PWC golf outings champion women in the industry

When the economy gets challenging, the smart choice is networking said the golfers at Professional Women in Construction (PWC) National's second all-day Golf Outing for 2009 held in late September at the Elmwood Country Club. "Networking is one of the greatest tools we have to create relationships within the industry," said Patrick Higgins, a project manager with Structure Tone. Similar sentiments were echoed by Andy Werkhoven, operations manager with Schindler Elevator Corp., who said, "It reconnects you with customers you may not see for a number of years." Matthew Stolper, chief H.R. officer with Tishman Construction, added, "You meet people in different places of the industry you wouldn't otherwise interact with." Gayle Meredith, vice president with Grubb & Ellis, concurred. "It allows me to reconnect with people I don't always see," she said. Laura Brinkerhoff, president, Brinkerhoff Environmental Services, said, "I come every year - it's a good way to reinforce business relationships." The value of an information exchange was heralded by Leon Baptise, owner of LB Electric - "It's good to talk about each other's business ideas" - and Jim Snyder, field representative with the NYC District Council of Carpenters Union Labor-Management, who spoke of the need to "share insights, knowledge, in view of the current economic situation." Helen Mauch, special counsel with Zarin & Steinmetz, said, "We're all trying to find opportunities despite the difficult economic climate we're in." The value of an event that champions women in the field was noted by Indhira Figuereo, project engineer with Aecom who attended with fellow project engineer Joanna Wasserman, P.E. Said Figuereo, "We met other women who have their own businesses - it's interesting to be in the same field and discover others involved in the same project." Marie Morena, the first woman master plumber in Suffolk City, said, "It's great to see general contractors here, it's a way to get work." Some came specifically to reach out to businesses. Bruce Wingate, diversity program manager for the Meadowlands Stadium project said, "We are seeking qualified woman and minority-owned businesses to add to Skanska's database. This is a great opportunity." [Wingate is a contractor for Garth Business Solutions, hired by Skanska.] "A better networking tool has yet to be invented," said PWC National president Lenore Janis.