Mothers In Construction (M.I.C.)

Check out Episode 59 - Creating Legacy, with Barbara G. Werther, Esq., and Jesse Garchik.

Barbara is an attorney practicing construction law and Member at Samek | Werther | Mills, LLC. Her principal goal is to assist clients in finding a path to resolve issues, eliminate disputes, and find sensible solutions to complicated legal issues. Barbara is also co-founder of the Women In Construction, Inc. (WIC) organization and has served as President of the annual Women in Construction Conference from 2006 to 2021.

Jesse Garchik is the founder and Principal of Garchik Consulting Solutions, LLC. Her firm supports nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses in the areas of strategic planning, communications, social media, fundraising, event planning, and volunteer committee management. She is a vital player in the success of The Women in Construction Conference, "the East Coast's premiere forum for education, professional development, and networking for women in the build industry". 

In this episode, we discuss the importance of supporting women in our industry and how vital it is to reach back for the woman behind you. Barbara and Jesse, also mother and daughter, discuss how the legacy created by Barbara and her partner through the founding of WIC continues on under the guidance of Jesse, with a focus on elevating and celebrating women in our industry. Listen to their stories!!!!

The 17th Annual Women in Construction Conference will be held on October 19th, 2023, in Washington, DC.

Women in Construction (womeninconstructionconference.com)

Check out Mothers In Construction Podcast, Episode 57 - Space to Build with Kathryn Hart Tinnesz. Kathryn wears many hats, but her favorite is being a woman in construction. She is also in the process of fitting into a new one: motherhood. Kathryn has held traditional titles such as Superintendent, Project Manager, and Business Development Manager, but her passion lies in her non-traditional work. She is the owner and host behind Space to Build, an online platform that equips you with community, digital resources, and guidance to find your voice in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries!

In this episode, we speak about the importance of community in our industry and her viewpoint on navigating her career path as an expectant mother Listen to her story !!!

Check out Season 4 - Episode 56 - Life Transitions of Mothers In Construction Podcast with Nicolle Wilkinson.

Nicolle Wilkinson is a licensed architect in the state of Arizona and a certified construction manager through CMAA. Her 30-year career has focused on the planning and management of complex capital improvement programs in both California and Arizona for local and federal agencies.  Her forte is navigating bureaucratic organizations and exceeding client expectations "so they can sleep at night."  She calls herself the "LinkedIn Granny" and posts frequently about women in construction, NAWIC, menopause, being a vinophile, and about the feral cats on her construction site that she cares for. In addition to trying to bring a NAWIC chapter to Yuma before she retires, she is currently mentoring a group of 4 women in construction, meeting with them one-on-one and as a group monthly for a year.  Nicolle is a mother to one living child, a son who is a high school senior graduating this year, and who, thanks to his mother’s encouragement and the generosity of his mentor Shanen Aranmor with Weld Like A Girl, will be attending Tulsa Welding School on a full scholarship starting in July.  Her husband, Greg, is the retired City of Yuma city manager, and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps.  Nicolle’s next career milestone is to retire to Malta in 2025.  She is currently teaching herself to speak Maltese in preparation for retirement.

In this episode, we discuss menopause and what it’s like to be a mother in construction going through this life transition while maintaining a career the industry. This is another topic that is not discussed loudly enough but impacts many. For some, the symptoms are minimal, but others endure pain and discomfort, which impact their way of life. Nicolle experienced symptoms associated with menopause while running hundreds of millions of dollars in work. She provides tips on what has helped her advocate for her needs, improve her quality of life, and maintain a successful career in a demanding industry. Listen to her story!!!!

Follow Nicolle on LinkedIn @Nicolle Wilkinson

Check out  Mothers In Construction Podcast's, Episode 55 – Psychosocial Safety with Abby Ferri. Abby is a practical, creative, and influential safety and risk management consultant, podcaster, and author. She leverages social media, her voice, and the latest technology to advocate for worker safety and equity. Abby is the Chief Risk Officer at Insurate, where she's part of a team of innovators reshaping insurance around the people it's supposed to protect.

 In this episode, we speak about psychosocial safety factors along with two of the top safety issues facing women in the field: lack of accessibility to adequate bathroom facilities and access to properly fitting PPE. Not having adequate facilities for women has an impact on the health and well-being of workers in the field.  Many avoid hydrating and hold urine throughout their shifts as a way to avoid jobsite conditions.  This leads to dehydration and painful urinary tract infections. Also, although more products have become available, proper fitting PPE that is based upon female body measurement data is still an issue and has an impact on worker safety.

Abby discusses her advocacy work to support better work environments for women in the field and what we can do to elevate our voices to push for an industry-wide cultural change that goes beyond inclusion weeks and trendy statements. The call to action to the industry is to do the right thing and make necessary accommodations to support women in our industry! Listen to her story!!!

Check out Season 4, Episode 53 – We Are The Rule with Laini Schultz-Sangster.

Laini-Schultz-Sangster is a Transportation/Construction Project Manager with over two decades of experience in the industry. Having worked her way up from Office Engineer to Project Manager, Laini worked on landmark projects, such as the John F Kennedy International Airport Light Rail System (LRS), Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport Skytrain Automated People Mover (APM), SunRail Heavy Rail and Orlando International Airports A1/B3 APM Upgrades in Florida. She is also a Certified General Contractor in Florida.

Five years ago, Laini became a mother, which changed the trajectory of her professional career as she was forced to make the decision about “What kind of mother and wife was she going to be? Whether or not the long hours of her day would be focused on the jobsite or at home?  Where would the balance of wife/mothering come from?” This is the reason she is a firm believer in mentorship as seeing yourself in someone who looks like you, who is successful and/or struggling with decisions like yours, validates your choices, helps dispel anxious feelings disguised as failure, and that horrible imposter syndrome. Mentorship and friendships help us all realize WE are not alone; WE can make decisions that prioritize our families, WE can demand flexibility, it will be manifested. WE can do this, doesn’t have to look pretty and fancy, but WE CAN DO THIS! We thank Laini for her power statement “We Are No Longer The Exception, WE ARE THE RULE! Listen to her story!!

Laini R Schultz-Sangster

Transportation/Construction Project Manager

www.ralisan.com

[email protected]

689 256 3484

Check out Season 4, Episode 52 - Chicago Women In Trades, of Mothers In Construction Podcast.  Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) was founded in 1981 and has been instrumental in improving outcomes for women seeking and working in nontraditional careers. CWIT has published white papers, and chartered initiatives along with strategic partners, to empower and advocate for women in our field.

Today we are speaking to Lark Jackson, who is the Gender Equity Center Associate Director at Chicago Women in Trades' National Center for Women's Equity in Apprenticeship and Employment and is a recognized leader in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion for women working in the skilled trades, including but not limited to the manufacturing, construction and transit industries. She leads the national center's technical assistance work, offering guidance and strategic planning to industry stakeholders on how to best recruit and retain women in the trades.  Listen to her story!!!!

Check out Season 4 Episode 51 - The Spirit of A Woman In Construction. This episode is a solo podcast with my reflections on the reach back and support we must provide as women in our field. This episode is dedicated to my mentor, my sister, Jacqueline Glover who we lost last month. Jacqi was a leader in the AEC community in Washington, DC. She  touched the lives of many including mine as a role model, mentor and a friend. Although it hurt to lose her, I am so inspired by her life and her intentional commitment to support women and minorities in construction. I’m calling on all my M.I.Cs , my W.I.Cs and all of our allies…Her legacy will live on through others as we stay committed to changing lives in our field !