2019 Women in Construction: Jessica Flaherty, Project Manager, Civil & Utility Division at BOND Brothers, Inc.

How many years have you been in your current field? 6

Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? Working in BOND’s Civil & Utility Division, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several complex infrastructure projects. One that stands out is the Western Avenue Utility Crossing and Roadway Realignment. It was a multi-faceted job, requiring a lot of pieces to fall into place to meet tight schedules. It required a lot of creative problem solving to come up with alternative options to design, meet schedule restraints and put together logistics plans. It was the successful execution of this project that contributed to my recent promotion to project manager.

What are you doing differently in 2019 that has had a positive impact on your career? I like to stay focused and do the very best I can, always. Something I’ve changed recently is to not worry about what everyone else around me is doing or compare myself to others. This has allowed me to be more productive and prioritize what is important day to day to stay on top of my projects.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first construction job was a co-op in the Virtual Design and Construction department at BOND. I was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology and it’s because of this job I realized I wanted to pursue construction management. I was more interested in the physical construction of something versus solely the design of it. I wanted to have a bigger role in a project and see it through to the end. As an entry level designer, you rarely get to experience this. 

Who are three women – living or dead – that you would like to have drinks with and why?
1. Mirai Nagasu, the first woman figure skater in the United States to land a triple axel at the 2018 Olympics. Outside of work I’m a figure skating instructor, and I’ve always admired her ambition and determination. 
2. Michelle Obama, the first African-American First Lady. She is a great role model.
3. Aly Raisman, American gymnast and two-time Olympian. I love how strong and courageous she is.

What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? One of the biggest challenges is the assumption that men in the industry have more field experience and knowledge. It can be intimidating to go onto a job site at first with a new project team. It takes time to build relationships with the team and subcontractors in the field, but once you do it becomes increasingly more collaborative and conducive to team work.