2023 Women in Construction: Danielle Grillo Pemberton, Sweet Group LLC

What was a pivotal point in your career? In 2012, after Hurricane Sandy devastated NYC, I was assigned to the city’s rebuilding efforts at the mayor’s Housing Recovery Office. I had never worked in housing recovery, let alone been involved with disaster response at this level. In an extremely tight time-frame, our team was able to set up groundbreaking programs for rebuilding our housing stock and supporting our neighborhoods and the residents that live there. This experience changed the direction of my career and introduced me to people that have had an impact on my life to this day.

How can AEC companies recruit more women? Throughout my career I have always worked in fields that are non-traditional for women – construction, law enforcement, etc. I have been lucky to have incredible mentors – many of them women – who inspired me and kept driving me to achieve my goals. I find companies that value their employees and diversity of opinion and experiences have better results in recruitment of a talented workforce – regardless of gender. Leveraging existing diversity to champion the industry and recruitment is key to relating to potential candidates and showing them a clear vision of where they advance in their own careers. 

What is your favorite building in New York? One of my favorite buildings in New York City has always been the Flatiron Building. The shape of the building, it’s location and the beautiful façade details give it an incredible presence in Manhattan. Now, Sweet Group has the honor of working on the interior renovation of the building, allowing our team to experience its historic significance in a completely new way.