Meet our President's Award Winner Darci Watkins

Each quarter we shine a spotlight on team members who exemplify our dedication to service and our core values. For the fourth quarter of 2023, we are pleased to honor Darci Watkins, VP, Account Management, with our President’s Award.  

CRI’s recent recipient of the 2023 Annual President’s Award, Darci Watkins, can pretty much sum up her career in relocation with this statement: “I grew up at CRI.” During her 16-year tenure at CRI, Darci has experienced some of life’s most significant milestones, including marriage and motherhood, all while advancing to her current role as CRI’s VP, Account Management.

Darci’s career trajectory began with a pivotal moment — that occurred while she was still a college student.

“Ironically, I was interning for a company while I was in college, and they were looking for a relocation provider. CRI was coming to do a sales presentation, and when my boss called in sick that day, I stepped in for her and went to lunch with the CRI team. The company I worked for ended up implementing CRI, and I then built a great relationship with the Account Manager from CRI.”

On the brink of graduation, Darci scored an opportunity to interview at CRI. She arrived at her interview with her car packed full of college belongings and ended up getting a job as an associate. On her very first day, the management team acknowledged her capabilities by moving her to client services, setting the stage for her remarkable career progression. With almost two decades and a wealth of expertise under her belt, Darci embodies CRI’s commitment to excellence, growth, and opportunity.

Q & A

What components make up a good team?

Respect, great communication skills, and adaptability. It’s really about being able to read the room and adapt to how you need to address the situation, and who you need to be in that moment. Also, transparency — that needs to be present on both sides of the client/provider relationship.

What are the critical traits a client should look for in a prospective move management company?

Adaptability and customization. One of the things that I love about CRI — and I think what sets us apart — is that we’re not trying to make the client fit into a box. If they need a special process, we can mold and flex to whatever they’re looking for. We aren’t trying to make them follow our processes.

Also, an RMC’s overall service offerings are important — they should be strong, and the RMC must be willing to help the client understand the breadth and scope of what they have to offer. I know for a lot of clients, technology is starting to play a bigger role. It’s been very interesting to see how rapidly it can change and how valuable it is. And at CRI, we have the ability to quickly implement those changes.

If you could go anywhere, where would you relocate to?

Definitely somewhere tropical. I’m not a cold-weather girl. Not that I’m a hot-weather person, even though I live in Texas, but it would definitely be somewhere tropical by the water.

What’s either the best advice you’ve ever received or worst advice you’ve ever received?

Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to try or to ask for something, because the worst that somebody can do is say “no.” You’re not going to know until you ask.

Tell us something you’re excited about.

CRI! Looking at where we were 16 years ago when I started to where we are now…the changes in leadership over the last couple of years, the expansive growth that we’ve had, the vision of where we are going, and the willingness to work collaboratively. Just how we can grow and what we can improve — it’s been really exciting. 

Personally, I’m all about my three kids (ages 11, 8, and 2). I truly enjoy seeing them get to take part in new experiences and just enjoy life.