Boston, MA Building Women in Construction (BWiC) was launched by AGC MA in the spring of 2016 in response to member requests to create a support network for all women working in the commercial construction industry. Through the efforts of more than 25 active members, the committee continually strives to meet its mission of “building a network to support and empower women in the construction industry to be confident and successful professionals using practical tools and advice to help further themselves both personally and professionally.”

The committee reaches those goals through various channels, including informative and educational programs, mentoring services and shared insightful content such as BWiC Blog Articles, BWiC Profiles, BWiC Podcasts and more. 

BWiC Mentor of the Year: Janet Chrisos - Nominated by Ed Adelman, Executive Director, MSCBA
Janet has successfully managed design and construction projects for Massachusetts institutions of public higher education for over 20 years. She earned the bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth and is a licensed construction professional. 

Janet is truly a “people person” – she is competent and confident, in her technical knowledge and management ability, and brings out the best performance of her project team members, be they the campus client, architect, construction manager, or trade contractor. In over a dozen years at the MSCBA, Janet has played a central role in delivering over $1 billion in new construction and renovation of residence halls and student activity facilities for the state universities and community colleges supported by the Authority. 

Janet is active in the profession, sharing her expertise to advance the state of the art for the future, including CREW Boston and the AGC MA “Conversations With...” speaker series. Janet is a rare talent, in terms of her professional accomplishments and, perhaps more important, in the way that she readily shares her knowledge and experience to benefit others. Janet is an optimistic and enthusiastic team player, most deserving of recognition by AGC MA as a mentor for other women in the construction industry.

BWiC Emerging Leader of the Year: Valerie Stone - Nominated by Erin Brooks, V.P. Human Resources, T.G. Gallagher
In her role as Safety Director, Valerie continually inspires a field staff of over 200 men and women to work safely and look out for each other. She has become an invaluable resource and advocate for field staff by working to resolve potential hazardous situations in a way that meets the needs of all parties. 

Valerie has also developed and implemented practices and procedures that have had a significant impact on safety programs company- wide. She is an instructor for NFPA and following her OSHA training, was invited to become an Outreach Instructor for OTI. She is currently pursuing her Associate Safety Professional Certification and holds a master’s degree in occupational safety and health. She has inspired her team to follow in her footsteps and works with her direct reports to set goals and to always strive for continuous improvement. 

Valerie donates her time and resources to several causes outside of work. Recently, she and her team partnered with 3 students at Keene State College on a capstone project. She serves as Co- Chair for the ASM safety committee, active in the AGC MA safety committee and assists in training for OSHA 30. She has been a youth soccer coach and volunteer with the Girl Scouts of America.

BWiC Rising Star of the Year: Sabina Kintzer Shorey - Nominated by Stephanie Asak, Marketing Manager, Turner Construction Company
Sabina began her career at Turner in 2015 working as a Co- op for the company’s Self Perform Operations team, a division of the organization directly servicing the concrete, demolition, and millwork /misc. installation needs for a variety of clients. 

After graduating from Northeastern University with a major in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a minor in Business Administration, she joined the SPO group fulltime as the lead engineer for Turner Concrete on several projects, including the Peabody Essex Museum Expansion and the Massport Terminal B Optimization and Consolidation. 

In 2018, Sabina became a Cost Analyst for Turner, overseeing the financial controls for projects including TishmanSpeyer’s Pier 4 Office and Condominium Tower, and the Boston Consulting Group Fitout. 

Outside of engineering, Sabina has helped to spearhead a new employee resource group within the Boston Business Unit: Make Your Mark. This ERG’s mission is to champion professional women in our industry by encouraging empowerment through Sabina Kintzer Shorey education, leadership, networking and service.

BWiC Tradeswoman of the Year: Savy Francis - Nominated by Kate Leon, Northeast Center for Tradewomen’s Equity
After graduating from Building Pathways in 2011, Savy joined Pipefitters Local 537, and started her career with E.M. Duggan. As a Pipefitter, Savy has worked on a range of exciting projects, from a skyscraper in the Seaport to the Ink Block condominiums in the South End, to the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. 

In 2017, NCTE selected Savy as one of four MA tradeswomen to be the face of the “Build A Life That Works” campaign. Savy serves not only as role model for women in the trades, but also an advocate and organizer, sharing outreach flyers in the community and spreading the word on social media. 

She has been a mainstay for “Tradeswomen Tuesday” monthly outreach events, where women from the community can connect with tradeswomen like Savy and get inspired. 

Savy is also a member of the Mass Building Trades Futures Committee, and last year was featured in a promotional video for her company E.M. Duggan. 

In recent years, Savy has had many reasons to celebrate, both personally and professionally. Through her hard work, she was able to complete her apprenticeship and secure her license as a pipefitter, save for and purchase a home, and welcome her daughter, Jorani, into the world.