Meet the Women Making a Big Impact on Construction

It’s no surprise that women often struggle to succeed in the male-dominated construction industry. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that only 9.9% of the construction workforce is comprised of women, a statistic that has stayed largely stagnant for 25 years.

Despite these numbers, opportunities for women in construction are increasing as companies are proactively looking to recruit and promote women workers. According to Infrastructure Intelligence, The Wates Group is finding greater gender balance by committing to have women account for 40% of its workforce by 2025. It is also reported that women in construction earn an average of 95.7% of what men make — an 18% pay bump compared to other industries. This, coupled with events like Women in Construction Week, outline a promising future for gender equality in the industry.

Viewpoint is fully committed to supporting a brighter future for women in our industry. Our own Betsie Hoyt, is the moderator in this free on-demand webinar — Thriving Women in Construction.

Betsie chats with Patsy Dunn and Angie Simon, who – despite often unfavorable odds — have risen to top leadership positions in the construction industry. These talented ladies discuss the obstacles that they’ve faced, give advice for success in our male-dominated industry and lay out what the future of construction leadership looks like.

You may recognize these panelists from last year’s Viewpoint Collaborate Conference. Their panel on Women in Construction received rave reviews and was one of the top attended panels. We are thrilled to have them joining us again for this live discussion.

Patsy Dunn, CFO — Grow Construction LLC

Combining the talents of her master mason father and accountant mother, Patsy Dunn has found her place in the world of construction finance. Besides a long career serving as a CPA, she has served on the National Executive Committee of CFMA and as Chair of the Construction Industry Committee for the Oregon Society of CPAs. She was honored in 2017 with the Women of Vision award by the DJC.

Angie Simon, President — Western Allied Mechanical

Angie Simon started her career at Western as a 22-year-old project manager and has worked her way up to CEO. In 2019, she served as the first female president of the National Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA). She is committed to hiring and mentoring women at Western Allied, where 40% of employees are women.

Betsie Hoyt, Senior Product Manager — Viewpoint

Betsie is a highly energized senior product manager with 20-plus years of experience building web and mobile products. She has brought killer software solutions to customers in telecom, online dating, healthcare, energy, non-profit and construction. She is actively involved in the Portland product management community as a mentor and as a speaker.

It’s clear that women are a big piece of the future of the construction industry. We encourage you to watch these panelists in our free on-demand webinar.

Join Viewpoint in supporting and participating in the Women in Construction movement! If you want to learn more, check out our podcast on Women in Construction and our blog posts Who Runs the World: Women in Construction and Women to the Rescue: How to Solve the Skilled Labor Shortage in Construction.