Outstanding Women in Construction 2020
Meet 10 women who are making change happen in the industry

In a year that has brought a plethora of new variables to consider where safety, policy and procedure are concerned, the industry continues to adapt to new challenges. Learning to pivot quickly and embrace change is not a new concept for the typical construction team—even before 2020, the  construction industry was a world filled with change orders and rework. But if that’s true, why are some types of change harder to embrace than others?

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics population survey results indicate there are 971,000 women working in construction today; a stark contrast to the 9,721,000 men working in the industry.

So, what’s being done to close the gap? There is a  growing faction comprised of individuals, associations and organizations that aims to even up those numbers.

We’ve highlighted 10 women who are making change happen. Construction Business Owner’s Outstanding Women in Construction is designed to celebrate that change and recognize those women who are driving progress in the industry.



This year’s contest drew nearly 300 nominations highlighting leaders in both the back office and the field from all over the U.S. and many different sectors of the industry.

Finalists were chosen based on their skills, leadership techniques and management prowess, as well as their exceptional contributions to their companies, industry and communities.

Each and every one of the women in these pages is working to build a better environment for anyone working in the construction industry, regardless of gender, race or background.

Here are this year's finalists:

To read their story, click on the picture of the finalist.

Jean Bjork
 
Jean Bjork
Maggie Estes
 
Maggie Estes
Deborah Hampton
 
Deborah Hampton
Heather Kurtenbach
 
Heather Kurtenbach
Lori Moes
 
Lori Moes
Julianne Nader
 
Julianne Nader
Sheila Ohrenberg
 
Sheila Ohrenberg
Melissa Samuel
 
Melissa Samuel
Jennifer Todd
 
Jennifer Todd
Michelle Walker
 
Michelle Walker

 



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