I Build America – Ohio is dedicated to celebrating the women of construction! Women are a vital part of our industry, and there are female leaders at all levels of construction work. From foreman to company owners and executives, construction wouldn’t be the industry it is without its female employees. Join us and our partners in celebrating the success of women within your own company and across the nation during National Women in Construction Week 2023.
Name: Emily W.
Company: VanTrust Real Estate Development
Title/Position: Director, Development Services
Years working in construction: 24
What was your path to a career in construction?
BS from Purdue University in Civil Engineering and then out of college worked for a General Contractor where I went from Field Supervision to Senior Project Manager. I then switched to the Owner’s representative side and worked as Director for Construction of the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium for almost 10 years. I recently made a career change to develop further in a different arena working for a Developer as the implementor of commercial development from due diligence to the construction of the company’s respective projects.
What do you like most about working in construction?
Aligning teams to work together to complete a project from vision to reality. Working with those teams to come up with a vision, communicate the program, design the program, and then working with all the stakeholders that actually take the paper/model to physical reality is very satisfying. There is so much involved that there is never a dull moment.
What do you hope to see for the future of women in construction?
More women involvement in all aspects of construction.
If you were to give young women (high schoolers) advice about beginning a career in construction, what would you say?
Don’t be intimidated go for it! Understand that 5 years of experience will always take 5 years and believe me there are many days you will have to exhibit patience. Be a lifelong learner, work hard, seek balance between career and personal well-being, and embrace the detours on your journey as they can lead you to places and experiences you never dreamed you would have.
