Systems West Names Amber Kelel Chief Strategy Officer

Amber Kelel becomes the first woman to serve as vice president at Systems West Engineers, where she will guide the firm's strategic direction.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People

Systems West Names Amber Kelel Chief Strategy Officer

Systems West Engineers has named Amber Kelel vice president and chief strategy officer, making her the first woman to hold a vice president role in the firm's history. Kelel will guide the firm's strategic direction.

Why it matters

The appointment places a leader with an internal track record in marketing, recruitment and training at the center of the firm's strategy. It also reflects the firm's progression of women into senior leadership.

Kelel joined the firm in 2017 and rose through three promotions to the board by 2022. Her tenure has included increasing the number of women engineers and designers at the firm, though the extraction gives no headcount figures.

The players

Systems West Engineers

Systems West Engineers is an engineering and design firm based in Oregon that made the appointment.

Amber Kelel

Amber Kelel is a Systems West leader who holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and has served on Springfield-area civic and transit boards.

The details

Kelel joined Systems West in 2017 to lead marketing and recruitment and has since led the firm's rebrand and website relaunch. She also built internal training and career development programs and reshaped recruiting to significantly increase women engineers and designers at the firm.

2017: Kelel joins Systems West to lead marketing and recruitment.
2020: Kelel becomes an associate.
2022: Kelel becomes associate principal and joins the Board of Directors.
2025: Kelel is named to the Oregon 250.

Market Landscape

Kelel's 2025 selection to the Oregon 250 preceded her elevation to a senior executive role at Systems West. The promotion follows her earlier recognition as a 2023 DJC Woman of Vision and extends her profile from civic boards into the firm's leadership.

The appointment signals a shift in how Systems West sets its direction, with a leader whose background spans marketing, recruitment and training. Readers following Springfield-area business and civic leadership may see Kelel's name across local boards and programs.

The takeaway

Leadership appointments often reflect a firm's internal development pipeline, and Kelel's rise from marketing lead to chief strategy officer shows how that path can work. Her record of expanding women's representation in engineering and design is a measurable marker of that approach.