Laura Cooley is a construction-focused organizational development, leadership development, and operational excellence consultant who helps organizations strengthen the systems, people, and practices that drive sustainable performance.

With more than twenty years of experience across construction management, specialty contracting, building systems, and professional services, Laura brings a rare blend of technical, operational, business, and people-centered expertise.

Her work sits at the intersection of strategy, process improvement, leadership capability, workforce development, organizational learning, and continuous improvement.

Laura began her career as an industrial engineer and built her professional foundation in complex project environments, including microelectronics, biotechnology, commissioning, validation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, controls, and large-scale construction operations. Over time, her work expanded from project and process execution into regional and enterprise-level operational excellence, training, leadership development, business intelligence, quality systems, and organizational improvement.

Today, Laura develops leadership and management development content for Associated Builders and Contractors, supporting the growth of construction professionals as they move from technical execution into supervisory, management, and enterprise leadership roles. She also serves as Executive Manager of the Florida Water Environment Association, where she supports volunteer leaders, organizational systems, member engagement, communications, and association operations across Florida’s water environment profession.

Laura holds a Master of Construction Science and Management from Clemson University and is pursuing a Master of Human Resource Development. She is also a doctoral candidate at Clemson University. Her academic work builds on her master’s thesis, The Iron Pyramid, which expanded traditional construction project success measures beyond profit, scope, and schedule to include safety as a co-equal dimension. Her dissertation, The Iron Sphere, continues that work by examining how human, relational, and organizational factors influence construction project success.

As a consultant, facilitator, and executive coach, Laura partners with company leaders across organizational levels to clarify strategy, strengthen leadership practices, improve team effectiveness, and translate long-term vision into meaningful short- and mid-term action. She is especially passionate about helping technical organizations build the internal capability needed to grow people, improve performance, and sustain change.

Laura previously served as Associate Vice President and Director of Training and Development for Limbach, a nationwide integrated building systems provider. In that role, she led training and development across ten business units and supported enterprise initiatives related to leadership, mentoring, service, and safety culture. She also co-created and delivered The Heart of Hearts and Minds, a two-day safety culture and leadership program.

Before Limbach, Laura led Operational Excellence and Learning & Development for Gilbane Building Company’s New York region, where she developed and managed a team focused on aligning procedures, training, operational quality management, and business intelligence analytics. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of Performance Excellence for Bovis Lend Lease.

Laura has served as an examiner for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence Baldrige Award program, an ISO 9000 auditor, and a QualTec Six Sigma instructor for facilitator skills, team leaders, and project success planning. She holds additional certifications as a Six Sigma Green Belt, Scrum Master, DDI Course Instructor, and executive coach.

Her work reflects a core belief: people build projects, companies, and industries — so building people is essential to building well.