SUNDT WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION

March is Women’s History Month, which begins fittingly with the celebration of Women in Construction (WIC) week throughout our industry. Each year, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and its thousands of members across America take this occasion to raise awareness about the opportunities for women in construction as well as their growing presence in this field.

At Sundt, we’re proud to be a part of the celebration.

This month we’re highlighting a few of the many skilled women who work in various roles across our company, with a special focus on our operations in Dallas, Texas. These women took some time out of their busy schedules to share how they got here, their goals, their struggles, their hopes for the future—in a word, their stories. We dare you to read them and not be inspired.

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“Success is the relationships we build. It’s more than just winning repeat work. It’s the connections with the owner, architect, subs, the community, and most importantly with my own team. When hard situations come up—man-made or outside of anyone’s control—you can lean on those relationships.”

Holly Horsak, Sr. Project Manager, Dallas

VANESSA LOPEZ

Project Engineer, Irvine

There’s no substitute for hands-on learning, and as a Sundt intern, field engineer, and now project engineer, Vanessa Lopez has done her share. She’s been “thrown in” on projects in higher ed, water treatment and aviation construction, and that’s how she prefers it. It’s also the motto of her alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona: “I’m a person who learns by doing,” she said. “And so many young women are too; they’re just steered away from STEM careers.” Vanessa is working to change this, serving with fellow employee-owner Reese Fortin on an upcoming bilingual panel discussion via zoom with women in STEM and the trades, for girls in k-12 schools.

The norm that construction is a man’s industry, she pointed out, is slowly changing. “Especially as people see the untapped skills and potential that women bring to a project. Still, a lot of girls hear ‘construction’ growing up, and they think ‘hard manual labor’—which is not a bad thing or outside their ability. But there’s so much more to this field. It takes a good mentor to push them to try something new and challenging. This applies to a lot of things: if you never leave your comfort zone, you’ll never get where you want to be.”

“In construction, you work in two different environments: the field and the office. In the field, I like how skilled people make use of equipment and different materials to form structures from scratch. On the other hand, I think of the office as the space behind the stage curtain that manages the whole show. And that part is interesting—most people would never imagine the amount of behind-the-scenes work it takes to manage a project.”

Jennifer Peralta Carbajal, Project Engineer, El Paso

KIRSTEN DALLAIRE

Project Manager, Tucson

Back in high school, Project Manager Kirsten Dallaire took an aptitude test that showed three things she needed in a career: working with people, variety, and economic independence. Today, as an industry veteran, she says: “It could not have worked out any better. My job is all about people and relationships. It offers variety through different projects and new challenges, and it allows me financial stability.”

Over the course of her 25-year-career, Kirsten has worked in both civil and commercial construction and has built everything from data centers to churches, to dorms. “I love that construction has a set of structured ways to build something, but every project is different. Also, each project has a beginning and an end, so you’re not doing the same job day after day.”

“You never stop learning in construction. But you really learn on the hard projects. When things don’t go as planned, you have to be able to laugh, pull up your bootstraps and just push through. The people who can do that are built for this industry.”

Amber Simonson, Project Manager, Dallas

SHWETA SAKSENA

Field Engineer, San Francisco

With her background in chemical engineering, Field Engineer Shweta Saksena discovered water treatment construction with Sundt’s Industrial Group as an “ideal fit.” She’ll be the first to tell you: the learning process never stops. “Every day there’s a different problem we’re solving—a new issue to fix or target to hit,” said Shweta, who is working on the Southeast Treatment Plant New Headworks Facility Project in San Francisco. “Coming from an industrial water project in Arizona, I’ve learned how much changes when you build for a public client in a different region with its own climate, geology, regulatory environment and labor market.”

“All of those factors are why I love this work. The more I press in, the more questions I have. For young women considering working in construction, I’d just say: you will never be bored. This field might feel hard to blend into. It is in some ways, but it’s also rewarding. So, keep pushing. Don’t think because you’re young that your opinion doesn’t matter—it does. Find an employer who recognizes that and sees you for what you bring to the table.”

“I love the process, seeing everything from the early negotiations, to the vision and calculations of designers on paper, to a real, functional building. Also, the constant challenges, the collaboration and problem-solving between all parties. To achieve the client’s purpose and see the final user enjoying these spaces, to be able to drive by a building that you built, over the years, knowing that it may exist longer than your own existence, that’s really something. I feel like I’m leaving a real legacy for the community.”

Yazmin Trueba, Lead Estimator, El Paso

AMY YOUNT

Group Quality Manager, San Antonio

Growing up in a family of engineers, Amy Yount learned how to build and solve problems at a young age. According to Amy, these early experiences and mentors led her to a career in construction. “My family is full of strong, independent, successful women. I was always taught that I could do anything I set my mind to,” she said. “As a kid, I loved spending time with my dad in the garage making and fixing stuff. That mindset of ‘figure it out’ and self-reliance has stayed with me.”

As the quality manager for Sundt’s Transportation Group, Amy’s job is both technical and interactive. “My favorite thing about construction is the work and the people. It’s a no-B.S. industry—it’s a clear-cut job, and people will shoot you straight. I love the projects we build and what we give to the community. Our industry is not only essential, but it enables other essential industries to do their work.”