Beginning today, Webcor will turn the spotlight on our amazing female employees with a new recurring series featuring Women of Webcor (WOW), the company's Employee Resource Group for women. The debut of the series coincides with Women in Construction Week 2022, which is the first full week of Women's History Month.

The focus of Women in Construction (WIC) Week is to highlight women as a viable component of the construction industry. This year's theme, "Envision Equity," seeks to raise awareness of a wide range of roles in the construction industry that women enjoy.

Each installment in the series of articles will pose a question and feature answers from WOW members. The initial set of questions include the following:

• Your most memorable moment working in construction
• The most difficult scope item you've had to coordinate and build
• The biggest change you want to see in the industry
• The one piece of advice you would give to your younger self
• How to manage work/life balance
  The first thing you build in the field yourself
• Who inspires you

...and more.

We Asked Four of Webcor's Women Builders About Their Most Memorable Moment Working in Construction

Women account for only about 10 percent of the construction workforce. That makes every woman builder a groundbreaker. Webcor is celebrating its female builders during Women in Construction Week with the first in an ongoing series in which Women of Webcor will share their expertise, perspectives, and memories. The first in this series features four WOW members recounting their most memorable moment working in construction.

Bhavana is currently working at the American Express SFO Centurion Lounge Renovation and Expansion.

My favorite memory is seeing the opening of SFO Terminal 1 Boarding Area B. That moment gave me goosebumps. I was literally just three years in construction, managing projects up to $50M. On this massive project of close to $1 billion, I got to manage MEP Sustainability Commissioning testing for all phases and manage one of the core trades, special systems scope for Phase 2 and Phase 3. I knew nothing about MEP and special systems before stepping foot on this project. I did good and was very appreciated for the work that I put into this project. I learned a lot about construction and airport construction in general. I moved on to also manage BIM and tenant management in Phase 3 which also made my contribution pretty significant to the project. I was super proud of being a part of one of the biggest terminals in the world. It felt like a great achievement for being a part of the massive team that made the first LEED Platinum airport terminal in the world. It is the biggest highlight of my resume.

Isha is currently working at the Transbay Parcel F project.

The use of technology in construction always excites me. My manager at the time encouraged me to create barcodes that could link all the construction issues of a particular area. I was pleasantly surprised to see the positive response it got.

Later, we used this technology and 3D renderings to showcase how the building would look in the future.

It brought immense satisfaction when field personnel used their mobile phones to visualize complex spaces with such ease.

Angela works in Project Support in Northern California.

I was fresh out of college working on the renovation of Concord Pavilion as a Project Engineer. Many of the big, burly foremen didn't take me seriously because I'm a smaller person and was very young. After several months of being out in the field every day and putting out fires, the structural steel foreman came up to ME one day (instead of the superintendent) to say that the area where the JLG needed to go wasn't flat enough. Once that was taken care of the same morning, the floodgates opened and all the foremen started coming to me. Two lessons learned from that experience: it takes patience and perseverance to earn respect, and the trade foremen definitely talk to each other.

Karen is currently assigned to Preconstruction & Estimating.

I have a two-part response, but they are both related. Receiving TCO (temporary certificate of occupancy) for the Dining Center at UC Merced was awesome! As my first project ever, it was my first experience in what receiving TCO meant, and the team had great camaraderie. We all worked very hard to hit the date almost exactly to what it needed to be and we did it. So the excitement of everybody around that was awesome and very memorable. Similarly, I was super lucky to be nominated to participate in the grand opening that UC Merced held for the first delivery buildings and it was awesome because the milestone was celebrated across the board from Webcor to students to the University and that made everybody's hard work feel validated. I don't think that will happen ever again in my career.

Sr. Superintendent Jared Davis, Sr. Superintendent Evan Sims, and Superintendent Tyrone Evans recently represented Webcor at CityBuild's Building Back Stronger Through Partnerships event, a two-day program focused on the exchange of local workforce development values and strategies with other municipalities. Policymakers and community ambassadors from around the country listened to contractors, unions, and CityBuild organizers discuss the challenges, benefits, and implementation strategies of local workforce development.

"Tyrone and I participated in the event both days," Evan says. "We toured the facilities and answered any questions requiring a builder's perspective. Our guests represented the cities of Syracuse, Reno/Sparks, and Denver who want to model CityBuild's success back home. We are pursuing work in Denver, so it was a great opportunity to also meet some influencers from that area. Personally, it was also a great chance to learn more about CityBuild's history and mission."

On Day 2, Jared joined representatives from San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, Swinerton, Mission Hiring Hall, and San Francisco's Office of Economic and Workforce Development for a discussion panel on the future of apprenticeship readiness training. The group of thought leaders also shared their insights on how programs such as CityBuild are building back stronger and more equitably.

"I get excited any time I can be involved in something that reminds me that we build more than just projects – we build relationships and develop people," Jared says. "It was amazing to encourage and influence the trajectory of local workforce development in more than just San Francisco. Influencing policy decisions and initiatives in places like Colorado, Nevada, and New York helps me see beyond myself and take stock of what is important.

"I have gone to several CityBuild graduation events and taken part in sponsoring new hires through their union hiring process," he continues. "In a small way, my future involvement will focus on encouraging our field leaders to see local hiring as more than a requirement. When we empower members of our community to earn a living wage and provide for their families, we engage in so much more than meeting a schedule or building landmarks – we build the future. As Webcor hires CityBuild Academy graduates, we grow in empathy and learn the hard work of creating an environment of success and inclusion for everyone."

Webcor has worked closely with CityBuild for several years, from teaching craft skills such as concrete forming and proper usage of scaffolding systems to providing/recruiting graduates from CityBuild's training program, CityBuild Academy. CityBuild's goals are to assist in identifying career pathways and employment opportunities for San Francisco residents in the construction sector; to create training opportunities that assist with developing a qualified construction workforce; and to assist contractors with meeting their labor needs and compliance with legislated construction workforce policies.

"I have been involved with CityBuild since 2010," Tyrone says. "I got involved because I wanted to be a mentor to the young people and help them build a good life in the construction business. I have worked with CityBuild Director Ken Nim for years and trained many CityBuild students in construction trades. Some have gone on to become journeymen and journeywomen."

Jared's engagement with CityBuild began while working on Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center, his first public project with Webcor. Integrating local workforce development graduates in several other public works projects – from Moscone Center Expansion to Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at SFO – has been a uniquely rewarding experience that has more deeply connected him to the surrounding community.

"My continued engagement is motivated by that same sense of purpose – helping others make inroads with an amazing industry where folks can earn a living wage," he says. "Webcor's continued partnership with CityBuild is critical, as it serves to bring diversity and financial equality to our city. The more we can support the training, hiring, and long-term success of local craft workers who are historically underrepresented in construction, the greater our community impact will be. Our partnership helps dampen the staggering racial wage gap we so desperately need to reconcile."

As Tyrone notes, in addition to the impact Webcor's partnership with CityBuild has on the local community, hiring San Francisco residents is key to continuing to win public work in the city.

"As a San Francisco-based company, hiring San Francisco residents is a good look when we bid on San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and high-rise housing projects in the city, which we often do. It's also a good way for Webcor to give back to the San Francisco community," he says.

Currently, Evan is Webcor's liaison with CityBuild; Sr. Vice President Greg Chauhan approached him about taking over the role when former Webcorian Brian Morton retired. As someone who has been passionate about industrial arts education for several years, Evan was excited to take on the opportunity.

"I've always thought of my training in industrial arts as what got me through my education," Evan says. "Making things with my hands helped me absorb the concepts being discussed in class. We all learn differently, but unfortunately, as budgets cut shop classes, the options for students became narrow in its message –go to college (by amassing debt), and get a tech job. But what about the living wage careers in the building trades? What about those who find satisfaction in working with our hands? What about getting paid to train in your career? I'm getting involved to revive that message and support programs that have made pre-apprenticeship and life skills training their mission."

He pointed out that partnering with CityBuild aligns perfectly with Webcor's Community core value, as it creates the opportunity to not only work in our city, but to help dramatically transform communities.

"We plan to solidify our relationship with CityBuild. Tyrone is applying for their Board, and we'll collaborate with other groups within Webcor to support some smaller community-based organizations that share CityBuild's goal of opening up careers in the building trades to people looking for a new start. It's a selfish pursuit because without a strong workforce, Webcor can't do what we do.

"When we attended CityBuild's 15th anniversary celebration, it was apparent that other contractors held a closer relationship with the organization," he continues. "We aim to change that. Our partnership with the city is very important. We want Webcor on everyone's mind down at City Hall."

On Oct. 30, Vice President Brad Denney, Assistant Project Manager Stefanie Cooke, Assistant Project Manager Dave Grattan, and Sr. Project Engineer Evan To took on the 2021 Best Buddies Challenge: California, a 62.1-mile bike ride outside Petaluma that supports Best Buddies and its mission by raising funds and spreading awareness.

According to the Best Buddies website, Best Buddies International is the world's largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Best Buddies' programs help people with IDD form meaningful friendships with peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, and much more.

"Several Webcor employees have had and currently have friends and family members with IDD, so our participation has a direct impact on our Webcor community," Brad notes. "John Bowles, our former Chief Legal Officer who spent his entire career with Webcor, got us involved with Best Buddies several years ago."

Webcor's Cycling Team raised nearly $20,000 for Best Buddies by organizing an internal "DIY" bike challenge in September to encourage all interested participants, as Best Buddies limits the number of spots at the official event based on the amount of funds raised. This year, Webcor raised enough money to send four employees off to last month's Challenge.

Participants appreciated the opportunity the Challenge provided to connect with one another outside of work while fundraising for a cause that aligns closely with Webcor's core values - particularly Community and Bold.

"This is an event that aims to "establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD),'" says Stefanie. "I am proud that Webcor participates and supports this mission, which clearly aligns with our Community value. I was excited to show my support again and help fundraise for this great cause. I particularly enjoyed meeting some of the "buddies' and getting to know them better."

"I also see the event aligning with our Bold value, as Webcorians are challenging themselves to a complete a long ride requiring a physical aspect that cannot be ignored," she continues. "A number of training rides are set up beforehand, and we start preparing months before the event."

After learning about Webcor's involvement with the Best Buddies Challenge during Webcor Cycling Team rides, Dave joined an official Best Buddies training event in Napa that inspired him to ride in October's Best Buddies Challenge.

"It was a great opportunity to ride alongside some of the world's best professional cyclists," he says. "The event was also grounded with reminders of the good work done by the organization. The result is a wonderful experience. I commented more than once on the beautiful day despite the grey, soggy weather. We saw firsthand the impact of Best Buddies, as several program participants spoke to the riders about their experience with the organization. I'm looking forward to continuing Webcor's tradition of supporting Best Buddies next year!"

Interested in joining next year's Best Buddies Challenge? Learn more here.