Spotlights

2023 Women in Construction: Grace Kolb, AKF

In the past year, what project or accomplishment are you most proud of? In the last year I am most proud of successfully writing, publishing, and presenting a technical article at the national ASHRAE conference. The process was long, and sometimes intensive, but I’m so proud of myself and my co-authors for putting

2023 Women in Construction: Jennifer Luu, Alan Margolin & Associates (AMAA)

How can AEC companies recruit more women? One of the best methods to recruit more women into AEC companies is by exposing students and postgraduates to the industry using strong brand awareness efforts. Hosting events and panels at universities, as well as attending career fairs,

2023 Women in Construction: Siobhan McNamara, LPS Direct

In the past year, what project or accomplishment are you most proud of? LPS recently completed a mid-sized but substantial construction project for Safelite, a glass repair chain company with more than 7,100 locations across the country. This project marked the first time LPS headed up a construction project of this kind,

2023 Women in Construction: Jayne Penepent, Empire Commercial Construction

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? The historical redevelopment of The Cannery in Fairport, NY into a thriving mixed-use commercial plaza, including its numerous retail buildouts completed by Empire Commercial Construction.

2023 Women in Construction: Jane Marie DeSimone, H2M architects + engineers

Which professional associations or organizations would you recommend to women who are starting out in the AEC industry? The industry has many valuable organizations. It is important to understand what you are looking to achieve by joining and finding the right fit.

2023 Women in Construction: Cathy Savino-Berger, Levine Builders

What was a pivotal point in your career? When the housing market crashed in 2008, it was a very difficult time for the construction industry. With current projects ending and no new work on the horizon, a lot of difficult decisions needed to be made. I remember sitting in a meeting with our owner and other executives

2023 Women in Construction: Jessica Alves, P.E., H2M architects + engineers

In the past year, what project or accomplishment are you most proud of? The project I am most proud of is the Liberty Utilities West Branch Acres Wellhead Treatment project. This project includes the installation of a granular activated carbon system for the removal of PFAS from the site’s wells’ raw water.

2023 Women in Construction: Carla Giarrusso, Suffolk Construction

In the past year, what project or accomplishment are you most proud of? This year my team and I completed a 1 million s/f warehouse in Maspeth, Queens. We finished the project under budget and ahead of schedule, two accomplishments that should be celebrated in the construction industry.

2023 Women in Construction: Anita Skara, MGE Unified Technologies, Corp.

In the past year, what project or accomplishment are you most proud of? Lennar Homes corporate headquarters, Miami Florida. The Lennar project was a total transformation of 156,000 s/f of a 212,619 s/f building, once the world headquarters for the Burger King corporation. The project team took advantage of 24,847 s/f

2023 Women in Construction: Julie Yun, Suffolk Construction

What was a pivotal point in your career? During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare management and construction were deemed essential services in New York. We aimed to construct safe and efficient spaces for hospitals, as quickly as possible, while continuing with our ongoing projects.