Women in the Building Industry
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OUTSTANDINGWBC Outstanding Women 2015 WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY 2015 OUTSTANDING WOMEN IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY www.wbcnyc.org/outstandingwomen2015 OUTSTANDING1 CELEBRATING OUTSTANDING WOMEN 2015 The indelible signature of outstanding professionals in any industry is marked by distinction, excellence and superior performance. Outstanding Women are a special breed. They demonstrate passion, perseverance and tenacity to overcome challenges that others may consider too onerous or too risky to surmount. They do it every day, without fanfare or recognition. Women Builders Council is proud to recognize women who represent top professionals in their respective market sectors of real estate, construction, transportation and related professions. These women serve as outstanding role models and sterling examples of professionals who every day are making their mark in their own careers as well as impacting the lives of others. Many are young, others are more mature. Their distinguishing common denominator is the quality of professionalism that they deliver to their companies and organizations in the highly competitive and high risk business arena of construction. 2 Deborah Bradley President, Women Builders Council, Inc. Founder and President, Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services Inc. BUILDING A NEW FAMILY OF WOMEN BUILDERS Congratulations to the Women Builders Council Outstanding Women of 2015! On behalf of the Board of Women Builders Council, it is my pleasure and privilege to extend my sincere congratulations to WBC’s 2015 Outstanding Women. Each of the women recognized by WBC this year is very special and represents the new face of the building industry. In their very own way, and with their own stories, each of these women has risen through the ranks of their companies and organizations to attain a special level of distinction among their colleagues. Historically, women have been an invisible class within the building industry. ‘Men at Work’ signs are now changing to ‘People at Work’ and corporate suite offices are increasingly occupied by women who have demonstrated their ability to bring exceptional value to their organizations. Women are growing in number and as leaders. The women represented in the pages that follow are just some of the women in our industry who today are creating important change in their companies and organizations. We celebrate them, and we celebrate the companies and organizations that have the wisdom to advance women to new levels in the building industry. 3 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Sandra Wilkin President, Bradford Construction Corporation Board Member, Women Builders Council BRAVA, WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION! We applaud the Outstanding Women of 2015. Every day, their work leads us toward a more equitable future. They create the momentum that inspires future women leaders. WBC uses its collective strength to impact public policy. We strongly support: ✓ The New NYS 30% Goals. In late 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “New York has done many things, but we still have more to do, and that is why we are proud to announce a goal of 30%, the highest in the United States, to continue this progression and momentum and ensure MWBEs are fully represented in this state.” ✓ The New NYC and NYS Disparity Studies. New York City and the state of New York will each be conducting a disparity study in 2015. Disparity studies are legally required and essential for determining government contracting goals. WBC will lend its efforts to ensure the studies include the many MWBE firms in our city and state. ✓ Reauthorization of NYS Article 15-A. This is the statute that creates and sustains entrepreneurial opportunities for small business enterprises. It is a law with a proven record of creating jobs. Without reauthorization, it will sunset and disappear in 2016. We must secure reauthorization. www.bradfordconstruction.com 4 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 “We honor the outstanding women in the building industry, and the many other remarkable women among us in companies and organizations throughout New York. Long may WBC’s Outstanding Women continue to build the skyline of New York.” ✓ The Minimum Wage Increase. Equitable pay in the building trades serves as an example for other industries across the state. Women are disproportionately represented among those who make the lowest wages, which unfairly suppresses their potential. Raising the minimum wage is a win for women in all industries. ✓ Legislative Relief for the Scaffold Law. We seek to reform the Scaffold Law 240/241. We are committed to supporting changes that will benefit us all. As a WBC co-founder, I am proud of what WBC has become. Since 2004, we have grown to include a robust board of entrepreneurs and corporate executives. We offer legislative advocacy, new business mentoring and development and recently added accounting and legal helplines. More importantly, we provide a forum for the Outstanding Women in our community. 5 EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT Deborah Bradley Stephanie V. Burns Founder & President Community Affairs Director Deborah Bradley Construction & Turner Construction Company Management Services Inc. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY TREASURER Jayne Czik, Esq. Geri Gregor General Counsel Partner-in-Charge & Compliance Officer Grassi & Co. Citnalta Construction Corp. RECORDING SECRETARY CO-GENERAL COUNSEL Julie Valerio Loryn P. Riggiola, Esq. Senior Associate/Senior Partner Project Manager Zetlin & De Chiara LLP STV, Inc. CO-GENERAL COUNSEL CHAIR, WBC ADVISORY BOARD Lina G. Telese, Esq. Cheryl McKissack Daniel Partner President & CEO Zetlin & De Chiara LLP McKissack & McKissack 6 BOARD MEMBERS Penda Aiken Lisa Buglione Lisa Cassone Linda Christensen-Sjogren President/CEO Vice President of Marketing Executive Vice President Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer Penda Aiken and Business Development Cassone Trailer and Container Lend Lease Americas Star America Company, Inc. Debra Cole Nancy Czesak Lorraine D’Angelo, Esq. Nanci-jean DeNapoli Client Relations Director First Vice President President Vice President HLW International LLP Tishman Construction Corp. LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc. KND Electric Christine Donaldson-Boccia Cindy Feinberg Jenny Freeman, LEED AP, PE Brennan Gilbane Koch Executive Manager Partner Senior Vice President Client Relations Specialist J.D. Traditional Industries Jacob Feinberg Katz and Director of Healthcare Gilbane, Inc. & Michaeli Consulting Group Hunter Roberts Jean Greenlaw Debra Inwald Carla Julian Gloria Kemper Vice President, Special Projects Founder and Principal Senior Public Relations/Business President MBI Group Works-in-Progress Associates Development Manager Recon Construction Corporation Granite Construction Company Michele O’Connor Alexandria Perotti Alma Smith Melissa Steeves Principal Project Manager Vice President Senior Project Manager Langan Holt Construction Corp. McKissack & McKissack Sciame Construction, LLC Elizabeth Velez Sandra Wilkin Andis Woodlief President President Director of the MWDBE/Affirmative Velez Organization Bradford Construction Corp. Action Program Tutor Perini Building Company 7 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Jane Chmielinski Chief Operating Officer AECOM SOME ADVICE FOR WOMEN, OUTSTANDING AND SOON TO BE! Several ‘North Stars’ have guided my actions and my reactions in my professional life. They are simple, but keep them with you to build a career filled with bankable success. 1. Self-worth is more valuable than net worth. If you tie your self-worth to those things that surround you, ultimately you become bereft of those things that are truly your core. As I moved up professionally, I discovered that my net worth was my reputation, not my most recent raise. Keep grounded and stay true to your values. People think they need to leave their soul in order to grow. They don’t, and inevitably they won’t. 2. Keep connected. You can get lost in the C-suite Bubble. You have handlers, things are done for you. Your world is elevated and you feel protected. But don’t stay long in that glass shelter. It’s important to consistently keep connected with your team. Understand where the rubber meets the road, and what your team’s pain points are. Your connection to your team at every level is your lifeline to professional success. 3. Focus on mutual benefits. When I first started out, I asked two key questions: Is it good for the clients? Is it good for the employees? If the answer is yes to both, your company always will do well, and the upside – you will get the right information faster to make better decisions. 4. Assume good intent. It’s been my experience that women assume that things happening around them are intended to make them look bad. But that’s a narrow lens through which to view the world. The world does not conspire to make you a failure. Once you take charge of your situation and assume good intent, the world is an easier place to manage. Once I assumed good intent, I was even more successful. 5. Don’t abdicate your power. Power is a hammer. Swing it in the right direction, nail your target and you are a winner. Leave it in your brief case, and you stay powerless. I sit through lots of meetings watching my colleagues be silent. Right after, they engage in sidebars and end runs that are usually 8 WBC Outstanding Women 2015 Chief Operating Officer, President, Thought Leader. Role Model for the next generation of women leaders. Jane Chmielinski is one of our industry’s icons. Here’s some practical advice she shares with all women, outstanding and soon to be. very unproductive. My advice to women who tend to stay silent at meetings: Don’t abdicate your power. Say something when you know something. Ask, and you may be surprised that you get what you want. 6. Take the body blows for your team. When bad things happen to a good team, a great leader needs to take the body blows. Shield your team from all the corporate fray – give them their free space to do their jobs and perform high. That shelter can help them gain the confidence to continue and restore stability to the team and their work.