Kabri Lehrman-Schmid Recognized with Fearlessly Authentic AF Leader Award

Thursday June 12, 2025

Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, project superintendent for Hensel Phelps, is one of two individual recipients of Leaderology’s 2025 Fearlessly Authentic AF Leader Award. This honor, awarded annually to two individuals from a pool of applicants spanning all industries, celebrates fearlessly authentic leaders who are changing the world, challenging the norms, leading with purpose and creating opportunities for others to do the same.

During the awards ceremony, program host and emcee Ron Skylstad highlighted Kabri’s exceptional leadership within the construction industry, praising her for “challenging the status quo of her industry through leadership that meets the technical demand of her company’s projects with the humanity of the people who build them.”

Kabri began her career with Hensel Phelps in 2007 as a field engineer after graduating from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and having completed an internship in the Summer of 2006. Since then, she has led over $1.9 billion in large-scale projects across the country, including on complex, operationally active sites in Washington, D.C., Northern California and now Seattle, where she is currently overseeing the South Concourse Evolution project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) as the project leader and superintendent.

Her leadership is marked by her technical expertise, modeled behavioral expectations and a strong reputation with owners and clients for delivering operational excellence. She builds work environments that prioritize communication, mental health awareness and individual safety, earning the trust of all project stakeholders. On the University of Washington Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, Kabri’s continuity on the project from design manager to project superintendent supported crucial relationship development with campus stakeholders. It resulted in jobsite systems and morale that changed University construction standards, demonstrating how care and accountability can coexist to drive high-performance outcomes.

Known as the ‘five-foot fan girl of field leadership in the construction industry,’ Kabri blends her project delivery expertise with her deep commitment to team well-being and communication. Under her leadership, complex jobsites transform into places where technical precision and human connection thrive side by side. She elevates the role of field leaders as culture-setters and changemakers. Her leadership in workforce mental health and training has redefined industry dialogue, elevating the focus on psychological safety.

“Kabri’s leadership is defined by her unwavering commitment to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. She leads by example, demonstrating integrity and dedication in every action, inspiring those around her to strive for excellence.”

– Morgan May, Operations Manager

Kabri’s impact on the construction industry had earned her numerous accolades, including:   

Kabri goes above and beyond to share her insights through national publications, podcasts and conference speaking engagements. As co-founder of Build with Pride Seattle, she builds identity-affirming spaces for professionals in the AEC industry, reinforcing her belief that belonging is essential to retention and performance. Her work with industry organizations helps to provide practical, comprehensive resources for foremen, craft workers and superintendents to implement on their jobsites.

Kabri believes that the construction industry can and should serve as a model for connection, where the resilience of its workforce, the variety of skill sets and the collaboration across trades are recognized as powerful tools for innovation.

This award from Leaderology honors that vision and celebrates Kabri’s influence as a superintendent whose fearlessly authentic leadership is transforming what’s possible on the jobsite and beyond. Congratulations to Kabri on this extraordinary achievement!