2021 Women in Construction: Abby Davis, Assistant Superintendent, Dellbrook | JKS

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? This past year my greatest achievement was turning over one of the first high-rises in Lynn, first for the developer and first for my company amidst pandemic restrictions and material shortages.

What are you most looking forward to post-pandemic? To take what we’ve learned this past year (remote communications, improved technology skills, and software available) and build on it with in person and remote collaborations. 

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months? The last year has been full of growing pains and creative solutions, taking on new responsibilities and adjusting old priorities. I was fortunate enough to have my jobsite open throughout the pandemic and this gave my team the opportunity to facilitate all the work on-site to be healthy and safe for the trades and to keep the project moving forward to deliver results. Personally, it taught me to be more flexible, positive, and quick thinking for solutions, it’s the only way forward in an ever-changing environment like the pandemic and construction.

What steps have you taken to ensure the continued success of your firm? By implementing a COVID1-9 site safety plan and putting the jobsite health first this past year we were able to get the different crews, inspectors, consultants and design/ownership teams on board to stay open. When the project stayed open, we were able to maintain 200+ jobs and turnover a space to the client maintaining our promises and relationships. Building relationships and fulfilling promises is what our business is all about.

Why should women consider a career in construction? Construction is a fast paced, ever-changing career that affords you the opportunity to always improve yourself, your business, your projects and endless instances to connect and build upon relationships throughout the industry. As a woman in the industry, I thrive in this atmosphere and am encouraged by the freedom for growth, anyone similarly geared or interested by this environment should join one of the many faucets construction has to offer.

Starting out in the construction business, who or what empowered you? I was empowered by the measurable progress and physical product of my work. At the beginning of a career your impact on the team and on the project is micro but as you build experience and grow, that impact swells and the pride of product comes with it. I’m looking forward to what I can achieve next, one building at a time.