Professional Women in Construction - 2012: Time for the Tide to Turn for Women

"This year marks a turning point not just for the nation and the economy, but for women in construction and related industries," said Professional Women in Construction (PWC) president Lenore Janis. "The economy is starting to recover, and women in business are fully poised to take advantage of it." The founding chapter, PWC-NY, has been drawing crowds to its monthly events. PWC's 'sister' chapters (Conn., N.J., D.C. area, Pa. and Fla.) are growing. Janis notes too that, "Our constituency recognizes the power of networking - they know that they need to see and be seen." For PWC, it all began in 1980, when a dozen determined women joined forces to form an advocacy and support organization dedicated to the advancement of professional, managerial and entrepreneurial women in the industry. Janis, one of the pioneering founders, was then the owner of a small steel erection company, newly certified by the government as a women-owned business enterprise (WBE). Her passion for the cause has propelled the organization's phenomenal growth for over three decades. "We had a vision, and 'impossible' was never part of our vocabulary," said Janis, whose career includes serving as the first woman director of building management-overseeing 250 tradesmen-at the city's Department of Sanitation in the mid-1980s. Today PWC is a widely respected nonprofit, incorporated industry association that counts over 20,000 constituents in its database. It has attracted governors, mayors, members of Congress, borough presidents, attorney generals, countless commissioners as well as CEOs and other leaders of private industry as speakers and panelists at its monthly and sometimes bi-monthly events. On May 3, PWC received an Advocacy Award from Anchin, an accounting firm, at its 2012 Annual Awards Presentation "Building the Future," recognizing the fastest growing MWBEs in architecture, engineering and construction and the corporations and nonprofit organizations that support them. Terry Pissi, CPA, with Anchin's Construction Services Group, said, "We are pleased to honor PWC on its 32nd anniversary and recognize that more still must be done." Janis thanked Anchin for "recognizing the accomplishments of woman and minority-owned companies and the progress that advocates, such as PWC, have made to encourage newcomers to the construction industry." PWC's informational networking sessions include Meet the Construction Chiefs; Meet the Architects & Engineers; and Meet the Real Estate Industry. It also hosts trade shows, all-day golf outings, awards receptions including Salute to Women of Achievement, and breakfast seminars that tackle such timely topics as real estate development, energy and transportation. In more and more ways, the vision is being realized as growing numbers of small and mid-size business owners-many of them women and/or minorities-seek out the opportunities and support offered by PWC. The PWC website, www.pwcusa.org, boasts 25,000 visits from across the nation in an average month. "We've come a very long way and are proud of our progress. Now the real work begins!" said Janis. For more information on PWC, contact 212-486-7745, visit www.pwcusa.org or email [email protected].