2025 Women in Construction: Leigh Macedo, Sanborn, Head & Associates, 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 am most proud of the culmination of projects completed over my career in aggregate. Whether providing geotechnical consulting for the development of a 34-acre warehouse atop a drumlin in Western MA, or the construction of a 151-unit residential complex overlying 20+ feet of blast-rock fills in Southern NH; I know that no matter the location, market sector, client, or site conditions, it is the very nature of our work that leaves behind jobs, homes, and third spaces to be used by people that call that community home.

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? I’m inspired by how much women are looking to construction as a career choice. I’ve noticed more women taking higher positions within the A/E/C industry and with them an ever-increasing diversity of thought, including novel approaches to the way we do business. I’d like to see the trend continue. My advice to the next generation of women entering the industry is to – take up space. The way we do things can be expanded on, refined, or perfected upon as long as there is someone willing to shoulder new ideas and drive them through. Use your voice and be loud.

What trends or innovations do you believe will shape the future of your field, and how are you positioning yourself (or your firm) to be at the forefront? I believe the future trends that will shape our field will lie in data visualization and data accessibility. Speaking to the efforts at Sanborn Head & Associates, we’ve been expanding our list of services to include direct client access to data through client accessible portals, increasing our ability to collect data in real time using telemetry or cloud data services, and the way we present data using visualization tools in a more comprehensive and approachable way.

What’s your favorite way to recharge or get inspired outside of work? My passion is all things food. As a retired chef I enjoy practicing new cooking techniques.

Do you have a hidden talent or a surprising fact about yourself that most people wouldn’t know? I was a serious weightlifter for two decades and a member of the 1,000-lb club.