part of something and be looked upon as someone who is valued.

Even though the company continues to grow at a fast rate, it still feels like a family, and like you say, it still feels like the company really lives their values. It’s very much “people first.”
It still blows me away that McKinstry is willing to have some hard and uncomfortable conversations regarding diversity and things that may affect different groups. They’re not only aware of it, but they’re willing to talk about it and give us a space to say how we feel. They genuinely want to hear us. I feel like the company is very inclusive — very much a place where you can grow and go as far as you want. There’s just so much opportunity.

Lakisha Gorham
What surprised you about my world or work?

Estrees Marshall
That you work in the same building as the client; I think that’s kind of cool. And how you strengthen that relationship. It points to us living our values.

Lakisha Gorham
What surprised me about yours was I knew you were in Finance, but I didn’t know that you were doing financials for all the other McKinstry businesses. That’s interesting.

Estrees Marshall
What does Black History Month mean to you personally?

Lakisha Gorham
It feels like a time to celebrate, for sure. It gives us an opportunity to reflect on our culture and heritage. I enjoy learning how much Black history has had an impact on all cultures.

Estrees Marshall
I’m very similar. I really like celebrating the month. It was ingrained in us as kids. As an adult, I’ve tried to find very little-known Black history facts and moments every year. I feel like we should be proud all the time of our heritage and where we came from and what we’ve overcome, but this is a time where we can share that with the world.

Lakisha Gorham
I get that.

Estrees Marshall
Yeah. But even if this is the only month where the world’s willing to listen, then it’s the month where I’m going to say it the loudest.

Lakisha Gorham
Absolutely! Love that.