2025 Women in Construction: Jana Licata, Corderman & Company, Inc.

What is one project or achievement in your career that you are most proud of, and how did it impact your organization or community? I consider working in the construction industry in the United States my top accomplishment. I never imagined that one day I would move to Massachusetts and work in my field in Boston, as I’m just a girl born in the countryside of Brazil. I have been working at Corderman & Company for 10 years now and recently got promoted to Project Manager. My background in civil engineering and my experiences working on job sites in Brazil have allowed me to bring a new perspective to the projects I have worked on while at the firm. Sometimes I still can’t believe I made it!

Who or what has inspired you most in your career, and what advice would you share with the next generation of women entering the A/E/C industry? Initially, I was never interested in construction. I wanted to be an engineer and chose to study civil engineering at the university I attended in Brazil. While in college, I was exposed to construction sites and realized how interesting the industry could be. Construction continues to inspire and amaze me. We, as human beings, are capable of building bridges and tunnels in the middle of the ocean; to me, that is unbelievable. Even in the past, without technology, humans built pyramids. Construction is not just the mere process of constructing a building or infrastructure, it is an art.

Do you have a hidden talent or a surprising fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know? People may not know that I have an identical twin sister. She lives in Brazil, I miss her very much!