2021 Women in Construction: Sandra Martinez, Assistant Superintendent, Cranshaw Construction

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? My greatest achievement to date in my career has been running the renovation of a two-story historical building right off Commonwealth Ave. in Brighton. Though small in size, it was my first project as head superintendent overseeing demo, all new MEP, and restoration of the existing structure, while ensuring the new matched the existing. Running my own project, of course, came with new challenges I never encountered as an assistant.

What are you most looking forward to post-pandemic? Traveling and socializing once again. I’m hopeful and excited to keep exploring other countries and continents.

Starting out in the construction business, who or what empowered you? The superintendents I’ve worked with so far have all given me the motivation needed to keep learning and developing in my career. I am grateful and empowered by the Cranshaw team and how they’ve helped me grow in this industry.

How have you adapted and changed in the last 12 months? Due to the pandemic, the construction industry underwent a series of changes in the past 12 months that some professionals in the field would never have experienced otherwise. I found myself having to communicate job shut-downs, facilitating re-openings with stricter safety guidelines/restrictions, then developing plans to off-set setbacks from the pandemic. In spite of the challenges, I am grateful as it all helped me to grow and adapt to jobsite changes.

What steps have you taken to ensure the continued success of your firm? I continue to work to obtain more licenses and certifications not just within my projects but also for my team. Cranshaw is staying on top of many new technological advancements within the construction industry, and we’ll need experienced professionals to oversee them. 

Why should women consider a career in construction? We need to even the playing field! This industry offers so much in terms of learning and actually ‘doing’ that women can really excel at. One of the biggest upsides to this year was getting to meet other women in the field who operate tower cranes, are carpenters, plumbers, project managers and inspectors. The list goes on! Our various backgrounds, not just as women, but women of color too, offer insights to the way we learn, follow safety protocols, operate machinery, and ultimately, the way we build.