2025 Women in Construction:
Wilson Kimball, Municipal Housing Authority of Yonkers

What is one project or achievement in your career that you are most proud of, and how did it impact your organization or community?

Building sustainable, modern affordable housing for the future is my passion. The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers has built and rehabbed thousands of units of housing for families and seniors. Most notable is the 2024 opening of La Mora Senior Housing complex in Southwest Yonkers. The $49.5 million project includes 60 affordable housing units for seniors and is the first modular, Passive House design project in New York. Another major achievement is the Ridgeway, now in its sixth phase, it transformed an aging 1950s public housing complex into 500 modern units.

What trends or innovations do you believe will shape the future of your field, and how are you positioning yourself (or your firm) to be at the forefront?

Sustainable housing is the future. With climate change it was very important to MHACY to develop housing that stands up to flooding and weather emergencies, particularly in our senior housing. All of our new construction incorporates energy-saving infrastructure, solar, or meets Passive House standards.

Who or what has inspired you most in your career, and what advice would you share with the next generation of women entering the A/E/C industry?

Hero - Emily Warren Roebling, an engineer who took over the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband fell ill. What would I tell the next generation? If Emily Roebling could do it in the 1880s, you can do it now. Limitations exist only in your mind.

What’s your favorite way to recharge or get inspired outside of work?

I recharge by listening to music. I love all kinds.

Do you have a hidden talent or a surprising fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know?

I finished my first coming of age novel and am looking for an agent.