A Career Built on Concrete and Confidence

When I started my career over 30 years ago in the coatings and infrastructure industry, I didn’t see many faces that looked like mine on job sites or in executive meetings. As a woman working in construction—specifically in waterproofing, bridge decks, and structural coatings—I knew I was stepping into a space that wasn’t designed with me in mind.

But I also knew this: just because the door isn’t wide open doesn’t mean you can’t walk through it—and hold it open for someone else.

Over the years, I’ve built ProTech Coatings and Infrastructure into a company that values precision, performance, and people. And through that journey, I’ve become a fierce believer that equity in the field isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a necessary one if we want to build a stronger, more sustainable future in the trades.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

The data is clear: women make up less than 11% of the construction workforce, and an even smaller percentage hold leadership or field-based roles. In trades like waterproofing, structural repair, and concrete restoration, that number is often even lower.

That doesn’t mean women aren’t capable—it means they haven’t been invited, supported, or recognized in the same way. When I reflect on the early years of my career, I remember the side glances, the second-guessing, and the occasional outright dismissal. But I also remember the people—men and women—who saw my potential and gave me a chance.

Creating equity means becoming one of those people for the next generation.

Beyond Hiring: Building Belonging

Let’s be clear: equity isn’t just about hiring more women. It’s about building environments where women are set up to succeed—and thrive.

At ProTech, that means:

• Creating training pathways that encourage women to enter technical roles, not just administrative ones.
  
• Fostering mentorship between experienced tradespeople and newcomers.
  
• Providing flexible scheduling and family-friendly policies, because work-life balance should not be a career-ender.
  
• Ensuring safety and respect on every job site, where no one feels like they have to prove their worth just to be seen.
  

Equity is a daily practice, not a checkbox. It’s how we run our projects, speak to our teams, and support career growth from the ground up.

Women Bring More Than Representation

Bringing more women into the trades isn’t just about fairness—it’s about performance, innovation, and culture.

In my experience, women in the field often bring:

• Strong attention to detail, which is critical in quality control and safety.
  
• Collaborative leadership styles, helping build high-trust teams.
  
• Creative problem-solving, especially in complex, high-stress situations.
  
• Empathy and emotional intelligence, which is crucial in managing people and clients.
  

Our job sites are better when they reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We’re not just building roads and bridges—we’re building public trust. Representation helps build that.

From the Ground Up: Mentoring the Next Generation

One of my greatest joys has been mentoring young women who are just getting started in construction. Some come to us through trade schools. Others are looking for a new path after being overlooked in other industries. Many of them are incredibly skilled—but just needed one person to say, “Yes, there’s a place for you here.”

We’ve had women on our crews rise into supervisory roles. We’ve had former interns return as full-time estimators, project coordinators, and site leads. Watching their growth has been just as satisfying as completing a major highway job or restoring a century-old structure.

These women are the future of the industry—and it’s our job to make sure they’re not the exception. They should be the norm.

The Role of Leadership

If you’re in a leadership position—especially in the trades—you have more influence than you realize. Equity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when leaders make intentional choices to:

• Promote based on ability, not comfort zone.
  
• Invest in training that’s inclusive and accessible.
  
• Speak up when someone is overlooked, dismissed, or disrespected.
  
• Create policies that reflect the real needs of a modern, diverse workforce.
  

At ProTech, we’ve made equity a core value—not a side note. It’s baked into how we hire, train, promote, and lead.

It’s Not Just About Women

Yes, this blog is about creating more opportunities for women—but equity benefits everyone.

When we build teams that are inclusive, respectful, and diverse, we also build teams that are more creative, loyal, and productive. Morale improves. Turnover drops. Clients notice.

We’re in a time when infrastructure is evolving—climate change, sustainability, new technology—and we need all hands on deck. That means tapping into the full talent pool, not just the traditional one.

The Real Foundation of the Trades

We talk a lot in this business about “foundations.” We pour concrete, reinforce steel, and seal surfaces to protect what’s underneath. But the real foundation of any company or job site is the people.

If we want this industry to thrive—not just survive—we have to make sure that foundation is strong, diverse, and inclusive.

Equity in the field isn’t just a goal for me. It’s part of the legacy I want to leave behind: a world where my daughter—and any young woman with grit and talent—can walk onto any job site and be seen, heard, and respected.

We don’t need to “fix” women to fit the industry. We need to fix the industry to make room for the kind of future we all want to build.