During Women’s History Month, our industry spotlights the contributions women have made to all facets of construction with National Women in Construction Week. At Sundt, our employee-owners came together to cheer on our talented and driven women. With two key events, we also turned our attention to the incoming generations of intelligent, capable young women who will continue to evolve and champion change in our industry.
Take a peek at some of the ways we celebrated this month.
Girl Scout Takeover
Sundt Construction and the East Kyrene Service Unit of Girl Scouts AZ Cactus Pine kicked off Women in Construction Week with a bang on March 2nd. Approximately 150 Girl Scouts from kindergarten through high school (and their accompanying adults) took part in age-appropriate activities around carpentry, welding, pipefitting, innovation and heavy equipment operation.
“It was really powerful to see so many little girls exploring construction in a hands-on way and learning that construction doesn’t only have involve ‘big strong men.’ I was pleased to have a number of girls and moms approach me at the event looking forward to signing up for next year.” – Cara Walsh-Meaker, event coordinator
Throughout the day, the Girl Scouts were able to connect with Sundt employee-owners, engage in hands-on activities and explore what a career in construction could offer them. According to Sundt Vice President and Assistant General Counsel Matt Meaker, “As much as we were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the Girl Scouts signed up for the event, I was more surprised by the numbers of moms and adult leaders who wanted to participate in the activities. This sort of outreach is important and plans will begin shortly for next year’s event.”
Special thanks to Vice President of Craft Workforce Development Sean Ray and Cara Walsh-Meaker for spearheading the first partnership between Sundt and the Girl Scouts.
“I was blown away by the excitement shown by Girl Scouts and the questions asked by the parents who attended the event. I am so thankful that we were able to share our industry with these young minds and—hopefully—make a lasting impression on them.”—Sean Ray, Vice President, Craft Workforce Development
Meeting the Best and Brightest
Women of the next generation of construction professionals gathered at Sundt’s G. Michael Hoover KAPBCS Training Center on March 14th for a half day of fun, learning and new connections. Sundt’s employee resource group (ERG) ‘Women of Skill, Grit and Purpose’ hosted ‘Constructing You’: A Women in Construction Symposium, a free event for all women pursuing degrees, formal training in—or simply interested in exploring—the construction industry. Attendees were invited to learn from Sundt employee-owners who are experts of their craft.
“Our goal with this event was to bridge the gap between the next generation of women in the industry and the seasoned experts who have so much valuable knowledge to share,” said Frances Dixon and Madelyn Nelson, marketing writers at Sundt and members of the ERG who led the initiative of planning the symposium. “Forming genuine and meaningful connections with people who encourage you in your professional life is so beneficial. Women really are the keys to the future of the construction industry, and we wanted to host an event that made attendees feel valued, respected and empowered.”
Attendees were able to hear the success stories of Sundt Building Group President Teri Jones and El Paso Project Director Angie Rosales, as well as words of encouragement from Cade Rowley, president of Sundt’s Industrial Group. DEI Manager Tracy Sanders spoke on Sundt’s diversity, equity and inclusion vision and what the National Association of Women in Construction’s 2024 theme of “Keys to the Future” means for us at Sundt and for the future of the industry.
Attendees attended small group breakout sessions covering hot industry topics and attended a Q&A panel led by Sundt experts. The group came together at Sundt’s Center for Craft Excellence to assemble furniture that was donated to the Sojourner Center, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides safe housing and resources to families affected by domestic violence.
During this high energy, hands-on activity, Vice President of Craft Workforce Development Sean Ray and Craft Training Instructor Earl Sperry were on deck to assist and connect with the participants.
The event wrapped up with a networking hour where attendees were able to ask questions and converse directly with Sundt employee-owners.
Company-wide Celebrations
For Sundt employee-owners in the Phoenix metro region, DEI Manager Tracy Sanders and the ERG hosted a happy hour during WIC Week at the G. Michael Hoover KAPBCS Training Center to celebrate the occasion. Sundt jobsites and offices in other regions also joined in on the fun with their own celebrations.
“Our tagline, Kick Ass People Building Cool Shit (KAPBCS), embodies more than just the physical infrastructure — it also applies to Sundt’s culture. Events and opportunities like these lead to moments of genuine connection that help sustain and strengthen our culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. I want to encourage our employee-owners to continue championing creative and impactful ways to highlight our values.” — Tracy Sanders, DEI Manager
Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll continue to spotlight women in the industry year-round.