From the expectation to own office management tasks to the glaring lack of representation in field/leadership roles, the challenges facing women in construction can feel endless.
“When you don’t see people who look like you in leadership roles, it can be hard to imagine yourself there,” says Nicole Rangel, a senior project coordinator at the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP). “Women in construction face barriers that men simply don’t—often, we aren’t given the same opportunities or taken as seriously, and mothers usually struggle to find childcare that aligns with our industry’s early hours.”
In 2023, Nicole was presented with a unique opportunity to tackle these challenges head-on in partnership with Kathryn Mallon, a former director with MWH (Webcor’s JV partner at BDFP).
“The idea for the group really emerged from all those early conversations with our CBOs,” Nicole recalls. “They were the ones who pointed out the lack of women on-site and the need for more visibility and support for women in the trades.”
Kathryn and Nicole envisioned a safe space that would champion women across all facets of the project—from Webcor and MWH to BDFP’s many Local Business Enterprise (LBE) trade partners and local hires.
Over the last two years, BuildHERs’ participation has nearly quadrupled from 20 women at the first quarterly meeting to almost 80 at their peak.
“We’ve successfully marketed BuildHERs through branded banners, SWAG items, jackets, and fliers, and we recently launched a new logo to better represent the field,” Nicole says. “I’m so proud of everything BuildHERs has accomplished. It’s become a community that connects women with resources, highlights their contributions, and emphasizes that there’s a place for them in construction.”
In addition to Nicole, BuildHER’s leadership team includes:
“BuildHERs has helped me handle the challenges of being in a male-dominated workforce, especially as a woman of color,” says Deltrea Crayton, a laborer forewoman and QSP inspector at BDFP. “Thank you to BuildHERs for seeing the tradeswomen on-site—your compassion is above and beyond. I truly appreciate them for hearing me and changing the culture for the better.”
Plenty has changed for BuildHERs since its 2023 launch, but their key to success has remained constant: listening.
Before each quarterly meeting, BuildHERs’ leaders go out to the field and ask the women what changes they’d like to see at BDFP and how they think BuildHERs could assist. That feedback drives the brainstorming sessions that follow, during which they begin strategizing solutions to shared challenges, how to incorporate the feedback into the next quarterly meeting, and the logistics required to bring it all to life.
The dedication of allies like Sr. Field Outreach Manager Tyrone Evans and Safety Manager Kendall Cantave has also been essential to BuildHERs’ continued growth and accomplishments.
has also been essential to BuildHERs’ continued growth and accomplishments.
By the time BuildHERs reached its first anniversary, the power of the group’s influence was undeniable. That realization was a gratifying moment for Nicole, who couldn’t believe the community she and Kathryn had envisioned just a year earlier had transformed into a project-wide initiative that empowered women to fully own their place in the construction industry.
“Women who have been in the trades for years have shared how important BuildHERs has become to them and how proud they are to be part of it,” Nicole says. “Other projects and companies have taken note of what we’re doing at BDFP and expressed interest in forming their own BuildHERs groups, which is a major goal of ours.”
Restroom Access: BuildHERs successfully advocated for more women’s restrooms installed throughout BDFP’s project site—"pink for visibility and representation.”
Recruitment & Retention: Since BuildHERs’ launch, BDFP has hired more women, provided new training and promotion opportunities, and increased retention rates among women in the field.
Online Resources: Last year, BuildHERs launched a digital/print newsletter and resource website for tradeswomen and their families.
Offsite Learning Opportunities: BuildHERs sponsored three tradeswomen at BDFP to attend Tradeswomen Build Nations—the world’s largest gathering of unionized tradeswomen.
Women in Construction Week: For this year’s Women in Construction Week, Nicole and her team organized a full line-up of events dedicated to celebrating the women of BDFP while connecting them with valuable resources for professional/personal success.
1st Offsite Networking Event: This summer, BuildHERs hosted their first offsite, after-hours networking event—something several women had requested during WiC Week to avoid interference with work.
BuildHERs responded by organizing their first offsite event at Spark Social, where women were encouraged to bring their kids so they wouldn’t have to worry about finding or paying for childcare on a Friday evening. “We wanted to support them in a real way by ensuring participation wouldn’t cost them anything,” Nicole says.
More than two years later, the feedback for BuildHERs remains “overwhelmingly positive,” Nicole says. Women across the project have shared that the group’s instilled a sense of belonging that they never thought they’d experience in the trades.
“So many women have told me they’ve long been frustrated with our industry’s lack of support for women,” Nicole says. “Every story reminds me why we keep showing up, creating visibility, and taking up space. Hopefully, more women across the industry will take the initiative we have at BDFP and foster that vital sense of community and support for women in the trades at their own projects.”
