CMiC Team Member Spotlight: Layne Black

nkreeger • October 16, 2024

Everyone on the CMiC Core Team brings a unique perspective to this complex project, providing skillsets and experience to ensure a smooth implementation, rollout, and transition. Layne Black, Director of Change Management, brings his Marketing & Communications experience to the team with an unmatched focus and dedication to the people side of change.

 

Layne graduated from Maryville University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. In 2017, Layne joined the Keeley team as an intern where he spent his summer rotating between every functional group across both Keeley Companies and ADB including Marketing, HR, Recruiting, Accounting, KeeleyU, Safety, and Business Development. Following the conclusion of his internship, Layne remained on the team as a part-time Co-Op in Marketing until graduating from Maryville in 2018.

 

Upon graduation, Layne joined full-time as a Marketing Assistant, providing support to all areas of Marketing. In 2019, Layne was promoted to Communications Manager where he managed all marketing efforts for functional groups & cultural pillars, as well as all internal communications and PR efforts. After taking over all digital marketing efforts and events, he was promoted to Director of Communications in 2021. During his time in this role, Layne managed a team of five responsible for all Digital Marketing, Internal & External Events, Internal Communications, PR Efforts, Marketing Analytics, Marketing Support for cultural pillars & functional groups, Marketing Support for the M&A process, Market Research, and overall Marketing Strategy & Support for the MAP Process. He also served as the marketing account manager for ADB Companies – participating in strategic planning and managing all ADB and subsidiary marketing & communications initiatives. Layne was a valued member of the ADB M&A team, providing support from diligence through integration for six completed acquisitions. He managed all marketing & communications efforts and participated in all aspects of the integration process alongside other functional & operational leaders.

 

Most recently, in September 2024, Layne transitioned out of Marketing into his new role as Director of Change Management where he will be focused on bringing the change management framework that we are building out alongside the CMiC rollout to other major organizational changes such as M&A integration, software rollouts, pioneer investments, market expansion efforts, and any other major changes within specific groups or companywide. Layne received his designation as a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner in 2024.

 

As Director of Change Management, Layne is dedicated to helping the company navigate major organizational changes with a focus on people. His top priority currently is the successful rollout of CMiC, focused on ensuring the organization is ready to adopt the change. This includes creating & leading the communication strategy, training processes, collaboration with stakeholders, and any overall organizational readiness activities.

 

“Improving our systems & processes and adopting smarter, more scalable solutions is incredibly important as we continue to grow. In order to be a billion-dollar company and beyond, we have to operate like one – and systems like CMiC that help streamline & standardize operations are key to helping us get to the next level.”

 

People are our most important asset and Layne is ready to make sure that Keeley’ns have the awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement they need in order to navigate and adopt this major change. If you have any questions or want to learn more about what CMiC means for you and your team, you can reach out to Layne directly at lblack@keeleycompanies.com

Salesforce + CMiC Integration Details

By Jonathan Cox • August 14, 2025
This integration will share opportunity and account information between CMiC and Salesforce. Once an opportunity is created or updated in Salesforce, all relevant opportunity and account information will be automatically passed to CMiC. Updates to opportunities in CMiC will also be automatically passed to Salesforce. Once a job number is created in CMiC, it will be sent back to Salesforce automatically. It is important to note, however, that opportunities created in CMiC will not be passed to Salesforce, so all opportunities must be created in Salesforce . How the integration works: When an opportunity in Salesforce reaches the Proposal stage or beyond, its data is automatically synced to CMiC. Data from Salesforce to CMiC will be synced every 10 minutes at the :01 mark – ex: 11:01, 11:11, 11:21, etc. Data from CMiC to Salesforce will be synced every 5 minutes on the :00 & :05 marks – ex: 11:00, 11:05, 11:10, etc. The following fields will sync between the two systems: Salesforce ID (Links the opportunity across both systems) Organization / Business Partner Name Current Sales Stage Opportunity Financial Fields Key Dates Organizational Details (Department, Division, Office) Required Opportunity Fields Site Address Important Note: If an opportunity comes over from Salesforce to CMiC and the customer does not exist in CMiC as an Organization – then the customer will show as “New Organization”. If that is the case, then the customer either doesn't exist in CMiC or the Salesforce Account is not linked to an existing CMiC customer. First, search for the customer in the lookup for assigning the organizing. If the customer does not exist in that list, then the customer will need to be set up by Accounting. Please reach out to Sean Fleming for support. With questions or concerns regarding the integration between Salesforce and CMiC, you can reach out to your Operational Finance Team or submit a helpdesk ticket by emailing helpdesk@keeleycompanies.com

AP Process Changes

By Jonathan Cox • August 14, 2025
The transition to CMiC has uncovered some challenges to our AP processes for project and accounting teams. Over the past 90 days, we’ve been working through these challenges to improve the speed & efficiency of our process. See below for some highlights of these major changes & improvements. New Commitment Policy for Purchases over $25K As of August 1 st , Project Accountants have been rejecting any invoices over $50,000 that lack a valid commitment. As of September 1 st , this threshold will drop to $25,000. This means that commitments will be REQUIRED for all purchases over $25,000. This is a critical change aimed at enforcing procurement discipline and improving visibility over large expenditures. Workflow Adjustment for Invoices Less than $2,500 Invoices under $2,500 are now being routed to the PM only for approval and the Project Accountant is no longer part of the workflow. Approximately 70% of our invoices fall below this threshold, so this change is expected to significantly reduce the volume of approvals and streamline processing for small-dollar invoices. As a PM, please exercise extra discipline in the approval process since you are the last set of eyes on the invoice before it gets paid! Ability to Change/Reassign Invoices Users in operations have the ability to change the job number in the flysheet (header) in Image Manager within CMiC. This means less invoices should be returned to data entry and should result in a quicker turnaround on invoice processing and approval. Users in operations can also reassign invoices to others, rather than needing to reject them back to AP to be redirected. Additional training on this process is taking place in each of the business units. If you miss that training, please reach out to the Operational Finance Team (formerly Project Controls & Project Accounting) within your business unit for support. Importance of Quality Rejection Notes Users in operations will now be asked to categorize their rejections to clear up confusion and streamline the AP process. The three buckets in which you can categorize your rejection are DO NOT PAY, DATA ENTRY, and VENDOR ISSUE. Providing productive comments when rejecting invoices is extremely helpful in getting the invoice corrected or reassigned. If you have any questions regarding how to reject invoices or leave comments, please reach out to the Operational Finance Team (formerly Project Controls & Project Accounting) within your business unit for support. 

Solar 101: How It Works and Why It’s Worth It

By Jonathan Cox • June 25, 2025
The Future Is Built on Sustainable Design The construction industry is undergoing a transformation. As the global demand for renewable energy grows and infrastructure becomes more environmentally accountable, solar farms and sustainable construction are taking center stage. At Keeley, we’re not just keeping pace with the future—we’re helping build it. Solar 101: How It Works on a Larger Scale Solar farms, also known as photovoltaic (PV) power stations, use large-scale arrays of solar panels to generate electricity. Unlike rooftop systems, solar farms are designed for grid-level energy production, often covering acres of land with thousands of interconnected panels. Here’s how it works: Solar Panels: Mounted on ground-fixed or tracking systems, these capture solar energy efficiently across large areas. Inverters and Transformers: These convert the DC output from the panels into AC power suitable for grid transmission. Grid Integration: Power from solar farms is fed into utility grids or microgrids, providing energy to thousands of homes, industries, and facilities. Energy Storage Systems (ESS): Battery solutions allow excess energy to be stored and released when demand peaks or sunlight is low. Why It’s Worth the Investment Scalable Power Production: Solar farms can generate anywhere from a few megawatts to hundreds, supplying clean energy on a massive scale. Long-Term ROI: Though upfront costs can be high, operational expenses are minimal, with low maintenance and zero fuel costs. Regulatory and Tax Incentives: Governments continue to back utility-scale renewables with grants, incentives, and favorable zoning policies. Land Optimization: Underutilized or non-arable land can be repurposed for solar farms, creating economic value while preserving agricultural zones. Carbon Offset Benefits: Solar farms dramatically reduce emissions compared to traditional energy sources, aligning projects with ESG goals and climate commitments. The Future Is Built on Sustainable Civil Design Sustainable design isn’t limited to buildings—it’s revolutionizing civil construction , too. Whether it’s roads, bridges, or public infrastructure, sustainable practices are reshaping how we approach large-scale projects: Low-Carbon Materials: Incorporating recycled aggregates, low-emission concrete, and eco-asphalt into construction workflows. Stormwater Management: Designing with permeable pavements and green drainage systems to control runoff and improve water quality. Site Optimization: Minimizing land disruption and integrating renewable installations like solar or wind within transportation and industrial corridors. Energy Infrastructure Integration: Combining civil works with utility-scale solar installations to power public infrastructure directly from renewable sources. By embedding sustainability into every stage of the civil construction process, we not only meet evolving regulatory demands—we also help future-proof infrastructure for the next generation. The future of construction lies at the intersection of energy, infrastructure, and environmental responsibility . Check out Keeley’s Solar projects here: https://www.keeleyconstruction.com/projects/engie-solar-panel-farm https://www.keeleyconstruction.com/projects/7v-solar-ranch https://www.keeleyconstruction.com/projects/cofeen-solar-farm https://www.keeleyconstruction.com/projects/baldwin-solar-farm