“We’re elevating the game,” she said. “From HudsonAlpha to Cummings Research Park, the companies we work with are changing the way people think about Alabama and I get to be part of that story.”

Congratulations to Sara Beth for this well-deserved honor. Learn more about how Sara Beth is impacting Alabama’s future in this feature from Yellowhammer News.

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Vondace Contracting, Chick-fil-a Supply and Stream Realty collaborated on a day of programs highlighting the value of and opportunities for women in construction.

I looked out at the faces in the audience and felt a deep sense of gratitude. A diverse group gathered at the Chick-fil-A Supply project in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to learn about the experiences of women who work in construction. I’ve been working on this jobsite since May 2024, and this event felt like a celebration of the work of women throughout the construction industry. I saw women my age who I’ve built friendships with while working at Vondace Contracting. I saw several of my mentors, one of whom flew across several states to visit me when I started my first project as an assistant project manager. I saw my entire project team, both men and women. I saw my manager and my division’s leadership, all of whom were instrumental in making this special day happen. And I saw my client and project partners who had traveled from many different states to participate in the event.

I realized how privileged I am to work for a company and with a client that so strongly supports opportunities for women in the field of construction.

In the humbling setting of an active construction site, we had a full agenda ahead with opportunities to network, hear from leaders in the industry, and honor the history and future of women in construction.

Construction is often thought of as a man’s world, and that’s not without cause. In late 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA) reported about 86% of the industry’s workforce is male. But that’s changing; in 2016, only 12.5% of the industry’s workforce was female, OUSEA reported. There are many career options in this business, and I’ve seen that firsthand. But sometimes women don’t even think about these opportunities because they haven’t seen other women working in construction.

That’s why I’m passionate about sharing my experience and those of other women. Vondace Contracting Chief Administrative Officer Alexia Borden set the stage for the day’s discussion of women in construction as she discussed the importance of the culture of our companies. She helped us recognize that although we may have differences, the underlying commonality we share is working for companies that value doing the right thing and honoring relationships. As the group donned PPE and split into small groups to walk the Chick-fil-A Supply jobsite, we saw the value of our varied perspectives. With different roles in the field represented, the conversation was dynamic because everyone had a different lens through which they saw the construction process.

That was also evident during a panel of four women who work in different construction roles. Each of them left the crowd with valuable insight:

• Chick-fil-A Supply Director of Facility Development & Safety Chaneta Sullivan told us to listen to the “taps.” Those moments when someone is unexpectedly tapping us to step up for a project, role or responsibility. She encouraged us to lean into opportunities even though they might feel daunting, outside of your comfort space or overwhelming. They often provide the most growth.
• Vondace Contracting’s Alexia Borden emphasized “the importance of just showing up.” It’s essential to take time to make meaningful connections with your team, even if it requires some sacrifice.
• Vondace Contracting Senior Project Manager Heather Coffelt expressed her belief that flexibility for women in construction is critical for their success, personally and professionally. Heather also reflected on the growth of Vondace Contracting’s Operational Women’s Network, which brings women in these roles together for support, networking, and education.
• Stream Realty Vice President, Decommissioning & Relocation Kalimah Ashby stressed the value of mentorship and sponsorship, which takes mentorship to another level when someone actively advocates for another person. She said those are key drivers in the retention of women.

After the event, I carried the group’s energy with me through the weekend. It was the kind of energy that comes only from cultures that are high achieving, focused on innovation and progress, and committed to opportunity for women in the field. I was inspired to set new goals after getting to visit with women who are more experienced in their careers. And I was reminded of the importance of leaning on and caring for the community of women that I have gained from Vondace Contracting and Chick-fil-A Supply.

Eliza Witherspoon is a Vondace Contracting project manager in the company’s industrial division. She’s currently working on the Chick-fil-A Supply distribution center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she was instrumental in organizing this celebration of women in construction. Eliza has previously worked on industrial projects in Alabama, Arkansas, and Ohio.

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Clemson University’s new women’s sports facilities are ready for action. General contractor Vondace Contracting led construction on the new and upgraded facilities for the university’s lacrosse, gymnastics and rowing teams.

Clemson’s women’s sports program expansion is the largest recent expansion of women’s sports in the nation.

“It has been an honor to lead this construction team—which included many women, Clemson students and graduates—as we built spaces that will expand opportunities for Clemson’s female student athletes,” said Vondace Contracting Senior Project Manager Kimberly Bailey. “The facilities will support the female athletes’ endeavors to achieve their highest athletic performance while giving them a place to rest and recover. We’re excited for the future of the female athletic programs at Clemson University, and we look forward to cheering on the Tigers in 2024!” 

The new facilities are:

· A 9,000 sq ft lacrosse operations facility

· A 6,900 sq ft, 1,000 seat lacrosse stadium with press box

· A new lacrosse field

· A 24,000 sq ft gymnastics operations and training facility

· A 10,000 sq ft elite athlete recovery center

· Addition of a Players’ Village outdoor space

· Sitework to include 252 paved parking spaces

Rowing renovations included:

· A 1,100 sq ft reconfiguration of the rowing facilities for a new sports medicine room

· HVAC system upgrades to existing rowing building

Vondace Contracting has worked in South Carolina for nearly 40 years and has nearly $200 million of projects completed or underway in the Clemson area. The general contractor opened a full-service, brick and mortar office in Greenville in 2013 and has worked on nearly 200 projects in South Carolina.

The general contractor collaborated with architects Garvin Design Group and HNTB Corporation.

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During Women in Construction Week, our industry comes together to celebrate the women who make a significant impact in our company, industry, and community. Each year we join the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry, to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in construction, and to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry. In honor of WIC Week, we’re sharing advice, inspiration, and thoughts from several outstanding Vondace Contracting women.

Today and every day we celebrate the hundreds of Vondace Contracting women making a difference in our company and communities. 

Katie Denny
Project Manager

Katie showed an interest in construction from a young age and has always been curious with knowing how things were made. Katie first joined us as an intern in Atlanta, and she has worked in both preconstruction and project management. Now she’s a project manager in Dallas, Texas.

Kynesha Jackson
Planner/Scheduler

Kynesha excels at developing and maintaining detailed project schedules, projected job cost reports, and scheduling reports. In her role, she works closely with the project team to ensure that the schedule accommodates both projects and client needs. Working out of our Birmingham office, Kynesha travels to jobsites across our footprint.

 

Ayanna Rose
IT Support Specialist

With more than 15 years of experience in IT, Ayanna is equipped to solve complex technical projects. The construction industry poses unique challenges for IT professionals, and she excels at identifying challenges and changes to support company stakeholders.  

Pauline Schoech
VDC Manager

In her five-year career at Vondace Contracting, Pauline has taken on roles in preconstruction, project management, and VDC. She currently works in Pensacola at the Baptist Health Care campus project as a VDC Manager.

Marti Smith
Senior IT Director

During her 21-year career at the company, Marti has been involved in several process improvements, including implementing a new financial system and a new project management system. She excels at identifying the changes, challenges, and benefits that new technology brings to the company’s end users.

Read latest Women in Construction news >

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There’s also tremendous room for advancement in construction. Many Vondace Contracting employees move forward in their careers through our Field Training Center, which provides free training to employees. Throughout this month, we’ve shared the stories of four people who are changing the landscape of our country one building at a time.

Carly

Robotic Field Engineer Carly’s career has grown exponentially since joining Vondace Contracting as a laborer in 2017, but she got her first taste of construction in high school when she was accidentally enrolled in a carpentry class. She was shocked to find that what she feared would be a begrudging obligation became a daily source of joy. After being sponsored by Vondace Contracting to compete in a national carpentry championship, Carly’s love of construction solidified. She made building her career, joining Vondace Contracting after her high school graduation. She said, “My favorite thing about my job is the problem solving. I really enjoy the challenges that must be worked through to get the best results. My passion is helping people, so whenever someone comes to me with a problem in the field, I love to be the one who can help.”

Lee 

For Project Director Lee, building is a family affair. His father started a small construction company when Lee was young, and Lee’s grandfather was a carpenter. Lee often helped them as a laborer, and the rewarding work made construction a natural career choice after college. He worked his way up, learning everything from the nuts and bolts of practical craftsmanship to larger conceptual ideas. Lee said, “We work in a very tangible business where results are easily recognizable. I like to be challenged and I like to have autonomy, and I have both here. I also love the teamwork aspect of my job. Problem-solving as a team is a lot of fun.”

Kaleb 

Trade Foreman Kaleb started his construction career with wood framing, hanging, and finishing work with his family before he joined a metal framing company after high school. He came to Vondace Contracting during a tough time in his life, and the opportunity to work as a carpenter turned things around. Today he works as a trade foreman out of our Mississippi office. He’s made it his personal mission to support every member of his team on and off the job. It’s this compassion that has made Kaleb an effective and well-respected leader. He credits Vondace Contracting with giving him the opportunity to build a career and provide for his family and said, “Our company gives you plenty of opportunities to succeed. You’re treated like family—not just a number. The most fun part of my job is being able to work with such good people, and I want people who work with me to know I have their backs too.”

Nayland 

Robotic Field Engineer Nayland was pursuing a degree in engineering when his grandmother fell ill. Though he worried about returning to his studies, he put school on hold to return to his hometown and support his family. This faith and resolve saw him through a difficult move from Chicago to Atlanta, where Nayland worked as a temporary laborer until a foreman invited him to join Vondace Contracting full time. Since then, he’s applied himself to trainings and classes offered by the company, setting him back on the engineering track. Nayland has risen through the ranks over the last six years with hard work and determination. Now he uses his experience as a laborer to inform his layout work as a field engineer. Nayland said, “There is no cap on what you can accomplish if you’re willing to work hard, and there are plenty of people who are willing to help get you there.”

We take pride in our people. Meet more Vondace Contracting employees by following our ongoing Behind the Builders series on social media using the hashtag #BGBehindtheBuilder.

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Construction on Protective Stadium is progressing on schedule, slated for completion in time for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) fall 2021 football season. With oversight by the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), this highly complex construction project calls on the expertise of architects, engineers, designers, project managers, suppliers, and trade professionals of many disciplines. As the construction industry marks Women in Construction Week March 7^th through 13^th, the BJCC spotlights the women working on the Protective Stadium project.

According to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), the focus of Women in Construction Week is to highlight women as a viable component of the construction industry. Women in Construction Week also provides an occasion for NAWIC’s thousands of members across the country to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in the construction industry and to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry.

Vondace Contracting serves as the general contractor on Protective Stadium’s construction. Women of all ages and stages of their careers are contributing to all aspects of the Protective Stadium project, including members of the Vondace Contracting team, trade contractors, and architect and engineering partners. The Vondace Contracting team includes strong female representation at various levels, from one of the project managers, Virnetta Woodbury, on through to assistant project managers, field engineers and co-ops.

“It’s empowering to look around and see so many women in every aspect of this project,” said Vondace Contracting Project Manager Virnetta Woodbury, who is a NAWIC Greater Birmingham board member and past president. As a project manager, Woodbury contributes to the project’s planning and management and coordinates with trade contractors. “Having that kind of representation throughout so many skill sets is rare, but we’re seeing that more and more.”

Learn more in a press release from the BJCC.

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When Warren looks around the current project, she sees women who, like her, work in construction leadership roles. Leaders from the project’s architect, owner and engineer sides are also female.

The number of women in construction is on the rise, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with increases each year since 2013. But project teams like WakeMed Cary’s remain the exception in this male-dominated field. As of December 2018, women account for only 9.9 percent of the construction industry in the United States.

Vondace Contracting aims to change that. Building belonging and opportunity isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s key to our purpose of building exceptional people, trusting relationships, great projects, and strong communities. Our projects, employees, and communities are strengthened by an inclusive culture and enhanced by the experiences and perspectives of a varied workforce.

We participate in and lead a variety of workforce development programs, both internal and external, throughout our 12-office footprint. Outreach programs help attract a range of new talent to the industry, and internal education efforts such as our Field Training Center develop employees for long-term career growth.

Carly Stanford has experienced that firsthand. Now a field engineer, Stanford didn’t envision a career in construction. In fact, she stumbled into the industry by accident after a scheduling error landed her in a carpentry class taught by a former Vondace Contracting employee at St. Clair County Schools’ Career Tech Center in Alabama. There she met Field Training Manager Howard Davis, who serves on the center’s advisory board. She discovered a knack for the trade, becoming the state champion for the Skills USA Carpentry competition with support and cheers from Vondace Contracting.

Following graduation, she joined the company as a laborer. Now in her second year with Vondace Contracting, Carly is working as a field engineer after completing the company’s Basic Field Engineering class. She cites the many opportunities the company has given her to learn and grow as one of the reasons she’s happy with her job.

We complement high-school training programs like the one Stanford enrolled in with participation in the ACE Mentor Program of America. The national program connects high school students with mentors in the design and construction industries, and in 2017 two of our employees were recognized as ACE Outstanding Mentors.

These efforts aren’t about meeting a quota or checking a box. We believe inclusion is vital and demonstrate that belief by developing and supporting women as they grow in their careers. Women in typically male-dominated operational roles find support and camaraderie in the Women’s Operational Resource Group.

Our belonging and opportunity efforts extend beyond our own staff. In 2019, we launched EQUIP, an initiative dedicated to the business development and inclusion of small and minority- and women-owned subcontractors. Our EQUIP workshops offer minority business enterprise firms a forum to engage in industry best practices.

Opportunities are abundant for women in construction, and Vondace Contracting is dedicated to helping women like Warren and Stanford thrive.

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Today, female employees at Vondace Contracting enjoy a strong support network that was not readily available to Powell. In 2014, in keeping with Vondace Contracting’s long-standing commitment to building belonging and opportunity, the company formed a group to connect and support women in traditionally male-dominated operational roles across the company. Vice President and Division Manager Susan Stabler helped spearhead efforts and served as the group’s first chair. (Read more about Stabler here.) The founding members of the Women’s Operational Resource Group developed the following mission statement:

Vondace Contracting is committed to the advancement, development, and retention of women in construction operations positions and mentoring of future women leaders in our company and industry. Through networking, mentorships, and education, we are dedicated to establishing a platform to share our goals and explore solutions to the unique challenges women encounter in the construction industry.

Since that time, the group’s membership has more than doubled in size. Members include project managers, estimators, safety directors, virtual design and construction professionals, and legal professionals, as well as senior members of our corporate departments. The group hosts an annual company-wide meeting, as well as quarterly regional networking events, relationship-building activities, community service opportunities, and professional development opportunities, including panel discussions, guest speakers, and jobsite tours.

Senior Project Manager Heather Coffelt currently chairs the Women’s Operational Resource Group, and she credits the group with helping her feel connected to other women in similar roles across the company.

“For a while, I was the only woman in an operational role in the Nashville office, and I felt like I was on a bit of an island,” Coffelt said. “I knew there were other female project managers across the company, but I didn’t feel comfortable cold-calling them to get to know them better. The Women’s Operational Resource Group has provided an avenue for me to make great friends who all share a commonality of being strong females in traditionally male-dominated roles.”

When Senior Preconstruction Manager Christy Perdue started working at Vondace Contracting more than 16 years ago, she never imaged that such a group would exist.

“It’s been an unexpected blessing to be able to meet women from across the company and to support those who are new to the organization,” Perdue said.

According to Jacksonville Office Manager Ann Freeman, the group’s success has positively impacted women outside of operational roles as well.

“Mr. Gorrie’s inclusion of Imogene Powell as a company founder was bold and progressive, and we continue to champion her spirit today,” said Freeman. “It’s exciting to look across the company’s footprint and see an increasing number of women in key roles.”

Powell would undoubtedly be pleased by Vondace Contracting’s continued support of its female employees; the establishment, growth, and success of the company’s Women’s Operational Resource Group; and the growing number of women identifying construction as their passion and pursuing careers in the industry.

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