From job sites to executive offices, women are claiming a growing share of leadership roles across the construction industry. In the last decade, the percentage of construction sector jobs held by women has grown from 9.6 percent to 16 percent.
Left to right: Moderator Brett Foelber, St John Properties, Inc.; Kate Nolan Bryden, MRP Industrial; Cherese Stevens, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company; and Cathie Phillips, Howard Hughes Communities. Photo courtesy of Howard Hughes Communities.
At the recent seminar “Women in Construction: Commercial Real Estate Perspectives,” industry leaders shared their insights on career challenges, recruitment strategies, and the evolving realities in a traditionally male-dominated field. The panel included Kate Nolan Bryden, Senior Vice President, MRP Industrial; Cathie Phillips, Senior Director, Project Delivery – Howard Hughes Communities; and Cherese Stevens, Superintendent, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.
The new norm
“I gravitated to the construction industry because I loved its tangibleness and loved being on the job site even more,” explained Phillips. “There is something really rewarding about driving past a building knowing you were a part of it; from the planning and assembling the team, to putting shovels in the ground, and finally opening the building. This work requires a high level of organization, collaboration, communication, and, maybe most importantly, follow-through. In construction, reliability builds trust quickly. I did not see many other people looking like myself when I started, but now the tide has completely shifted, and women on the job site or holding leadership positions is normal.”
Combining competency with empathy
Nolan Bryden tells the story of the redevelopment of a former girls’ high school in Baltimore City. Several key leadership positions on the project were held by a woman – the lead civil engineer, land use attorney, general contractor’s project manager, and her role overseeing the development and construction activities. No one ever gave the female-dominated project team a second thought until many months into the project.
“One of the team members mentioned the coincidence after months of working together,” she said. “While it wasn’t by design, it is a great indication of where our industry is heading. We chose the best consultants and team for the project, and their leads happened to be women. It ended up being a particular advantage. The project involved deconstructing a high school that held deep meaning for members of the Baltimore community. Working with the contractor, we took considerable care to remove historic stained glass and bricks from the site and gift those to the alumnae. It is not that a man would have shown less sensitivity for the underlying context of the redevelopment, but our female-led team was uniquely in tune with it.”
Proactive rather than reactive
“Thinking of construction as a chaotic experience is outdated due to advanced technology. My goal is to always plan carefully, establish systems and protocols, and be proactive rather than reactive,” said Stevens. “I try to emulate one of my mentors who always portrays a calm demeanor no matter the circumstance.”
Young women, she added, “used to think that becoming an architect was the only path to this industry, but my position as superintendent proves that theory differently. I never think of myself as a woman. People treat me with the same respect as everyone else, but I am very cognizant about always acting professionally and being a good role model.”
Nolan Bryden explains that her goal is to “always de-risk a project and build it in her mind” before embarking on the activity.
“It is extremely important to be visible in the field and ask the right questions,” she added.
Nolan Bryden advised the audience of predominantly female professionals that “we need to advocate for our industry whenever we’re out among young professionals, college students, and even high school students, and highlight that the construction industry has compelling opportunities for them. As my generation continues making space for more female professionals in real estate and construction, my hope is that one day, we no longer need to raise awareness with a Women in Construction week and that our work in the space will be viewed as normal rather than novel.”
View photos from the event by clicking here.
Mentioned in this article: Howard Hughes Communities, MRP Industrial, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.