DREAM IT!

Create Your Vision

Diane Koester-Byron is Owner and Founder of I.E. Pacific, Inc. For Diane, construction was a natural path to choose, but for many women it is not. Many young women have not been exposed to construction and believe it is something they would not be good at or interested in. But in fact, women tend to excel in the construction industry because we naturally tend to be detail-oriented and able to multi-task very well.

It is crucial to give young women the opportunity to work in this industry. Women make up just 9.9% of the construction industry in the United States which gives tremendous room for improvement when thinking about the unlimited potential women could have working in the industry.

This widely male-dominated field has a myriad of opportunities to offer women — career advancement, training, job placement, and perhaps most importantly, wage parity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women working in construction numbered 1.5% of the entire U.S. workforce, but earn 91.1% of what men do, compared to 81.1% for women overall.

Hover Dian'e’s photo for the link to the San Diego Times article highlighting industry opportunity and Diane’s career.

BUILD IT!

Women Paving the Way

The San Diego Business Journal has a yearly publication highlighting the women building and designing projects in America’s Finest City, San Diego. Hover the graphic above and check out the link. Listed alphabetically in the pages that follow are female industry professionals in the region, along with highlights about their careers and achievements. Congratulations to these extraordinary, talented professionals who made the list and thank you for paving the way for women in the construction industry.

GROW IT!

Finding Your Passion

The Woman’s Construction Coalition (WCC) inspires and educates high school age females about careers in the construction industry. The association provides mentorships through the Julia Morgan Society. Julia Morgan was the first female to graduate Berkeley’s Civil Engineering Program and she was the first female architect in California. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career. She is best known for her work as architect and construction manager of Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.

Get inspired by this groundbreaking woman in construction. Hover the Julia Morgan graphic for a link to the wonderful work WCC is doing and to learn more about the mentorship programs they offer.