Women In Construction

Questions & Answers

Nicole Benton — Assistant Project Manager

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: I love being part of a team that works together to build something from nothing or sometimes changes something from one thing to another. It allows me to problem solve and utilize the creative side of my brain. It’s rewarding to say, “I am part of a team that built that!”

Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction?

A: Come join the fun! As a knowledgeable, educated woman, I feel like a valued member of the team — respected, supported, and included in all aspects of the project. You’ll succeed if you come to the table ready to work hard and as a collaborator.

Q: What significant changes are happening in this field?

A: It is evolving with new technology and means of completing a project. Things are shifting toward more sustainable and eco-friendly building practices, and it takes all kinds of people and skill sets to make those dreams and visions come to life!

As we pave the way for the future of industry professionals, we want everyone interested in working in construction to feel welcomed and supported. It’s our collective responsibility to break down barriers and stereotypes and educate the next generation of the workforce about endless possibilities and opportunities. In support of such, we asked women at ReArch (field & office) to reflect on their experiences working in the industry.

Majken Poley — Project Manager

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: The continuous opportunity to build life-long relationships with people with similar interests.

Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction?

A: There are plenty of career paths in construction. Research what options are available to maximize your strengths, and build a path to take you to the top.

Q: What significant changes are happening in this field?

A: Technology is changing how we construct our buildings, allowing us to be more efficient from preconstruction to the management of the facility after the fact.

Stacey Bevins — Dir. of Marketing & Communications

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: I enjoy the fast pace nature of the industry. There are many moving parts in the field and behind the scenes. There is rarely a dull moment. It’s exciting, challenging, and rewarding.

Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction?

A: The industry offers something for everyone and every skill set, from skilled trades to business development, estimating, marketing, etc. If you enjoy being part of a collaborative team that steers projects toward a gratifying conclusion, more than ever it’s an ideal time to get into construction and engineering.

Q: What significant changes are happening in this field?

A: Gender bias in the industry is gradually diminishing, and a growing number of women are choosing a career in construction.

Sarah

LeClair — Project Engineer

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: I love that I am always learning.

Q: What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction?

A: Resilience is an essential attribute to master.

Q: What significant changes are happening in this field?

A: The integration of green building and design. The diversification of professionals in the field.

Christa Vandevord, Chief Financial Officer

Heather Fontaine, Assistant Project Manager

Nicole Benton, Project Manager

Majken Poley, Project Manager

Kimberly Brown, Property Accountant & Accounts Receivable Manager

Sally Litchfield, Administrative and Accounting Assistant

Lillie Bleau, Human Resources Manager

Stacey Bevins, Director of Marketing & Communications

Jessica Harvey, Accounts Payable Specialist

Sarah

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PROFILE: Grace Steward

PROFILE: Cheri Ruane

Project Manager

C.E. Floyd Company

Grace Steward was recently promoted to project manager and successfully completed her first project in this role. When she joined C.E. Floyd Company after graduating from Connecticut College eight years ago, she didn’t think she even wanted to be a project manager. She describes herself as having been a very green project engineer, but as she gained experience, her belief and vision grew. Now she sees her promotion as her biggest professional accomplishment so far.

Grace credits Project Executive Craig Johnson for helping her get to where she is today. He continues to push her outside of her comfort zone and support her whenever she has a question or a challenge she wants to talk through.

Grace says that if it weren’t for Lucy Frye, senior project manager at C.E. Floyd, she may have never chosen this career path. Initially, Grace wanted to be an architect. But during her senior year, Lucy, a former rowing teammate, reached out to her asking her to consider working on the construction side. The two had the same major at school, and Lucy was having success, so Grace decided to join C.E. Floyd. She hasn’t looked back.

Grace says she is excited to keep learning, stretching outside her comfort zone, and growing in her career. “Seeing something be constructed because of the work you’re doing is pretty cool,” she says.

VICE PRESIDENT

Weston & Sampson

Cheri Ruane, FASLA is a vice president with Weston & Sampson and leads the company’s Design Studio in Boston. She grew up in New Jersey and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, respectively.

Cheri has always been committed to a collaborative relationship between designer and contractor during the construction of the projects she leads. She recognizes that many important design decisions must be made in the field in real time, and that a productive relationship between designer/engineer and contractor is the best way to ensure the integrity of the design and the built product.

Her career began by focusing on residential projects where she was responsible for the initial design concepts, working with the clients, and supporting the construction crew with layout and material sourcing. She quickly learned the need for flexibility when encountering unforeseen subsurface conditions. As her work has gotten more complicated, additional experts are needed to support a high level of responsiveness. She

PROFILE: Amanda Jett LeBlanc

collaborates with structural, geotechnical, stormwater, and utility engineers in all of her projects. At Weston & Sampson, she has the benefit of working alongside contractors in their Construction, Maintenance, & Repair (CMR) company.

Cheri’s work focuses mostly on the public sector and involves the bidding and oversight of horizontal construction. From parks and playgrounds to bike trails and athletic facilities, she enjoys working in places that improve the quality of life for communities large and small.

Born and raised in Delaware, Amanda Jett LeBlanc, PE received her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Delaware with a minor in civil engineering. She began the first couple years of her career in the solid waste industry working on environmental compliance projects for a landfill in Ohio. She moved to the Boston area and joined Weston & Sampson in 2013, becoming a licensed professional civil engineer in 2017.

Weston & Sampson

Amanda started out assisting with public works facility designs, fuel stations, and solid waste projects before transitioning to the firm’s wastewater group in 2015, where she really found her sweet spot. Since then, she’s enjoyed assisting many municipal clients with sewer system evaluation survey projects from the investigation phase through rehabilitation design to construction oversight. Many of her projects focus on trenchless rehabilitation of gravity sewers. Amanda has performed investigations (sewer manhole inspections, smoke testing, building inspections), moved on to construction oversight, and now manages these projects from start to finish. She really enjoys getting out in the field to offset her time in the office.

Amanda’s favorite project was the oversight of the cured-in-place installation of about 3,000 linear feet of 24-inch sewers that ran under wetlands. It was a unique and challenging project that involved finding a creative way to get equipment access to repair the large hole in one of the sewer segments while still protecting the surrounding wetlands.

PROFILE:

Carrera Dean

PROFILE: Kara Keleher

Carrera Dean is an engineer III in the wastewater discipline at Weston & Sampson. She was introduced to the environmental sector at an early age by her mother, who would take her with her to take samples of digesters and lagoons. Her passion for math and problem-solving led Carrera to pursue and earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental and ecological engineering from Purdue University. After participating in internships and completing her studies, Carrera joined Weston & Sampson in 2021. She participates in a variety of projects assisting municipalities in repair and rehabilitation of sewer, drainage, and water systems. She and her team perform a range of services including infrastructure investigation, inspection, evaluation to propose repair and rehabilitation recommendations, excavation design and construction oversight. Two of the main focuses of her work are the reduction and prevention of inflow and infiltration into sanitary sewer systems and providing structural support to pipes and structures. Her favorite part of the utility rehabilitation process is going into the field and working with contractors

Engineer Iii

to create lasting improvements in cities throughout the Greater Boston area.

“My best days are out in the field watching a design come into fruition. I have truly found my place in construction oversight,” she says. “Every day I learn something new, especially when speaking with contractors. Their years of technical expertise has opened my eyes to the ins and outs of the construction world and how planning and design can be improved.”

Senior Team Leader

Kara Keleher, PE, ENV SP is a senior team leader in Weston & Sampson’s wastewater division. She grew up in the Merrimack Valley and earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Merrimack College. She started working at Weston & Sampson as a co-op student in 1991 and as an engineer upon graduation.

Kara now has more than 30 years of wastewater engineering and project management experience specializing in the planning, study, design, and construction of drainage and sanitary sewer projects, as well as infiltration/inflow (I/I) analysis and reduction programs and comprehensive sewer rehabilitation. Kara is an active member of the Collection System Committees of the New England Water Environment Association and Water Environment Federation. She is a Registered Professional Engineer in seven states and is also an Envision Sustainability Professional.

Kara recently celebrated her 30th work anniversary. She says that the two reasons she appreciates working at Weston & Sampson are the people and the work-life balance. “After my second child was born, I was able to work part- time at Weston & Sampson in order to help raise my growing family. Once my children were older, I was able to re-join Weston & Sampson full-time, resume my career, and advance within the company.”

Kara enjoys solving problems and working collaboratively with her clients. She is active in Weston & Sampson’s IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access) committee and their culture club. In her free time, Kara likes to play mixed doubles tennis and spend time outside.

PROFILE: Lateffa Curry

Lateffa Curry is a marketing associate with The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM). “Being in the AEC industry for over 16 years has been a learning experience,” she says. “Although architecture wasn’t my first passion, I can honestly say it is my true passion.”

PROFILE: Merari Pellot

Marketing Associate

The S/L/A/M Collaborative

Lateffa worked as a paralegal before discovering her love of architecture, marketing, and communications. She supports business development efforts for SLAM’s Boston office. Lateffa’s focus is to grow SLAM’s Education, Corporate, Science and Technology and Healthcare practices in Massachusetts.

In addition to her day-to-day commitments and responsibilities, Lateffa is also involved in several organizations throughout the industry. She leads the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE) Product Show Attendees Committee. She is on the board of directors for the Professional Women in Construction (PWC), as well as the Marketing and Communications and Awards Gala Committees. For years, she has been a member of the Programs Committee for SMPS and NAIOP. Lateffa was recently named director of DEI for the Association of Medical Facility Professionals’ (AMFP) recently launched Boston chapter. One of Lateffa’s goals is to create a pipeline to introduce the construction industry to K-12 children/students in underprivileged communities. She is currently working with a talented group of professionals to help her move this effort forward.

One of Lateffa’s goals is to create a pipeline to introduce the construction industry to K-12 children/students in underprivileged communities.