Grace Heller is an integral part of the Aminad team. Here is a look at some of what Grace is working on both internally and externally at the firm and the impact it’s had on her personally and professionally.

What project at Aminad has had the greatest impact on you professionally?

My current project with Marine Corps Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) has probably had the greatest impact on me professionally. Our team’s site visits to New Orleans and Baltimore at the beginning of the project gave us the chance to talk with people in different roles across the organization, as well as adjacent stakeholders. These initial conversations framed our understanding of MARFORRES’s challenges and current state, and highlighted for me how the interpersonal side fits into the process of understanding a client and building a case.

Can you tell us about the website project you worked on for the Marine Corps Consolidated Storage Program (CSP) and the impact you feel it will have for the Marines?

CSP facilities are responsible for issuing out gear and processing returns for Marines relocating or exiting the Marine Corps. The goal of this project was to design a webpage on the USMC site dedicated exclusively to CSP operations — including different facility details and educational resources on Class II gear. CSP had minimal online presence formerly, making it largely inaccessible to Marines. With the website up now, Marines can engage with the program 24/7; they can quickly locate facilities, book appointments online, find answers to common questions, and reference materials on how to handle their equipment. I think having this platform ultimately makes “all-things CSP” more accessible and convenient, saving Marines time and reducing hassle.

Can you tell us about Aminad’s Intellectual Curiosity hour and what it means to you and the firm? 

The IC Hour is a monthly one-hour lunch block during which we come together as a company to learn about a specific topic within the client space, skill involved in our work, or growth area around an Aminad value. Coordinating the monthly “Intellectual Curiosity” time (i.e., IC Hour) has been a great way to involve my own passion for education within my work at Aminad. It’s great that despite busy workdays, we have dedicated time for continued learning and growth.

What is something personal you’ve experienced that has shaped the view on how you work?

My experience as a classroom teacher before coming to Aminad made a strong impression on how I approach challenges and ambiguity. Managing a class of 34 during the thick of the pandemic certainly kept me on my toes; one challenge in particular was learning how to handle unexpected bumps and put out small fires without losing instructional time. I learned a lot from observing my colleagues—they really became my role models for navigating classroom conflicts with patience.

Overall, I think this experience played a big role in teaching me how to approach ambiguity and unpredictable challenges with patience and determination to solve, and to learn from colleagues as much as possible. These values have shaped how I approach my work at Aminad, much of which involves working through ambiguity with a team to solve problems and stepping up to new challenges despite discomfort.