Rising Young Professional Profiles (pt. 1): Laurisa Titterud and Charlie Sweeney

By Brenden Nickels, Senior Office Assistant 

In December of 2024, Finance and Commerce named Kraus-Anderson’s Senior Marketing Communications Coordinator, Laurisa Titterud (Minneapolis), and Project Manager Charlie Sweeney (Rochester), as Rising Young Professionals. 

Laurisa Titterud  

Titterud joined Kraus-Anderson in 2016 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Professional Communications and Emerging Media. She began as an Assistant Marketing Communication Coordinator and was promoted to Marketing Communications Coordinator in 2018 and Senior Marketing Communications Coordinator in 2021. 

Throughout that time, Titterud has grown the company’s brand in many ways. In 2017, she was heavily involved in launching the organization’s intranet site, “Kraus Haus,” and continues to manage it to this day. In 2019, she created and actively co-hosts Kraus-Anderson’s official podcast, “Build Me Up,” engaging with the company’s various industry and community partners through her inquisitive and authentic hosting style.

Some of Titterud’s daily responsibilities include managing and creating content for the company’s website and social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook producing video and podcast materials, and collaborating with senior leaders on internal messaging and Kraus-Anderson’s communications strategy. 

Titterud participates in Kraus-Anderson’s KAmbassasdor program, which pairs new employees with veterans to serve as a mentorship role for the former’s first few months. In 2022, senior leaders selected Titterud to join Kraus-Anderson’s Leadership Development Program, and in 2023, she won the company’s Core Values Award which rewards employees for demonstrating Kraus-Anderson’s core values of integrity, commitment, teamwork, and valuing other people.  

When it comes to volunteering, Titterud leads by example. Volunteer highlights for Titterud include her active involvement in the KA Has Heart Program and her pro bono social media work for Cultural Jambalaya.

Around KA and beyond, Titterud is known to lend a helping hand wherever and whenever she can. Her colleagues describe her as innovative, resourceful, creative, and an overall pleasure to work with! 

As an employee who regularly engages with various colleagues, departments, offices, community groups, and more, she approaches her work and the people she collaborates with strategically and empathetically, proving to be a person who delivers high-quality work and who cares about the communities she serves. 

 

Charlie Sweeney

Sweeney joined Kraus-Anderson in 2018 after interning at the organization for one summer and graduating from Iowa State University with a BS in Construction Engineering. Since his start date, he has served as project manager on a plethora of projects. A few notable ones include: 

  • Avani Living Mixed-Use Redevelopment- A new multipurpose complex in Rochester featuring an apartment with amenities such as a lounge, a wellness center, and a rooftop terrace, as well as retail space, which currently houses Fresh Thyme 
  • Bryk on Broadway- An affordable housing complex with solar panels on the roof. 
  • City of Rochester’s Heart of the City- Renewed space at the front door of the Mayo Clinic that gets used for community events— large and small, lunch breaks, and impromptu meetings 
  • Soldiers Field Memorial Park Aquatic Center– A new waterpark containing a lazy river, waterslides, a lap pool, and a shallow pool, as well as a new playground, basketball courts, and renovation of the golf course 

 

Outside of the office, Sweeney is a member of various organizations, such as the 40 Below Club of Rochester Area Builders, where he was formerly on the board. He is also a member of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce and the Builders Exchange of Rochester. 

Sweeney regularly returns to his alma mater, Iowa State, to represent Kraus-Anderson at career fairs, recruit potential talent for the organization, and answer any questions that students may have. 

Having lived in Rochester for many years, Sweeny, the town, and its people are heavily interlaced. His contributions to the area’s physical space, Kraus-Anderson, and his organizations are helping to shape the city’s future! 

CATEGORY: Awards