Women Working Together Networking Event draws approximately 170
AEC industry professionals and 21 company sponsors to its inaugural
networking evening in downtown Los
Angeles.
LOS
ANGELES, April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On
the heels of Women in Construction Week and the last day of Women's
History Month, four architecture, engineering and construction
(AEC) industry professional women's organizations joined forces for
the inaugural Women Working Together (WWT) Networking Event. A
collaboration between the American Institute of Architects, Los
Angeles Women in Architecture Committee (AIALA-WiA); National
Association of Women in Construction Los Angeles Chapter
(NAWIC-LA); Structural Engineers Association of Southern California
Women in Structural Engineering Committee (SEAOSC-WiSE) and Women
in Construction Operations Southern California Chapter (WiOPS), the
sold-out evening event took place on March
31, 2022 at City Green in Downtown
Los Angeles.
With approximately 170 people in attendance, this was the first
time these four organizations have collaborated to provide an
opportunity for their members to interact. In keeping with the
"women working together" theme, the event featured a selection of
wine procured and made by women wine makers from Vinovore, as well
as a special performance by Spags, an electric female violinist who
is a master at creatively merging the classical violin with modern
music.
"Working in male-dominated industries of varying degrees, women
in architecture, engineering and construction careers may not have
many other women to interact with and learn from in their daily
work environments," says Michelle
Kam-Biron, WWT Steering Committee member representing
SEAOSC-WiSE, mass timber specialist at Structurlam. "The WWT
Networking Event provided an opportunity for the participating
professional organizations and members to connect as a larger group
and expand their voice, work to increase opportunities for
principal positions in their industries and develop mutually
beneficial relationships moving forward."
"This event, during Women's History Month, delivers allyship,
support and collaboration that will lead to positive change in our
professions well beyond this celebratory time," said Jennifer Noel Wong, WWT Steering Committee
member representing AIA|LA -WiA, Associate at CO Architects.
With the numbers beginning to improve due to company and
professional organization efforts like the WWT event, women are
still underrepresented in the AEC industry. According to the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women comprise only 10.9% of
construction industry workers, yet they make up 47% of the nation's
workforce. Architecture and engineering fare a little better with
women comprising just 27% of the workers in this sector. Studies
also show that AEC industry careers for women are often short lived
due to inflexible hours, non-progressive culture, lack of
advancement and limited mentorship opportunities.
"In response to the AEC industry experiencing pre- and
post-pandemic talent shortages along with increases in market
demands and realizing the advantages of having a diverse staff,
attracting and retaining more women to AEC careers has become a
growing industry-wide focus," says Kam-Biron. "Exemplifying this
movement, the organizations leading WWT are seeing an uptick in
engagement among industry companies boosting our efforts to support
and advance women in their AEC careers."
"The company sponsorships and turnout for our inaugural WWT
event were overwhelming," said Ileana
Holguin, WWT Steering Committee member representing
NAWIC-LA, vice president, project executive at McCarthy Building
Companies. "It was inspiring to meet and talk with so many
supportive men and women in different AEC-industry roles and stages
of their careers. With college interns, project managers, vice
presidents, business owners and more engaging in conversations,
everyone had the opportunity to develop fruitful new business
connections and relationships."
The event garnered the financial support of 21 companies
including: Brandow & Johnston, Coleman Equipment Rentals, Clark
Construction, IMEG Corporation, McCarthy Building Companies,
Pacific Wall Systems, Inc., T&S Structural, Abet Laminati,
Giroux Glass Inc., HBC, JRM Construction West, Martin Bros., Murray Company, Vulcan Materials
Company, Structural Focus, Thornton Tomasetti, Hathaway Dinwiddie,
Kimley Horn, MATT Construction,
Miyamoto and USGBC-LA.
Kelly Strain, senior project
manager at Chambers Group, and environmental consulting firm, said,
"A highlight for me was having the opportunity to meet a vast array
of interesting, bright, and accomplished individuals." Other
positive feedback about the evening echoed by multiple attendees
reflected the pleasure they received in connecting with other
women, discovering opportunities to positively impact the
advancement of women, being part of the significant turnout—of both
men and women—to support women in the industry, and last but not
least, enjoying an elegant event, venue and entertainment.
The planning team reveals that this will likely not be an
isolated event. "Due to this level of interest within the industry,
the WWT steering committee is planning another WWT event next year
and will continue to look for regular opportunities to network with
one another," says Kam-Biron.
The following individuals served on the WWT steering committee:
Michelle Kam-Biron, SEAOSC-WiSE,
Structurlam; Ashley Richardson,
AIALA-WiA, Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects; Jennifer Noel Wong, AIALA-WiA, CO Architects;
Leah Wimberly, WiOPS, Pacific Wall
Systems, Inc; Barbara Kotsos,
NAWIC-LA, Giroux Glass; Ileana Holguin, and NAWIC-LA, McCarthy Building
Companies.
About AIA|LA WiA
Founded in 2016, the AIA|LA Women in Architecture Committee (WiA)
empowers women and promotes Gender Equity in the profession. This
year, the WiA is giving special attention to commonplace allyship
through events and discussions. We want to celebrate the everyday
allies who speak up and confront daily injustices, who humbly
encourage others, who intentionally do the work for effective
change without hesitation or expectations of recognition, one day
at a time, one interaction at a time. To learn more:
https://www.aialosangeles.org/committees/women-in-architecture-committee/
About NAWIC
NAWIC was founded in 1953 by 16 women working in the construction
industry to create a support network for women working in a male
dominated field. It gained its national charter in 1955 and now has
over 115 chapters across the country, as well as several
international affiliates. Its core purpose is to strengthen and
amplify the success of women in the construction industry. Learn
more about the LA Chapter:
http://www.nawicla.org/about-our-chapter
About SEAOSC-WiSE
Women in Structural Engineering (WiSE), a committee of the
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California, facilitates mentorship
and leadership opportunities to enhance professional development in
the structural engineering industry. WiSE also provides a forum to
recognize the valuable contributions women and under-represented
members make to the profession. For more information, visit
http://www.seaosc.org.
About WiOPS
A 501 (c) 3 organization, the mission of WiOPS is to provide a
platform to empower and advance women in construction through
mentorship, education and networking. WiOPS promotes hard work,
commitment and integrity to maintain a professional network of
construction leaders today and tomorrow. Based in in Newport Beach,
Calif., the organization has two chapters. Its Southern California
Chapter was formed in January 2013 and Northern California Chapter
in January 2018. The organization holds free monthly meetings open
to both men and women. For more information about WiOPS, or to sign
up to attend a WiOPS event, visit https://wiops.org/.
Media Contact
Laura Mickelson, Laura Mickelson
Communications, 1 949-453-0851 Ext: 13, lauramickelson@cox.net
SOURCE Women Working Together