What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? I think, like most women in construction, I feared I wouldn’t get the respect I deserved and that in this male-dominated industry, I wouldn’t be taken seriously. I also feared that becoming a mom three times over would somehow interfere with how I’d be looked at by some of my peers.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? I started working in my family’s construction business at a young age. I would work on miscellaneous residential and commercial projects with my dad and my papa, whether it be brickwork, tiling, framing, or demolition.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? My construction experience began as a field/project engineer at the Dearborn STEM Academy. One of my biggest fears was entering a predominately male dominated industry as a young woman.
What are you doing differently in 2019 that has had a positive impact on your career? I’ve decided that 2019 will be the year that I take charge of my career and stand my ground. It’s the year where I make a difference for myself and for others around me. I believe as a woman in this industry, it is important to assert yourself.
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I started working as the sustainable design/LEED consultant and energy efficiency specialist for National Grid in 2006, work that has continued through present day. I built on 13 years of advanced energy efficiency expertise consulting that contributed to crafting their utility incentives programs.
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I started working on Swampscott High School as the project architect and took over as project manager when it went into construction. The personal growth that was afforded to me during that project was tremendous.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? As a young woman in engineering, I was concerned that I might not be taken seriously or given the same opportunities as my male peers were given. Although there are always outliers, my experience at SMMA has been quite the opposite.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? When I first started, my biggest fear was the power suit! I later realized it wasn’t the power suit itself I was afraid of, but what it represented. It meant conforming in what was considered a man’s world: dressing like a man.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? My biggest fears included paying back student loans, since competition was huge, and the economy was not the best. I was always worried about a layoff, but I worked harder and longer than anyone else to ensure that it would never happen.
What inspires you: I’m inspired everyday knowing that I am affecting the experiences people have when they inhabit a space. Knowing that my work will affect people’s lives, even if they are not fully aware of it, motivates me to produce only my best work.
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