Construction Dive recognizes 34 top women leaders in the industry

As Women in Construction Week starts today, Construction Dive recognizes 34 of the industry’s Construction Champions. Building on the project we started in 2021, our editorial team evaluated more than 650 nominations this year to spotlight the best Veterans, Mentors, Tradeswomen, Up and Coming leaders and Rising Stars.

A team of six editors at Construction Dive examined each woman’s depth of experience in the construction industry, as well as her commitment to leadership and mentorship of both women and men.

Women account for 11% of construction workers, a basically stagnant figure since the 1990s. To break down prejudices and enlighten the C-suite, this annual competition showcases women leaders who help shape a more balanced environment.

“Construction Dive will continue to examine how state and federal officials work to hit promised targets for women and minorities on million- and billion-dollar taxpayer funded projects and how industry leaders address discrepencies and discrimination,” said Noelle Knox, Construction Dive managing editor. “The Construction Champions we recognize today are but a fraction of the women we celebrate this week who help break the industry’s traditional image.”

Industry Veteran - those who have built a long career in the construction industry:

• Lisa Ballerini, president, Montana Construction
• Katie Coulson, vice president - account manager, Skanska USA Building Inc.
• Cindy DePrater, senior vice president and chief EH&S officer, Turner Construction Co.
• Danni Gallagher, vice president of construction, CVS
• Anni Maresca, CFO, ANF Group
• Anne Quick, vice president, Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California
• Stephanie Schmidt, president, Poole Anderson
• Sylvia Sevier, company controller, Haselden
• Amy Wincko, senior vice president of operational excellence and strategic planning, STO Building Group

Mentors - these women prioritize helping other women in the industry:

• Nazanin Codd, vice president of Human Resources at HITT Contracting
• Diana Eidenshink, president,  ACE Mentor Program of America
• Tricia Kagerer, executive vice president of Risk Management at Jordan Foster Melanie Myers, project manager at St. Joseph Mercy Health
• Layli Pietri,  minority business development director, Balfour Beatty System
• Emily Tilgner, vice president of Building Performance Solutions, McCownGordon

Tradeswomen- skilled workers making an impact:

• Carisa Barrett, National Coordinator, Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund
• Nancy Martinez, production tracking coordinator, DPR
• Emily McIntyre, Founder, SoCo Trades Apprenticeship Programs
• Luiza Mills,  Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Public Relations at Interstate Electrical
• Missy Paulus, Asphalt Paving Manager ll, City of Seattle
• Jacqueline Pruitt, President, Marvella Steel Placers

Up and Coming - women leaders over the age of 30:

• Monica Barsoum, project executive, Lendlease
• Sneha Bhoir, process engineer, Hausmann Construction
• Jennifer Downey, director of Innovation, Turner Construction
• Alisa Lewis, project manager, McCarthy
• Jennifer Sproul, president of the Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation (MCCEI)
• Jennifer Taranto, vice president of Sustainability and Global Services, STO
• Leah Turner, operations manager, Turner Construction

Rising Stars - women under the age of 30 recognized by their peers:

• Kelsey Gauger, national director, Operational Excellence, Suffolk
• Victoria Goenert, project manager, Rudolph and Sletten
• Madison Johnson, project manager, Southland Industries
• Elise Lewis, project manager, Pentalon Construction Jessica Lunte, associate consultant, Spire Consulting Group
• Sara Wengrowski, data center program engineer, Meta/Facebook

Construction Dive’s daily newsletter will highlight a different category of women  in each issue this week. To get the Construction Champion sent straight to your inbox this week, subscribe to Construction Dive here.

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