There is - and remains - a common thread that brought the likes of Montante Solar’s Zoe Knauss and Buffalo Construction Consultants' Jacklyn Atkinson to the NAWIC March 4 networking event.
Both are among the 104 members of NAWIC’s Buffalo Chapter - a group that has grown by nearly 480 percent since it was first formed in 2021 with just 18 members.
Why is NAWIC a growing and important voice in the region’s construction and development industry?
Marie Patton, Buffalo Chapter President, says women need an industry group to be their advocates and a sounding board; members also enjoy the bond with female peers and the sense of belonging to an industry group that specializes in their needs and concerns.
“There’s a lot of male allies out there that represent themselves very well when it comes to women in construction,” Patton said.
Knauss agrees with that assessment.
“I've definitely felt a sense of respect in most cases, but there's been instances when I was younger, as an intern, where I felt a little bit maybe looked down upon because I'm a woman in the industry,” Knauss said.
Of the 19 NAWIC chapters —that run from Maine to Northern Virginia - and overseen by Northeast Regional Director Jillian Penkin, the Buffalo chapter is the second largest and fastest growing outside of a Baltimore chapter.
That speaks to the importance of women having a key voice within the region's construction industry so they feel they are part of a larger group and not just sitting alone on an island.
Atkinson says that it is very important:
“It's so important because when you don't have the sense of community, you start to doubt yourself at times when you're put into a situation where you don't feel like you belong. But the reality is that we all belong in all these situations. There's a reason that we're brought to the table. There's a reason that we're brought to the meeting. So, it's important that our voices are heard,” Atkinson said.
The NAWIC chapter has events scheduled for the remainder of the week and into the spring months.
