2018 Women in Real Estate and Construction Services: Lorraine D’Angelo, LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc.

Name: Lorraine D’Angelo, Esq., CCEP, LPEC

Title: President

Company Name: LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc. 

Years in your current field: 30+

What professional organizations or associations are you a member of? Construction Industry Ethics Compliance Initiative, Women Builders Council, Women Construction Owners and Executives, American Road and Transportation Builders Associatio, Construction and Engineering Group of the Ethics Compliance Initiative, General Contractors Association of New York, Associated General Contractors, Building Trades and Employers Association, New York Building Congress, New York Electrical Contractors Association. 

If you have had a mentor in your career, who was it and what did they teach you? 

My greatest professional inspirations/mentors in the construction industry have been my father, Joseph D’Angelo, and my grandfather, Armand D’Angelo. Together, they worked for the benefit of the working man and woman, upholding the ideals of honesty and integrity. My father worked in labor relations management for the New York Electrical Contractors Association (NYECA) as the executive secretary-manager. Prior to that he was the chairman of the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry, Local Union #3. He was honored for his exceptional service to the electrical industry by being inducted as a fellow into the exclusive Academy of Electrical Contracting. My grandfather held a similar position and, as a good friend of Harry Van Arsdale, Jr., one of the key labor leaders of the last century, helped form the basis for unionized labor in the New York City market. He was chairman of the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical industry, and helped found that group’s Education and Cultural Fund, which each year distributes scholarships to children of those employed in the industry. Mayor Robert Wagner appointed him as the commissioner of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity. He also helped establish the Mayor’s Committee on scholastic Achievement. In 1975, governor Hugh Carey appointed him to on the New York City Board of Higher Education. 

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2017? 

"Empowered, Women, Empower, Women" was my motto for 2017. Promotion of women in the construction industry is a special passion of mine. The first professional challenge I faced, when starting my career, was being a woman in a male dominated industry and not having a like-kind role-model. Even though the number of woman lawyers was becoming proportionately equal to men, women were not common advocates for the rough and tumble construction owner. It motivated me to work harder to find my own voice, as well as to be a future advocate for women and minority owned businesses that were facing the same challenges. I try to give back to my industry by devoting time to be on the Boards of Directors of two women organizations: the Women’s Builders Council, a NY centric organization, and the Women Construction Owners and Executives, a national organization. The goals of both of these organizations is to encourage women’s participation at the executive level and promote diversity throughout the construction industry. Currently, being a mentor and a champion to other women was my most significant accomplishment in 2017.