Aces of Trades - Jennifer Gorsuch Walters' career has gone from coffee to construction

LANCASTER — From coffee to construction.

That is the career path Jennifer Gorsuch Walters has taken.

Gorsuch Walters is the president and CEO of Fairfield Homes.

"It's a pretty big job that I take seriously," she said. "I run Fairfield Homes and Gorsuch Construction. They're sister companies. At Fairfield Homes we are a development and property management company and Gorsuch Construction is the construction arm."

Gorsuch Walters' responsibilities include running the company's leadership team, which has about nine people on it.

"Culture is a big part of my job," she said. "Focusing on the culture of our company. I also focus on the people of our company. I want to make sure that I have time and space to connect with all the team members."

The company manages 115 properties in Ohio and West Virginia. Last year Gorsuch Walters started visiting the properties on what she calls a "thankful tour."

"We divide them into 14 areas," she said. "So I go out to an area and have breakfast or lunch with a team. We talk about what they're working on, what their concerns are. Just connect with the teams. I do that over a six-month period so I can see a property, but most importantly I connect with our people."

In 2016 Gorsuch Walters won the Athena Award, which honors women business leaders.

"I think what makes a great leader is having a heart and doing the right thing," she said. "I've gotten some of the best feedback from listening to different members of the team across the organization on how I can be better and how our company can be better."

She started her business career by owning a coffee shop in Colorado, where she also met her husband, Stephen.

"We were working for a large coffee company together," Gorsuch Walters said. "He was the master coffee roaster and I managed stores. So we met there and after we got married we decided to start our own company in the coffee world."

Gorsuch Walters also attended the University of Denver before returning here to be closer to family.

Gorsuch Walters' father is developer Leonard Gorsuch. She said he has been her main mentor in business.

"I think he's pretty iconic and impressive," she said. "My biggest learning came from his negotiating skills. He's one of the best negotiators I know. He's very knowledgeable when it comes to deal-making. The last 15 years working with him have been a joy."

Gorsuch Walters is also active in the community. She is a former Lancaster Festival executive board member and supports the Robert K. Fox Family YMCA, along with Gorsuch West Elementary School and the city public schools district.

Away from work, Gorsuch Walters is an avid skier.

"I love to snow ski," she said. "I love to hike. I'll hike anywhere in Ohio and also our vacations are around hiking."

Gorsuch Walters also enjoys reading and is the mother of two children.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Jennifer Gorsuch Walters' career has gone from coffee to construction