Contact:
Laura Black
Editor-At-Large
lblack@specialtypub.com

Naperville, Ill. —October 19, 2020— Gender bias or females being underrepresented at the jobsite has not stopped this year’s women from being named to the 2020 Constructech Women in Construction list. The good news is that women are making up ground in construction and we are proud to honor some of these amazing leaders this year. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2019 women accounted for 10.3% of the construction workforce. That is some progress from the stagnant 9% quoted from previous years, at least, that is the case here in the states. Globally the World Economic Forum provides a glimpse into the disparity among all careers, publishing the Global Gender Gap Index. In 2020, the Global Gender Gap score stands at 68.6%, which means the gap is narrower, and the remaining gap is now 31.4%. Women still have much work to do if they want to work at a jobsite. Currently, only one woman for every 100 employees works in the field. 

Here is another shocking stat: 47% of women have never worked with a female manager, leaving them less likely to have a same-gender role model, according to BigRentz. This is one of the many reasons Constructech created the Women in Construction awards program.

Since the list was started six years ago, all of the women are different, yet their commitment to overcome adversity in the face of a male-dominated construction industry is the same. They seek to continually push the standards in the industry to make the world a better place for future generations.

This list recognizes the most successful women working within the construction industry, leveraging technology. These women are resilient, take initiative, demonstrate bold leadership, embrace mentorship, and take a step forward in technology and innovation.

“I believe this industry should be more attractive and more welcoming for a more diverse workforce.  I do not believe we need to change the underrepresented groups to ‘belong’ or to ‘fit-in’ the construction industry,” says Nancy Novak, CIO, Compass Datacenters. “I believe we need to change the industry to attract, retain, and promote diversity.”  

Each year, Constructech editors encourage all women within the construction technology field to nominate themselves and colleagues for this prestigious recognition. Some women are selected because of their involvement with technology, while others were chosen for shaping the company’s progress, contributing to the growth of technology in the industry, and going beyond what is expected to support other women in the business, technology, or local community.

“We are beginning to see some progress being made among the number of women in the construction industry,” says Peggy Smedley, editorial director of Constructech magazine and president of Specialty Publishing Media. “It has been a tough uphill battle, but we are finally making a bit of progress, but we need to continue to be able to remain steady in the coming years. Congratulations to this year’s Constructech Women in Construction winners for all the hard work and commitment to others they have demonstrated already.”

The 2020 Women in Construction are:
Zeynab (Reyhaneh) Abbasi, Thornton Tomasetti
Amy Allen Douglass, Thornton Tomasetti
Lauren Atkins, Brasfield & Gorrie
Meghan Bracken, Cleveland Construction
Alice Bravo, Dept. of Transportation and Public Works
Lori Buckman Moes, DJM Design CAD & Coordination Services
Katarzyna Burzynska, Thornton Tomasetti
Shahara Byford, Power Construction
Sara Carlson, Curran Contracting Co.
Audrah Carstens, Faith Technologies
Angel Douglas Stiemert, Ryan Companies US
Rada Doytcheva, RADA Architects
JoEllen Eggert Powell, Pearlstone Partners
Jammy Evans, U.S. Engineering Co.
Kaitlin Frank, Dome Construction Corp.
Stephanie Graham, Burns & McDonnell
Alexa Hartley, McCarthy Building Companies
Malia Hicks, Renewable Energy Systems
Kacie Hokanson, Miron Construction Co.
Ileana Holguin, McCarthy Building Companies
Jessie Houlihan, Stahl Construction Co.
Raylene Hylland, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co.
Erin Inman, Primera Engineers
Jennifer Jacka-Taylor, Burns & McDonnell
Jennifer Kalbaugh, The Christman Co.
JoNette Kuhnau, Kimley-Horn
Stacey Lampe, Castle Contracting
Nadine Lee, L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Heather McClimans, Gannett Fleming
Sabrina Odah, Suffolk
Lauren Odell Jolliver, Fairstead
Tiffany Patrick, U.S. Engineering Co.
Carmina Perez-Fowler, Maryland Stadium Authority
Claire Romaine, Suffolk
Chitwan Saluja, Jacobs
Halie Schmulligan, Miron Construction Co.
Sarah Seidel, Enerfab
Elizabeth Thorne, Fairstead
Mary Wallander, Faith Technologies
Mari Weitzman, Power Design
Heather Wishart-Smith, Jacobs
Stacy Woodson, HR Green

The winners are chosen by a group of former winners as well as the editorial team. The 2020 Women in Construction judges include Brandi Baldwin, Missouri Dept. of Transportation; Tracy Bell, Tilson Tech; Rebekah Casey, Brasfield & Gorrie; Nicole Darling, Ryan Companies; Jackie Guttman, Ruhlin; Susan Heinking, Pepper Construction; Constance Lai, Grunley; Allison Lewis, Beck Technology; Ashley Martin, Flintco; Patricia Waller, Gannett Fleming; and Taylor Wright, T and M Equipment.

The 2020 Women in Construction winners will be honored at a virtual gala, sponsored by Compass Datacenters, on Thursday, November 12, following the opening day of the annual Technology Days conference. To learn more, or register to attend, visit https://constructech.com/wic-gala-2020/. 

About Constructech magazine
Constructech, fierce advocates for construction, connects people, equipment, technology, and data. Constructech leads contractors and builders in today’s digital transformation by leveraging information and emerging technologies, connected equipment, and must-have tools at the jobsite. constructech.com