2020 Women in Construction: Jossalyn Bourdony, Assistant Project Manager at JD Cement Works

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months? This past year I’ve been involved in renovating many of the old Benny’s stores in Rhode Island. Being a native to Rhode Island I remember getting my first bicycle at a Benny’s store so to be able to watch such a staple to my childhood transform has been a very fun process. I also really enjoy renovation projects because watching spaces be transformed is something I find fascinating. Being able to be apart of multiple stores across the state has also helped me to build scheduling and customer relations skills. Working with renovations has also shown me that you can find anything under an old floor and must be prepared for the worst.

When I’m not working I am…I am cooking every night! I love being in the kitchen, surrounded by amazing smells and tastes. I also try to get to adult ballet classes during the week to unwind from busy days! The Festival Ballet has the most amazing adult class! Lastly I love to draw, it doesn’t matter if it’s buildings, people or objects, I just enjoy recreating it with my own twist. My Sunday’s are usually spent at the RISD art museum in front of statues or paintings and recreating them on my sketch books.

What are you doing differently in 2020 that has had a positive impact on your career? The first thing I’ve done differently this year is to get into the office an hour before anyone else, this allows me to do my estimating and review project statuses without any distractions. The next change I’ve made is not being afraid to ask questions, whether it’s to my own boss for clarification or if it’s to a general contractor, by doing this I’ve avoided making assumptions and I’m able to stay on top of the latest project information. Lastly, I write my to do list the day before. This helps to clear my head at the end of each day before I go home and get ready for tomorrow.

What trends are you seeing in your field this year? Working in the concrete industry can be very monotonous day in day out. However, one thing that I’ve noticed becoming important is sustainability, the American Concrete Institute has started putting more funding, manpower and resources towards the analysis of the service life, durability and resiliency of concrete. By doing this hopefully we can only continue to improve the country’s infrastructure and prolong it’s life. Other sustainable concrete methods I’ve seen trending are hempcrete, foam insulated concrete forms, spray repair concrete material. All of these are common concrete products made with sustainable products.

Who or what inspired you to join the construction industry? I’ve always been captivated by transformations, like watching plots of land turn from nothing to a sky scraper or watching a broken down one-story building turn into an industrial brewery. I had always wanted to have a hand in creating a new building. Construction is also a very fast paced industry that is constantly changing, that’s something I crave. I’m a “busy body” and enjoy always having something work on. Project Management gives me the best parts of construction; I have the ability to watch the construction process and I’m able to bounce around tasks during the day.