Happy Women in Construction Week 2024!
We are thrilled to take this opportunity to spotlight the outstanding women at Chapman who play an integral role in our success.
In 2022, women made up 10.9% of the entire U.S. construction workforce. At Chapman, women are 19% of our employee demographic.
While strides have been made, there is more work to be done to raise awareness about the diverse roles women play in construction, break down gender stereotypes, and encourage more women to pursue careers in the construction industry.
Some of the women not featured but very much an integral part of our team include: Jayce Barone (Project Manager), Michele Bogdan (Marketing Director), Tammy Ferreira (Vice President / Corporate Administration), Kayla Mitchell (Administrative Assistant), Christine Pulsinelli (Accountant / Human Resources Assistant), and Carolyn Willis (Accounting Assistant)!
TRACY STRONG
Tracy after completing the Paris Marathon in 2023!
Position: Project Manager
Length of time with Chapman: 7 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 7 years
What was one thing you achieved professionally in 2023? Completing the Executive Office of Immigration project. This project was a large renovation that taught me lessons and skills that I look forward to using throughout my career.
What is the best career advice you’ve received? Behave like a duck. Keep calm and unruffled on the surface, but paddle like hell underwater.
Advice for women looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Work hard, but more importantly, have an open and curious mind. NEVER be afraid to ask questions.
What does your perfect day look like? Spending time with my pup River.
CHRISTINE SPRING
Chrissy and her daughter Kiera.
Position: Operations Coordinator
Length of time with Chapman: 6 months
Length of time in the construction industry: 6 months
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? There is always more to learn! Whether it’s new legislation, industry trends, or new technology, there are so many opportunities to grow.
What is the best career advice you’ve received? Advocate for yourself. You know what you need the most. Make sure you’re talking to your managers about what you can do to grow – take classes, ask questions, and talk to your leaders about how you can help.
What is the number one place on your travel bucket list? I would love to travel to Iceland to see the Northern Lights and take a dip in the hot springs!
STACY ROMAN
Stacy (far right) and other members of her project team (from left) Project Assistant Olivia Christino, and Project Manager Tracy Strong, giving a project tour.
Position: Senior Project Manager
Length of time with Chapman: 2 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 22 years
What was one thing you achieved professionally in 2023? I had the opportunity to work on a project where the entire project management team was all women. That is the first time in 22 years that has happened to me!
What is the best career advice you’ve received? You can have it all, just not at the same time. Your professional career is long and requires a lot of patience and gratitude.
If you could have lunch with one person from history, who would it be? Ruth Bader Ginsburg, because what an icon!
SARA LITTLEFIELD
Sara on a trip with friends at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Position: Project Manager
Length of time with Chapman: 8 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 8 years
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? I have always loved seeing all the pieces come together.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? The Azores in Portugal. It was so amazing that I was tempted to stay!
What does your perfect day look like? Reading a book on the beach.
KATHERINE LESKO
Katherine at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
Position: Marketing Coordinator
Length of time with Chapman: 6 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 6 years
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? I love getting to work on a variety of different projects with a variety of different people. Whether that be putting together proposals, doing social media features, taking final project photos, participating in business development activities, or setting up/attending events, I am never bored, and no two days are exactly the same!
What is one thing you achieved professionally in 2023? I became more involved with the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS Boston) as the Chair of the Professional Development Committee. I was in charge of coordinating multiple in-person and virtual marketing-focused educational programs for other professionals in the A/E/C industry.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Block Island is my favorite place in the world! I go there every summer for a week with family, and no matter how many countries or places I visit, it is still my favorite!
DEMETROULA GLIMENAKIS
Position: Project Assistant
Length of time with Chapman: 8 months
Length of time in the construction industry: 8 months
What is one challenge you have faced in the industry, and how have you overcome it? Starting a construction job with no prior background has pushed me to ask intentional questions, come up with solutions and soak in all of the information of the incredible peers around me. Show up, listen, and observe!
What is a professional goal you have for 2024? I am excited to successfully complete my first construction 101 class!
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? Greece & Dubai!
ISABELLA DOS SANTOS
Isabella and her niece.
Position: Assistant Construction Supervisor
Length of time with Chapman: 2 months
Length of time in the construction industry: 3 years
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? I really love the whole process of seeing a vision come together in real life and contributing to something that will outlast me. Being able to drive by or look back years later knowing my efforts withstood time, it’s a pretty cool feeling. Every project is a testament to the relationships between people. Forming bonds and connections throughout the course of a project is one of my favorite aspects of this line of work.
What advice do you have for women looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Don’t see your feminity as a disadvantage – see it as an advantage. Your inherent emotional intelligence contributes to the workspace by raising the bar for everyone else in how they show up. We are different than men but that’s okay. Hold your own and push yourself to your own limits as it’ll be rewarding.
JANELLE DAKIN
Position: Project Manager
Length of time with Chapman: 1 month
Length of time in the construction industry: 13 years
What advice do you have for women looking to pursue a career in the construction industry? Truly anyone can be successful in this industry, all you need is a good work ethic, dedication, and grit to push through unknowns as you learn. You will learn quickly. Greet an opportunity with an open mind!
What is the best career advice you’ve received? Don’t take it personally.
What is the number one place on your travel bucket list? Egypt to visit the great pyramids!
OLIVIA CHRISTINO
Position: Project Assistant
Length of time with Chapman: 1.5 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 1.5 years
What was one thing you achieved professionally in 2023? With 2023 being my first full year in the construction industry, I was able to see my first project from conception to completion. I was able to assist on a 65,000 sf, $8.3M renovation that ran across three floors of an existing office building to include 21 courtrooms, judges’ offices, and both public and secure spaces. It was no easy lift, and it was a project that will set me up for all the ones to come!
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? No two days are the same. Construction projects are always beginning, ending, or transitioning through stages. It is a very active industry with many opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. I also love being able to see how my efforts make a direct impact on a job. It is encouraging to see the value in my work and to see how it leads to the company’s success as a whole.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? The Dead Sea! I had the opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea this past year, and it was unreal. Not only is it the lowest point on earth, but it is so salty that you become completely buoyant!
JENNA ANGLIN
Jenna hiking in the pre-Alps in Italy near Lake Como.
Position: Director of Internal Operations
Length of time with Chapman: 7 years
Length of time in the construction industry: 7 years
What are you looking forward to working on in 2024? We have a large ongoing systems migration project taking place internally. I’m excited to continue working closely with leaders from each department at Chapman to move it forward – and to finally see all the pieces come together in a usable final product for our staff.
What is your favorite part about working in the construction industry? I don’t think I can pick just one favorite thing. We have a fantastic team at Chapman, we work with incredible industry partners and work for thoughtful clients – and to top it off, my day-to-day is rarely the same from one day to the next. I’m constantly challenged with new problems to solve and processes to improve, and for me, that is incredibly engaging.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? This past summer I traveled to Italy, and had a blast hiking in the pre-Alps at Lake Como.