Keith Ellery is the Business Unit Leader of the Justice division. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to meet him face-to-face yet, you’re in good company. Keith joined Avenu in the midst of the pandemic with travel restrictions and social distancing measures already in place. Here are tidbits from a recent interview by the marketing team to give you a chance to get to know him a little better.
What type of activities do you like?
My #1 passion is spending time with my two sons – Ryan (11) and Austin (8). I also love anything sports related. Skiing, golf, hiking and baseball are a few that come to mind immediately – both playing and watching (fun fact: Keith had played baseball at a Division 1 college).
Sounds pretty active. What did 10-year old Keith want to be?
Simple – I wanted to be a professional baseball player.
If you could spend the day anywhere, where would it be?
To be on top of a mountain, preferably skiing. My favorite place to ski is Keystone in Summit Co, CO. There are certainly better mountains in Summit, but Keystone gives me the best memories. It’s a place where I have skied over 100 different days with a good friend I grew up with …someone who I’ve been friends with since the 3rd grade.
If you could learn do anything, what would it be?
Woodworking. Although this doesn’t mean I’m all that handy. Actually, I’m not. I see this activity to help relax me on the weekends. I would like to be able to make something for friends and family that when they look at it, they remember our connection.
I’d also like to learn how to kayak. I have rafted the Upper Yough a couple times and have seen the kayakers take on the Class 4’s and or 5’s. That looks amazing.
What is your communication style?
I prefer face to face conversations but with the current pandemic environment, that’s not the case. Anyone is welcome to pick up the phone and share their thoughts. I may or may not agree…but I’ll always listen and be open minded to a differing viewpoint. I also prefer to have a conversation with someone rather than an email.
How do you define success – both personally and professionally?
That’s a good question. I think when you look yourself in the mirror and can honestly and confidently say you’ve maximized your potential, that you’ve given something 100% effort. Win, lose, or draw, you were committed. That philosophy applies anywhere and it’s something I’m working with my children to understand right now.
What have you learned about the Justice Team?
The Justice Team is a great group of professionals. Not only are they passionate, but they all have a high-level of industry expertise and are dedicated to serving our clients.
I truly want the Justice team to be successful. I have a long background in sports and from that, I feel as if I have a unique understanding to the power of the team, not just the individual. I try and base my decisions on how the Justice team can best support the greater organization.
What are you looking forward to in 2021?
Probably the same as most people, first and foremost, I cannot wait for the pandemic to end. To get back to normal. I can’t wait to meet every member of our team face to face. I am looking forward to getting in front of our clients, helping bring on new ones, and telling everyone that’ll listen what Avenu has to offer.