PWC CT Recognizes Four Women for Contributions to AEC Industry

Hartford, CT – On Jan. 24, the Professional Women in Construction Connecticut Chapter (PWC CT) held its first event of the new year, where four recipients were awarded with professional achievement awards for their outstanding contributions to the architecture, engineering and construction AEC industry.

The event, “Paving the Path to Diversity… A View from the Road,” drew a crowd of attendees that gathered to show their support for the award winners and hear from the presentation panel of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion leaders.

Kathleen Cloud, president at M. Frank Higgins & Co., was honored with the Women of Achievement Award. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry and says she is passionate about mentoring and teaching, and developing training opportunities for members of the AEC industry.

Jillian Gibbs, NCIDQ, AP, Well AP, senior associate and senior interior designer at Phase Zero Design, was given the Rising Star Award. She says she is committed to continued education and professional development opportunities for herself and her teams, and Phase Zero Design at large. This past year, she also helped concept, coordinate, and lead a program with Connecticut-based nonprofit, Girls for Technology.

The Excellence in Mentoring Award was given to Katy Gagnon, PE, LEED AP, senior project engineer for Langan for her work and dedication to mentoring young engineers within the AEC industry. She dedicates her time to the ACE Mentoring program and works to empower women to achieve career and personal success by networking, sharing experiences and forming professional identities.

Amy Ray, director, business development & marketing, was honored as Volunteer of the Year for her volunteerism and support of the chapter. She has spent countless hours in her roles as PWC board member and PWC communications chair, and has been a key part in growing the PWC CT brand. She has also supported roles within the programs committee and with PWC National’s website relaunch. Following the awards ceremony, attendees learned about goals set, strategies employed, challenges faced, and lessons learned on the path forward to continued advocacy for change.