How did Heather Shields become part of the Ceci Bates team?

Heather Shields joined Ceci Bates after Scott Bates met her at a tile store, recognizing her extensive experience in both construction and design, which made her a perfect fit for the company.

What makes Heather Shields' role at Ceci Bates unique?

Heather's role is unique because she combines hands-on construction experience with interior design expertise, ensuring design philosophies are faithfully executed during construction.

What is Heather Shields' relationship with the Ceci Bates team like?

Heather describes the Ceci Bates team as feeling like a family, emphasizing the strong, supportive environment, which is a key reason for her long-term commitment to the company.

Notes From Our Journey

From twenty-six years of building custom homes on Lake Texoma, here we share about our process and what we've learned about design, materials, engineering, and the decisions that shape a home built to last for generations — the questions clients ask us most often, and the answers we give around the table in our design center.

Home
Blog
Heather Shields: Building Beyond Design with Ceci Bates

Heather Shields: Building Beyond Design with Ceci Bates

Ceci Bates

June 26, 2026

The right person for a team often appears not as a response to a job listing but as someone already exemplifying the essence of the role in another setting. Heather Shields’ journey to Ceci Bates began not with an application but with an encounter in an unexpected place—a tile store where she was working when Scott Bates walked in one day.

Heather brought with her a decade of experience from the construction world of Austin. She was not just an interior designer who knew aesthetics, but someone who had been in the dirt, side-by-side with tradespeople, mastering faux finishes, Venetian plasters, and custom murals. Her understanding was practical, rooted in how homes come together piece by piece.

When Scott first met Heather, he recognized this depth. She stood out not merely for her role but for her comprehensive understanding of the building process and her connection with materials and craftsmanship. Scott, seeing beyond her current position, extended an invitation to join Ceci Bates Custom Homes. It was a decision that has since enriched the company significantly.

Over the years, Heather has flourished within Ceci Bates as the interior designer who engages with each custom home project from inception. Her work goes beyond selecting finishes: she ensures design intentions translate accurately on-site, bridging the gap between vision and reality. Her affinity for the team atmosphere—described as a familial bond—has been pivotal to her commitment to Ceci Bates, reinforcing the culture of support and mutual respect.

Heather once mentioned that she would only leave Ceci Bates if taken away in chains, a testament to her dedication and the strength of her connection to the team.

The individuals who align over the long arc are often those seen for their potential before it fully materializes. To explore more about our collaborative process at Ceci Bates, we invite you to begin a thoughtful conversation at cecibates.com.

← Back to About Us