Throughout 2020 Women’s History Month and this week’s Women in Construction Week, we’re reminded of the incredible accomplishments of females in our past and present. For women in construction, while the path to career success has not always been an easy road, the payoffs are well worth it.
Nonetheless, there’s still a lot of work to do to create true equity in the construction industry. To help encourage more women and diverse talent to enter the construction industry, it’s essential we listen to the ones already in it. Recently, we spoke to more than 25 women in construction to learn more about the pride they have for their jobs, the steps companies can take to establish more equity, in addition to the advice they’d give to others entering the industry. You can easily navigate their insight via our table of contents, or just scroll below!
Why are you proud to work in the construction industry?
- Kaitlin Frank, Superintendent, Dome Construction
- Amanda Wilkinson, Project Engineer, Daniels and Daniels Construction
- Hannah Metcalf, P.E., Project Manager, Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.
- Amanda Bordner, Project Engineer, W.E. O’Neil
- Karyn Steenkamp, Vice President, Design & Construction, Caesars Entertainment
- Jamie Waller, Assistant Director, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
- Kathleen Barber, Training Director, San Mateo Electrical JATC
- Melissa Schulteis, Virtual Construction Specialist, Miron Construction
- Syn Dee Chua, Assistant Project Manager, George J. Igel & Co., Inc.
- Raquel Bascones Recio, BIM Implementation Consultant, Autodesk
What can companies do today to create more equity in construction?
- Kira Chase, Field Engineer, STV
- Jamie Waller, Assistant Director, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
- Kelsey Stein, National Preconstruction Technology Manager, Skanska
- Kate McMahon, Assistant Project Manager, Webcor
- Emily Welch, Cost Control Analyst, CRB
- Sara Foster, BIM Specialist II, AECOM
- Oscia Wilson, Real Estate Project Executive, Google
- Hannah Metcalf, P.E., Project Manager, Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.
- Karyn Steenkamp, Vice President, Design & Construction, Caesars Entertainment
- Grace McGregor Kramer, Director of Strategy and Operations, McGregor Industries
- Rachel Treanor, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Crossland Construction Company, Inc.
- Erin Behrendt, Learning & Development Manager, Air Systems
- Sarah French, BIM360 Implementation Consultant, Autodesk Customer Success
- Syn Dee Chua, Assistant Project Manager, George J. Igel & Co., Inc.
What advice would you give to others starting in the industry?
- Melissa Gomez, Project Engineer, BNBuilders
- Kira Chase, Field Engineer, STV
- Kelley Hamlin, Senior Cost Control Analyst, CRB
- Kendall Pouland, Director of Technology and Innovation, Tellepsen
- Talia Haerr, Pre-Construction Manager, Cupertino Electric
- Kelby Ewert, Electrical Engineer, Professional Engineering Consultants
- Heather Cassady, Senior Project Manager, Turner Construction Company
Also don’t forget to check out our infographic on the state of women in the construction industry!
Why are you proud to work in the construction industry?
2. When your client sees their new space for the first time, and they light up with excitement. It’s the moment you realize that all the hard work, long days, and headaches were for that one moment. That you and your team have built a new space for teams to work better, and have overall for the better impacted their day to day life. It’s the thank you with a hug at the end of a project.” – Kaitlin Frank, Superintendent, Dome Construction
Also, being in a “male-dominated” field, I love that I have an opportunity to impact the next generation of women and speak from my experiences. I want to make sure that they know they can do whatever they dream no matter their gender. It’s so exciting to see the spark in a kid’s eye when they think beyond the typical stereotype and realize they can do that too!” – Amanda Wilkinson, Project Engineer, Daniels and Daniels Construction
[Tweet “”I feel very proud to work in the heavy civil construction industry because the community directly benefits in their everyday lives from the work we do.” – Hannah Metcalf, @ESS_emerysapp via @ADSK_Construct “]
“Construction allows me to find new innovative solutions to daily problems. I’m always proud to see the solutions my project team and I work on constructed in the field.” – Amanda Bordner, Project Engineer, W.E. O’Neil


“I love the challenge of working within the constraints of budget and schedule while delivering a product we can all be proud of. I also pride myself and my team on communicating and ensuring our operations teams can do their job with our ultimate goal to be as invisible as possible. I always make it a goal to create a calmness within the organized chaos that construction projects often tend to be. We deal with many older buildings that have had numerous additions over 50-60 years at times. We never know exactly what we are going to find, and my current goals include determining the most effective way to perform a forensic investigation and compiling of historical data to try to get ahead of these unknowns.” – Karyn Steenkamp, Vice President, Design & Construction, Caesars Entertainment
[Tweet “”I am doing everything I can to set a good example and change the landscape of how women are perceived in construction.” – Jamie Waller, @myTDOT @ADSK_Construct”]
“The sense of accomplishment being able to witness a project go from plans to reality while being fully aware that it takes a huge team of construction professionals with diverse skills, talent, and experience for it to happen. No project can be built by one person alone!” – Syn Dee Chua, Assistant Project Manager, George J. Igel & Co., Inc.
[Tweet “”I love working in construction because it gives me the chance to shape the places we live in.” – Raquel Bascones Recio, @ADSK_Construct”]
What can companies do today to create more equity in construction?
[Tweet “”Everyone needs to be a part of the conversation to create change, not just women and minorities.” – Kira Chase, @STVGroup, @ADSK_Construct”]
“The first step to encouraging and supporting more equality in construction is to raise awareness and acknowledge that there has been an unconscious bias across the industry. It should be a priority for companies to create a diverse workforce in key management rolls to show support for more equality. Another key strategy to encourage more equality would be to incorporate more diverse interview panels during the hiring process. Also, the industry needs to create training and education initiatives that specifically target minorities so that they become more receptive to consider a career in the construction industry.” – Jamie Waller, Assistant Director, Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
“It starts with an understanding of the benefits of diversity. One of our corporate values at Skanska is Be Better—Together, because we know that the more diverse a team is, the stronger it is. Bill Gates referenced that idea in his book, “The Road Ahead,” which he wrote in the 1990s when the internet was just taking off. At the time, only computer programmers could contribute content to the internet, and Gates knew this was going to hold it back. He said the only way the internet could reach its full potential is if everyone was able to add to the conversation. It’s hard to imagine what the internet would look like today if only computer programmers were allowed to add content. Its focus would certainly be much more narrow and limited—I don’t think most of us would find it useful. That is exactly what happens to companies that don’t make diversity a priority. When recruiting, companies need to cast a wide net to gather people together who have different perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge. Then, once they get the right people to the table, give them a voice and the freedom to do what they were hired to do. When companies do this, they find—and retain—superior candidates and create a stronger team. Ultimately, our Be Better—Together value is what’s making Skanska a strong, diverse company that is always advancing in our ability to provide what we call customer delight. – Kelsey Stein, National Preconstruction Technology Manager, Skanska
[Tweet “”When recruiting, companies need to cast a wide net to gather people together who have different perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge.” – Kelsey Stein, @SkanskaUSA @ADSK_Construct”]
Also, ensure everyone’s voice be heard! An environment where everyone can express their opinions and ideas freely is much more effective. When the workplace feels challenging, but not threatening, teams are more motivated and engaged.” – Kate McMahon, Assistant Project Manager, Webcor
Regarding race and socio-economic equity: Companies must communicate early and often to young people that they are welcomed at every level of this industry. Representation and invitation matter. Allow people, especially people who don’t look like the usual suspects, paid time off to attend elementary school and high school career days to get kids’ imaginations excited about how they might one day run huge projects or even whole companies. Then follow through with offering paid internships and entry-level jobs!” – Oscia Wilson, Real Estate Project Executive, Google
[Tweet “”Companies must communicate early and often to young people that they are welcomed at every level of this industry. Representation and invitation matter.” – Oscia Wilson, @Google via @ADSK_Construct”]
“I believe the best way we can encourage and support women in construction is by giving them an opportunity. I am a firm believer in hiring the best, most qualified person for a position, and I do not support the practice of hiring someone to fill a “quota.” This can create a negative backlash. The best way to overcome that is to become our new hires biggest cheerleaders, ensuring people see our shining stars. I have found my team is already sitting right around 50/50 for the male/female ratio. This was not intentional, and I believe it shows that women are just as qualified.” – Karyn Steenkamp, Vice President, Design & Construction, Caesars Entertainment
[Tweet “”Women in AEC careers continue to be a source of competitive advantages and are vital for growth.” – Rachel Treanor, @Crossland_Inc via @ADSK_Construct”]
“Companies can encourage and support women in the construction industry by being intentional in creating an inclusive culture. This can be achieved in a number of ways, such as providing education on unintentional gender bias, creating internal mentorship programs and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for harassment. Companies also need to take an active role at increasing the number of women that enter the construction industry, such as implementing outreach programs geared toward women, in high schools and/or colleges, to encourage an interest in construction and the potential career opportunities available.” – Hannah Metcalf, P.E., Project Manager, Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.
“The most important thing companies can do is to create and provide a culture that is positive, supportive, and encourages personal and company-wide success. Companies have to set and actively enforce a culture that encourages all employees to treat each other with care and respect and to support one another in a positive, constructive manner every single day. Once that culture is in place, a lot of the traditional beliefs and stereotypes commonly associated with the industry goes away. Women (and even men) will be more confident to take on greater responsibilities, to push the boundaries of their careers, and to never hesitate to ask questions or to seek help, knowing that they can rely upon colleagues who are supportive of them and their endeavors. This culture of positivity and support will command attention and will attract talent–from not just women but men as well.” – Syn Dee Chua, Assistant Project Manager, George J. Igel & Co., Inc.
[Tweet “”The most important thing companies can do is to create and provide a culture that is positive, supportive, and encourages personal and company-wide success.” – Syn Dee Chua, George J. Igel & Co. via @ADSK_Construct “]
What advice would you give to others starting in the industry?
[Tweet “”Take pride in being a student in your craft. Don’t be shy or afraid to ask questions.” – Melissa Gomez, @BNBuilders, @ADSK_Construct”]
Find your mentors. Many people find teaching and delegation of work difficult. Find those who are willing to take the time to answer your questions, provide constructive feedback, and challenge you. Be open to change, exploration, and being uncomfortable. This is true from jumping into a new role, gaining more responsibility, or exploring new technology that could help improve your jobsite. You can only learn by doing, asking a lot of questions, making mistakes along the way, and experiencing what works and what doesn’t. Grit, perseverance, and working hard will always outmatch ‘smarts’ or IQ. Construction is a small industry, and is entirely about relationships: treat everyone with respect. Whether it is your subcontractor’s foreman or your project executive, you’re only as successful as your team, and to be effective on your team, you must have strong relationships, communicate clearly, and understand everyone has different backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses. – Kira Chase, Field Engineer, STV
“People new to the industry should know that you can do anything you set your mind to. If there is a position out there that you want, make it happen. In my 8 years I have been an Administrative Assistant, a Construction Engineer and now a Sr. Cost Control Analyst managing 60MM projects. I attribute a lot of my success to wearing many hats in my career and being cross-trained can make an employee extremely invaluable. To work in this industry you also must be great at working as a team. There isn’t any role that doesn’t play a vital part in a successful project.” – Kelley Hamlin, Senior Cost Control Analyst, CRB
[Tweet “”I attribute a lot of my success to wearing many hats in my career and being cross-trained can make an employee extremely invaluable.” – Kelley Hamlin, @CRB_USA via @ADSK_Construct”]
[Tweet “”Learn from your mentors, and don’t be afraid to mentor others.” – Kelby Ewert, @PECEngineers via @ADSK_Construct”]
More Resources and Advice from Women in Construction
There are ample resources for women looking to enter or excel in the construction industry. If you’re looking for a solid list of top resources and organizations to get involved in, check out our list here.