NAWIC Town-Hall Panel Discussion
Construction and Opportunities for Women

Wednesday, April 7 
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm CST 
Location:
Virtual via Zoom

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​Please email info@nawicsemn.org for questions or assistance.

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SESSION OVERVIEW:
The construction industry in the US generates around $2 trillion in revenue in the United States. Construction is a major contributor to the U.S. economy. The industry has more than 680,000 employers with over 7 million employees. 
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According to the article Women in Construction: The State of the Industry in 2021by Lior Zitzman, "Of all the people working in construction, women comprise only 10.3 percent. Even smaller is the number of women on the front lines of a job site—only one for every 100 employees in the field. Considering that women make up 47 percent of all employed individuals, this means that the construction industry is only benefitting from about 1.25 percent of women in the workforce."  Female representation in the construction industry has remained relatively flat (around 10%) over the past 30 years.  

In this session, we will hear from women who are part of the 10% of women in construction to hear their perspectives on attracting new talent to the construction workforce and ideas for doing so. 
​They'll also share thoughts on the importance of career pathways providing varying options for success.  

SESSION OUTCOMES:
As cities are looking at recovering economies from COVID, many see Construction as a leading industry to boost our economy.  This dynamic panel will lead a discussion with our chapter and others who want to find ways to build that bridge.  As a result of attending this discussion, you will:

1. Learn ways to attract women and provide pathways for careers in the construction industry.
2. Hear the firsthand perspective of working tradeswomen and their perspective on attracting new women to the construction workforce.
3. Better understand the gaps that exist in growing female interest in joining the construction workforce.
4. Identify solutions for attracting and providing career pathways for women in construction to achieve multiple levels of success. 

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Meet Our Panelists

Evelyn Pacheco

Army Veteran, President - Nevada Women in Trades

​Evelyn Pacheco made history as Nevada's first Black Female to be licensed as a Plumber, Army Veteran, Mother, and Grand Mother. While working at Fitzgerald Casino in the Engineering Department, a co-worker told her about a Union Apprenticeship Training Program with the Plumbers, Pipefitters & HVAC UA Local Union 525. She applied and after five years of working as an Apprentice while taking care of her family.
Evelyn finally made history as Nevada's first licensed Black female plumber.
 

Allison "Ally" Jencson

President, CEO Frontline Floor Coatings

​Allison "Ally" Jencson, President and CEO of Frontline Floor Coatings, is fiercely passionate about helping women be successful in the construction and trades industries. She has spent her entire professional career in male dominated industries. Ally has over 16 years of experience in specialty trades. She knows it takes more than hard work and dedication to run a family and a business at the same time. It takes being a rebel and doing things differently!

Jennee Bakken

Superintendent, Benike Construction

​Jennee is an exemplary female leader in the construction trade. She has worked in numerous areas throughout the industry. Her interest in construction began when she was working with her father and brother as a carpenter in her teens. She then joined the union at the age of 18 and continued working as a carpenter for Benike Construction until 2015. She then took a position at Viking Sprinkler as a Project Manager and inspections, owned her own business, Mrs. B's Maintenance & Installation, and returned to Benike Construction as the T&M Superintendent in 2019 where she worked on the crews previously for 12 years. Working in these different sectors has given Jennee a very broad knowledge of the construction industry.
 
Jennee has built a good reputation throughout the community. She takes pride in building relationships with her customers and peers. One of her greatest qualities is her drive to get the job done. Team building is something she strives to work on regularly with her crews and feels it’s a very important part of being a leader.
 
In Jennee’s free time she enjoys travelling the world with her husband Rich. She also enjoys spending time with her dog, Flo, and cat, Jack. Spending time with friends, golfing and landscaping around her home are some of her favorite hobbies. She hopes to continue her career in construction for many years to come and is always open to learning new tasks and responsibilities. 

Moderator - Jodi Wiemerslage

Project Manager, Hunt Electric

Jodi joined NAWIC in July 2013 and has been instrumental in the Midwest chapter's growth through participation and leadership roles on various committees and the board of directors.
 
In five years, Jodi has served as chapter president and chapter treasurer and has chaired multiple committees for her local chapter, including STEAM, WIC Week, PR/Marketing & Membership, and Block Kids.
 
Additionally, Jodi was named the 2015 Future Leader of the Year, served as the NAWIC Midwest Region PR/Marketing Chair from 2017-2019, and NAWIC Midwest Region Director from 2018-2020.