My Saturday started out early with a long drive to Orlando for the National Association of Women in Construction, NAWIC Region 3 Annual Leadership Training Event.

A total of 97 dedicated women in the construction industry registered for the event so I knew I was in for a treat.  And as usual, NAWIC did not disappoint.

The event was designed to inspire and prepare us for our upcoming chapter roles. I am incoming President for the Greater Gainesville Chapter.  I am excited and nervous about filling this role.  The seminar did alleviate some anxiety as there was a wealth of experienced leaders willing to share tips and strategies for making the most of the year.

No NAWIC Regional event would be complete without presentations by dynamic keynote speakers.  We had the privilege of hearing from two such speakers.

Charlie Walsh is an accomplished senior level Organizational & Leadership Development professional with over 40 years of innovative achievements in the design, development, and delivery of strategic leadership and organizational development programs, leadership & management competency development, management and supervisory skills training and human resource performance improvement systems.  Charlie is founder of HOPS International, LLC, a company providing organizational and leadership development solutions to both private and public sectors.

A 30+ year marketing, sales and PR veteran of Florida’s construction and development industries, Ken Cristol specializes in providing professional marketing services to companies involved in commercial contracting and service, commercial development, architecture and other specialties. Now in its 18th year, Longwood-based Cristol Marketing Company excels in sustained high-impact publicity, branding and advertising campaigns.

I first met Valinda Krynicki at a Jacksonville Chapter NAWIC Meeting.  Becoming a member in 2005, she has been the past president of the Volusia Chapter and is the current secretary of the Jacksonville Chapter. She was the speaker at the meeting I attended and delivered a dynamic and informative speech on marketing.

She is the Business Development Representative for Universal Engineering and is responsible for the development of new and existing clients. Her territory covers Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Duval, Nassau, and Clay County areas.  She works with clients to recognize their individual requirements and provide them with economical and practical solutions.

Valinda came to work as the receptionist at the Daytona Beach location at the young age of 19.  She feels fortunate to work for a company that recognizes hard work and dedication.  Much of her success she credits to learning the value of a strong work ethic from her father.  If the weather was bad and roads icy, her dad would leave for work an hour early just to be sure he arrived on time.  From him, she also learned to show up a few minutes early, so at 8 a.m. she was ready to go, not firing up the computer or getting coffee.

“I am fortunate to work for a company that recognizes hard work and dedication.  I still work with the branch manager, now Vice President, that hired me and I am very grateful that he saw potential in me and I appreciate the doors that he has opened for me over the years.” Says Valinda.

When asked what has been your most interesting project, she had the following to say.   “Universal Engineering has a very diverse project base.  On the environmental side, I was able to walk through the Old Volusia County Courthouse for an asbestos survey.  I was provided access to secret tunnels, hidden rooms and the judges’ chambers.  With respect to geotechnical engineering, there was a sinkhole that opened in Volusia County that was 35 feet wide and 65 feet deep.  I even made the news on that one! However, the most interesting project was with a home builder that was looking to expand the subdivision they were building in. This particular site backed up to an abandoned monastery and there was an old wives tail that 2 monks were buried under an oak tree.  Using Ground Penetrating Radar (the same equipment used to locate Saddam Hussein), Universal was able to determine the ground had never been disturbed in that area and the project moved forward.”

She admits there are both good and bad points to being a woman in a male dominated industry.  After the first time of being passed off as “the skirt”, Valinda says she makes sure to do her homework. She now enjoys the look of surprised faces when contractors realize she knows what she is talking about.  “I think it may be a generational thing” Valinda goes on to explain “the younger project managers seem to be more accepting of women in the construction industry”.

Valinda’s mother has also assisted in her success.  As we know, one downfall to being a female in this industry is that we tend to be more emotional.  Valinda is thankful for the advice her mom has given over the years on how to better handle being a woman in the workplace. “She is the one who taught me to speak with facts and figures, and not emotions.  She also told me never to swear in an argument but I don’t think she expected me to go into construction”.

When asked what the future held for her, she answered,  “Blue skies, happy sailing and a cold refreshing adult beverage….well that is the far distant future.  For now, I am enjoying living in Jacksonville and trying to conquer a new market.  The competition  is  fierce up here compared to Daytona so I hope to spend the next several years turning Jacksonville into Valinda-ville!”

Clare Whelan is the president of the Miami Chapter of NAWIC.  2011 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Miami Chapter and there are plans to celebrate all year long!

During “Women in Construction” week in March, the Miami Chapter kicked off this year long celebration with special events including a Builder’s Boot Camp, a membership party and a jobsite tour of the Florida Marlin’s new stadium.

Clare has been instrumental in bringing media attention to the chapter’s cause and events. The buzz of the WIC Week celebrations reached the ears of both the Miami Herald and Ground Breaker Magazine.  Clare was interviewed by the Miami Herald, which aired on NPR on March 21.

Ground Breaker Magazine also did an article which included the following picture of the 50 women in hard hats that attended the tour.

“Miami women were ahead of their time in 1961, establishing one of NAWIC’s very first local chapters,” says Clare Whelan, president of Miami Women in Construction. “Now, 50 years later, most of our board and many of our members are running their own construction businesses. Women are changing the face of Miami’s construction scene with every new project they lead, and more hardhats are being worn by women on jobs than ever before.”

I had the pleasure of meeting Clare at Region 3’s Forum in Palm Beach Gardens back in April.  I was impressed by her energy and passion for her work and NAWIC.  Clare is the president and CEO of Doors, Inc.  The company was founded in 1996 as a woman owned business.  Doors, Inc. provides doors and carpentry for commercial buildings including hotels, high-rise condominiums, public buildings and more.

Clare has worked in construction since 1978 when she was enrolled as a union carpenter apprentice in Seattle, WA.  She attended a construction school in Eureka, California and worked in the trade since that time.  She holds a degree in business administration from the University of Washington.

Clare has held top management and sales positions over the past 25 years in Miami, for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Miami Seaquarium.  She graduated as a CSBE ( Community Small Business Enterprise) from the School of Construction Management presented by Turner Construction.

Clare is truly a woman of distinction in the construction industry and NAWIC is lucky to have her on board.

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