Recruiting women a slowly growing effort
Construction, like many trade industries, looks to open more doors of opportunity
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There are doors open for women, but you have to have strong shoulders and a thick skin. It's construction, there's shop talk, and you have to be able to handle it."
Sandy Cook grew up playing in the dirt with her brother, followed by sweeping the floor and making deliveries at the company her dad ran, Machnick Builders in Green Island. Today, she's the majority owner of the business, still working alongside her brother.
She's always been comfortable at job sites and around the men who dominate the construction field, but Cook would like to see more women enter the trades.
"When I hear of a young woman who wants to be in the field, I give her all the push in the world. There are doors open for women, but you have to have strong shoulders and a thick skin. It's construction, there's shop talk, and you have to be able to handle it."
Cook remembers being the only woman on sites when her job was to make deliveries, and even now, people direct questions to her brother even when it's her project. Cook is not one for confrontations, but said when problems arise, she makes sure people know who's
Sandy Cook
boss — in a professional manner.
Despite a push by unions and trade organizations to get more Americans into the trades, women are still underrepresented in the construction field. According to the most recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, there were 11 million people in construction and 10.3 percent were women, up slightly from 2018 when 1.1 million women were employed in various occupation sectors of the construction industry for a total of 9.9 percent.
For Becky Kasselman, president and CEO of Kasselman Electric, building the number of women in the field means actively recruiting women. She's seen a gradual increase over the 14 years she's been in charge as the second generation of her family to lead the Menands-based company with approximately 200 employees. Back when she started with the company, there were no women project managers. Today, Kasselman has a mix of collegeeducated project managers and women who were promoted from the field.
"I'm a big believer in opening doors for everyone to build a career, not just a job," Kasselman said. "As a woman in leadership, I feel it's my responsibility to bring more women in."
Kasselman said she mentors women at the company and works hard to have good communication and bolster teamwork.
Architect Tenée Casaccio, president of JMZ Architects and Planners in Glens Falls, has also worked to foster a diverse workforce. Attracting new talent starts with what a candi
date sees the first time they bring up the company's website, she said.
"If a woman is job hunting and goes to a website where she sees women in leadership, it makes a difference. It sends a message when it's a mix of people as opposed to all white men," Casaccio said.
More than half of JMZ's 25 employees are women, and the company is certified by the state as a woman-owned business, or WMBE, a designation also earned by the other businesses in this story.
Casaccio said part of her company's appeal is the recognition people have "full, complete and demanding lives" outside of work. JMZ has a family room employees' children use for homework after school or a place to hang out if school is canceled. Casaccio, president of JMZ since 2009, said the approach didn't start with her, but the company's founder, Bob Joy, more than 40 years ago.
"He put family-forward policies in place and he was sincere about giving equal opportunities in a growing field," Casaccio said.