2023 Women in Construction: Leah Stanton, Weston & Sampson

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? I love solving our clients’ most complicated water treatment projects, and the one I’m most proud of is the recent upgrade to the Peabody water treatment plant. When everyone is tearing down 50-year-old plants at the end of their useful lives, I used my years of experience and knowledge to contradict that trend and prove that something old can be renovated - and just as good if not better than building a new one. By keeping our client’s best interests in mind, my team and I were able to save the city millions of dollars - and win an award!!

What made you interested in seeking a career in the AEC industry? My father was a contractor and I’ve been told that I have construction in my blood. Thinking I wanted to be an architect, I went to UNH since it was in-state and right around the corner. I planned on studying structural engineering and maybe getting my master’ degree in architecture if so inclined. Life threw me a curve ball though when I got offered a stipend to get a master’s in environmental engineering. I stumbled my way into the drinking water world when Weston & Sampson offered me a job in their water practice and have never looked back.