2020 Women in Construction: Deb Colbert, Senior Project Manager at Hancock Associates

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? My most notable project in the last 12 months is the proposed Visitor Center and improved parking facility at the Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover. Hancock Associates has provided surveying, wetland science and civil engineering service to permit the project through the Conservation Commission, Planning Board and MassDOT. Hancock will also be providing Construction Services. Currently, we at Hancock are trying to help our clients through these difficult times with the Coronavirus by setting up conference calls, conducting remote meetings and assisting our clients to keep their projects moving forward.

What trends are you seeing in your field this year? The economy was doing extremely well and our clients are subdividing their land, expanding their houses and taking on larger projects in difficult sites. We at Hancock are assisting our various clientele with surveying, wetland science and civil engineering services.

When I’m not working I am… running, cooking, skiing or boating

What are you doing differently in 2020 that has had a positive impact on your career? Through my background in sales, in 2020, I plan to bring in more clientele by attending more trade shows, meeting more architects, developer, and land use attorneys. Here in the Danvers office, we have another Project Manager, Katie Cruz, P.E., LEED AP, who has a great deal of experience in both engineering and construction. Between Katie and me, we plan to grow the Danvers office. We are working towards developing a stronger TEAM environment by teaching the younger engineers to take on more Project Management responsibilities and to learn new skills. I feel that this will have a positive impact on everyone in the office.

Who or what inspired you to join the construction industry? My dad inspired me to go into civil engineering. I started out as a chemical engineering student, but realized quickly that that field was not for me. I spoke with my dad, who was a contractor, and realized that I wanted to be on the design side of the business so as to see a project from start to finish.