A Conversation with 2025 Elly Winner Katie Paolino

Katie Paolino, a senior property manager who supports customers across warehouses in Dallas-Fort Worth, is the winner of the Link Logistics 2025 Elly Award. Named for the “L” in the Link logo, the Elly is an annual honor for employees who exemplify the firm’s principles. Link Logistics colleagues nominate one another for Elly consideration; Katie and the 2025 runners-up were selected from a record 200+ submissions.

Katie began her career balancing night classes with full-time work as a swim teacher and aquatics coordinator. After two years of college, she decided to pursue hands-on experience over formal education, moving into commercial parking management for Class-A properties and hospital accounts. This exposure sparked an interest in commercial real estate, which ultimately brought her to Link Logistics. We sat down with Katie to learn more about her inspiring view of work and life.

Congratulations, Katie! Let’s start with how you work, every day, to support our customers and a challenge you faced that had a great outcome.

Katie: One of our customers expressed some concerns about the long-term payout of a 2024 common area maintenance reconciliation adjustment. After reviewing their account with Roby McCollum, associate director, Property Management, we presented the case to Rebel Blackwell, SVP and market officer. These listening sessions and subsequent collaboration to find solutions resulted in a great outcome for the customer—they were thrilled!

What shapes your approach to your work?

Katie: Servant leadership—which for me means putting others first. My faith shapes this approach: I believe in loving others because God loves me. I also credit my mother for modeling this mindset. She worked tirelessly, sometimes juggling three jobs, and is admired for her excellence and kindness as an educator. Watching her serve others with grace taught me that leadership is about humility and care. Every day, I strive to bring that same heart to my customers and team. 

What impact do you hope to have on your teammates, customers and the firm? Please share a moment when you saw it happen.  

Katie: I hope to create a safe space for teammates and be a trusted resource while mentoring the next generation of operations professionals. I want to elevate the value of operations teams and be a voice people seek out. For customers, my goal is simple—I do what I say, when I say I’ll do it, and instill trust through expertise. I saw this in action at a challenging, older building. During freezes and floods, I showed up every time, smiling and reassuring customers: “I love a puzzle—don’t worry, I’m here to help.” Consistency is the foundation for enduring relationships. 

What advice would you give to someone wanting to effect lasting change and improvement?

Katie: Change your mindset to one of “how can I help?” It applies everywhere—whether you’re working with colleagues or customers. That simple shift builds trust, drives results and creates impact. The surprising part? When you approach challenges with curiosity and a problem-solving mindset, you learn the most. Helping others often teaches you, too. 

Lastly (but importantly!), how do you spend your time outside of work? 

Katie: I keep things simple—I enjoy yard work and being outdoors and always have a home project going. I’m an animal patron with a suburban farm of misfits, and I love the Dallas Cowboys. Reading is one of my greatest joys; I’m currently finishing a medieval fiction series by Paul J. Bennett. I also work out regularly, listen to classical music, spend time with family and friends and swim or head to the beach whenever I can.