Elfreida Smith always knew she was good with her hands and enjoyed working outdoors. But it took a mentor's encouragement and the right timing to finally make construction her career.
A San Francisco local, Elfreida grew up fascinated by construction but initially questioned if it was right for her. "When I was younger, I wondered if construction was really what I wanted," she recalls. With younger children at the time, her early mornings and inflexible hours made construction's early start times seem undoable. Life shifted after her mother's passing in 2019, prompting her to reconsider her path. A conversation with a mentor and family friend reignited her interest.
With her children older and Elfreida spending some time helping care for her granddaughter, she joined Webcor in July 2022, working as a laborer on the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Her role is diverse and vital -- she handles demolition support, flagging, traffic control, dust management, site cleanliness, and more -- all typical of a project laborer. Safety is a key priority: Ensuring her team wears complete PPE and identification badges is part of her daily routine.
The journey to her current role began five years ago with stints at Azul and Berko, culminating at Webcor, where she feels deeply supported. Elfreida credits Webcor for expanding her career opportunities and providing crucial resources, from housing assistance and counseling to fostering an environment supportive of women. Through BDFP's "Build Her" initiative, she has found a supportive community where women discuss and overcome workplace challenges together.
"I remember when Build Her started," Elfreida says. "They brought three of us into a room to brainstorm how Webcor could support women better, discussing childcare challenges and work-life balance. It became a space where we felt truly heard."
Despite occasional on-site challenges—like navigating moments when some male colleagues hesitate to assist or insist on taking over—Elfreida stands firm in advocating for herself. "If something is overwhelming, I ask for help, but I make it clear that I just need assistance, not someone to do it for me. They respect that."
One of the highlights for Elfreida has been seeing the increasing presence of women across various trades on the BDFP project, from electricians to engineers. "To be part of this is inspiring," she says. "Us women, we're doing some amazing things."
Looking to the future, Elfreida remains open to opportunities within construction. Her diverse background—she worked in banking before moving into construction—demonstrates her adaptability and determination. Although she never imagined herself in construction, she now embraces the satisfaction and joy her work brings.
Away from the jobsite, Elfreida enjoys attending concerts, exploring different foods, shopping, and spending quality time with friends and family. Wine tasting with friends is a highlight for her. She also hikes and enjoys the occasional spa day. While she appreciates her quiet moments as a self-described introvert, her weekends include church services, where she surrounds herself with positivity and support.
Elfreida’s story of resilience, growth, and the power of mentorship proves it's never too late to pursue your passion and find fulfillment.
Like many recent graduates, Tanita Jha entered the job market eager to launch her career—even if the right path still felt like a mystery.
WIC Week™, or Women in Construction Week™, celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held the first WIC Week in 1998. It has grown and expanded each year since.
Like many recent graduates, Tanita Jha entered the job market eager to launch her career—even if the right path still felt like a mystery.
It was December 2017. She’d just graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s in industrial & systems engineering, a versatile field primarily focused on process optimization and efficiency. Excited to begin putting her degree to use, she accepted a role with a small manufacturing company based in Scotts Valley that optimized the production of Driscoll’s fruit containers. However, it didn’t take long to realize manufacturing wasn’t for her.
Determined to find work she was passionate about, she began researching other options. Eventually, she landed a new role as an engineer managing San Jose International Airport’s (SJC) tenant improvement (TI) projects, including Chick-fil-A, Rip Curl, Tumi, and Club SJC—a Webcor project led by former Webcor Construction Manager Trace Pesavento.
As one year at SJC turned into two, she found herself growing increasingly fascinated by the construction process.
“I loved the idea of seeing the before-and-after of a space and knowing all the work that goes into delivering it,” she says. “Slowly, I realized I was falling in love with construction.”
Thrilled to have discovered a career that truly felt right, Tanita decided to fully commit. If she truly wanted to become the most competent and effective owner’s rep she could be, she’d need more experience on the construction side.
She reached out to Trace, with whom she’d been working on the SJC Club TI, about potential opportunities at Webcor. She was ready to transition from the owner’s side and fully immerse herself in the construction world.
In September 2019, Tanita officially joined Webcor as a senior project engineer. She started out in the San Jose corporate office, where she planned to support Preconstruction/Estimating until her assigned construction project began. Six months later, COVID shut down all offices and halted several projects, putting her long-awaited plans to transition to a project on hold.
“I stayed in Estimating for quite awhile,” Tanita says. “I eventually moved to a project site in February 2021—nearly a year after COVID hit.
Her first Webcor project was none other than the audiology lab renovation at SJSU, where she’d graduated just three years earlier. At the audiology project, she helped build a copper-lined room in preparation for the lab’s Faraday cage, which was designed to block all electrical noise and radio frequencies. “To this day, building that copper-lined room at SJSU is one of my proudest accomplishments!”
Little did Tanita know, it wouldn’t be her last time building at her alma mater. Shortly after completing the audiology lab renovation, she was assigned to SJSU’s Spartan Athletics Center (SAC) project—the new home for the university’s Spartan football and men’s/women’s soccer teams. Just two months into her time on SAC, she was promoted to assistant project manager.
“I’m still so proud of our team for completing the SAC on time and on budget!” Tanita says. “We even received the Safety award at Webcor’s 2023 holiday party. I was involved with that project from the pre-bid meeting all the way through final completion, so it’s super special to me.”
Tanita’s growing technical expertise, exceptional collaboration skills, and unwavering desire to learn are just a few of the reasons Project Manager, Drywall Jerry Yap loved working with her at SAC.
“Tanita managed difficult scopes while maintaining amicable relationships with subcontractor project managers and field staff,” he says. “Webcor Drywall benefited from her coordination and site observation, specifically with exterior glazing. She’s extremely easy to work with and definitely a valuable resource.
“It’s been impressive to witness Tanita’s growth in knowledge as she’s transitioned from senior project engineer to project manager. She’s highly knowledgeable but always willing to learn. From P6 to change order management, she’s done it all. I’m excited to see what the future holds for her at Webcor!”
Currently, Tanita’s a project manager at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) Behavioral Health Services Center (BHSC)—her first project regulated by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). Navigating HCAI’s stringent requirements, as well as the complexities unique to all healthcare projects, has been one of the most challenging but valuable experiences of her career.
While on SCVMC BHSC, Tanita also tackled the responsibility of managing framing and drywall for the first time. “It was a huge challenge but ended up being really fun,” she says. “I’m so thankful to work with such a great team!”
It’s easy to look at someone like Tanita—someone who’s built an exemplary resume just eight years into her career and forged valuable relationships with teammates and leaders who can’t stop singing her praises—and see someone who’s always known exactly what they’re doing. But Tanita’s not afraid to admit she’s made her fair share of mistakes on the job.
Advancing from a senior PE learning the construction basics to a PM managing the complexities of a fast-paced, highly regulated healthcare project wouldn’t have been possible without Tanita’s Webcor mentors. For her, these relationships have been the most gratifying part of her evolving career at Webcor.
“These last five years have been quite a journey, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” she says. “So many people here have been kind to me and patiently taught me how to be a better builder. Special shout-out to Carpenter Lead Foreman Jeff Eberle, Construction Manager Terry Goforth, Vice President Tolga Acar, Vice President Craig Blinston, Project Director Mark Delgado, Project Director Matt Mrizek, Estimating Manager, Drywall James Osborne, Project Director Ryan Priest, and Project Director Jazlyn Carvajal, among several others.”
Jazlyn recalls Tanita warmly welcoming her to Webcor in December 2019, shortly after she’d moved from New Jersey to the Bay Area. She was touched by Tanita’s genuine efforts to help her settle into not just Webcor but San Jose, as well as the time she took to introduce her to new colleagues, show her around the office, and support her transition however she could.
“Tanita connects extremely well with colleagues, making everyone feel included and appreciated,” Jazlyn says. “Her positivity and dedication are inspiring. She’s a quick learner and great communicator who excels at her job while ensuring the office is an enjoyable place.
“I’m so proud of her growth over the last five years. She’s proven herself as a leader, effectively managing people and her workload. She’s brilliant, hardworking, and fun while gracefully balancing her job, Webcor activities, and personal life.”
Managing Webcor activities on top of her project responsibilities has become an unofficial side job of Tanita’s. Community-oriented events she’s organized for Webcor include:
“I’ve always loved supporting our internal and external community engagement efforts,” she says. “It’s been a great way to meet new Webcorians, strengthen Webcor’s employee culture, and give back to our neighbors."
Madison Hildenbrand never imagined a career in construction. A self-proclaimed math and physics nerd, she initially pursued engineering at UC Berkeley, drawn to structures and building materials like steel and concrete.
"My dad taught me a lot about carpentry, which he learned from his grandfather," she recalls. "I was always helping him. We’ve built retaining walls, arbors, decks, culverts, you name it. Starting in high school, I started showing interest in the “how” behind these projects. I learned a lot growing up, but it never dawned on me that I could use what I learned in a construction career."
Also, the thought of spending her career indoors, buried in calculations, didn't appeal to her. It wasn't until she interned with Webcor in 2018 at Block 33 (UCSF Valley Center for Vision) that everything changed.
"Before that internship, I didn't think this was even a career path for me," Madison recalls. "After that, I absolutely loved it. I couldn't see myself doing anything else."
Now an assistant superintendent with Webcor Concrete, Madison has made a name for herself in an industry where women remain underrepresented -- especially in concrete. She has worked on projects like Genesis Marina, Oakland Waterfront Parcel J, BDFP Buildings 600 and 610, and concrete estimating. Currently, she's leading site work at UC Santa Barbara in a rotation with the Core and Shell team before transitioning back to concrete this summer when pours begin on the project.
Despite the industry's gender gap, Madison has found unwavering support within Webcor Concrete.
"The division is small enough that everyone knows each other," she says. "I've always felt respected and never questioned because of my gender. I've always had a seat at the table."
That support has helped her grow both personally and professionally. Mentorship has played a crucial role in her development—Madison credits her mentors, Dan Rinaldi and Owen Brizgys, for providing her with opportunities to grow professionally and personally—and she's committed to paying it forward.
"I've mentored someone younger than me and want to ensure the same opportunities are available to future new hires. I saw Cat Joslin make a seat at the table for me, and now I have the opportunity to do it for someone else."
For Madison, the excitement of being a superintendent lies in the daily problem-solving and teamwork that construction demands.
"I love the technical challenges that come up every day and working through solutions with different types of people," she explains. "I try to embrace the mindset that no problem is unsolvable."
One of her proudest problem-solving moments came on the PUC Building 600 project, where she and her team tackled a particularly complex formwork challenge.
"We had to pour a thick beam deck spanning 30 feet, all while avoiding touching the valuable mechanical equipment underneath," she says. "We worked with the formwork designer to build a truss system, did load testing, and figured out exactly how much the deck would deflect. We knew it was safe when we poured, and the equipment below stayed untouched. That was really cool."
Outside of work, Madison finds camaraderie and support through sports. A lifelong athlete, she plays in the San Francisco Australian Rules Football League and has joined a women's rugby team in Santa Barbara.
"Being on women's sports teams has been a huge part of my life," she shares. "It's how I connect with other women. Team sports are really empowering. I'm around so many different professionals in different stages of their lives, and for me, that's the support I look for."
She also enjoys biking, printmaking, and sewing, which are creative outlets that balance the technical rigor of her career.
Madison is on the fast track to becoming a superintendent, and she credits her previous managers—like Pat Haley—with helping shape her approach to leadership.
"Pat was great about checking in and setting aside time for me to ask questions," she says. "He ensured I had exposure to different aspects of the field side job that interest me. He was also the first person to remind me to have self-confidence, and I never forgot that.
Now, she's carrying that forward, embracing new challenges, and setting an example for the next generation of women in construction. As she sees it, there's no limit to what she—and others like her—can achieve in the industry.
"When you see something you helped plan get lifted by a crane and put into place, it's an incredible feeling," she says. "This is where I'm meant to be."
