Forty Under 40: Anna Keogh Stamps

Anna Keogh Stamps grew up in a family of engineers but didn’t want to be one.

She wanted to help people. Then she realized she could use her natural math, science, problem-solving, and reasoning skills practically as an engineer and serve people. Now she sees her job as public service. She’s proud that the $30 million of construction work she led in downtown Rogers improved citizens’ quality of life. It included improvements to Railyard Park and Arkansas Street, added sidewalks and a mobility hub on First Street.

Stamps oversees the department’s production, planning, training, marketing and client retention acquisition daily. With two design teams and one construction team reporting to her, she has tripled the department headcount and more than tripled her department’s fees in four years.

Originally from Little Rock, Stamps graduated in civil engineering in 2010 from the University of Arkansas and worked for Dewberry in Tulsa before joining CEI in 2015. She quickly moved from project engineer to project manager before becoming CEI’s only female manager and youngest department manager at age 28.

Passionate about responsible, smart growth for NWA, Stamps also designs with low impact, environmentally conscious and sustainable design and development in mind.

A good communicator and good at building relationships, Stamps is realistic, detail-oriented, and dedicated to research about changing codes and new materials.

A professional engineer in a male-dominated industry, her goal is to be a strong, innovative and educated female engineer who builds relationships, knows her job and doesn’t play to stereotypes. Inducted as the first female board member of the Arkansas chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies, she’s in line to be the group’s first female president.