News + Ideas

According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up just 9.9% of the construction industry workforce. Here at MGAC we’re proud to have above average representation of women (33% overall) with women represented across every team within our company. We count women in our ranks across state lines and even country lines. We’ve got projects on the books that broke ground and were brought to completion by teams primarily staffed by women and have women-led teams on site right at this very moment.

At MGAC, we’re lucky to be surrounded by women who make us proud to be in this industry, who push us to do better and to be better each and every day. On this Women In Construction Week, we’d like to say thank you to the women that choose to be a part of our family here at MGAC and would like to highlight some who are paving the way for others in the industry.

Alicia Fleming, one of our Project Managers based in Toronto has been in the industry for nearly a decade. Originally drawn to the field for its exciting, fast-pace, today she’s oftentimes in charge of setting that pace and is looked up to by many women early in their careers here at MGAC. Alicia, now credits her career trajectory to a female mentor she connected with when she was just starting out in the industry.

“I was blessed with an incredible mentor very early on in my career; this woman encouraged me to spread my wings, to be open to broader horizons and taught me that this industry can offer you the opportunity to see the world. I have carried this advice with me all of these years and it’s given me the opportunity to work in many different countries. She also taught me that there is always a seat at the table for women in this industry.”

Mimi Toner, a Vice President at MGAC based in our DC office is a registered architect and project manager with over twenty years of experience in the industry. Throughout the years, she’s gained hands-on knowledge of every phase of a construction project ranging from initial design work to project delivery. She offers an invaluable perspective to our team and is a testament to the vast number of career trajectories the construction industry can offer to women. To those women hoping to one day explore a new career path in the industry or advance to leadership as she has, she offers this sage advice:

“I believe that women in construction need to find their voices on project teams; and if you don’t understand something or see something that does not makes sense, you should ask questions. Speaking up and asking questions often helps teams flag issues and solve problems earlier.”

We often tell people that MGAC is a place where you can count on coming to work each day alongside smart, passionate people who truly enjoy putting in the work to build something that endures. That kind of work and tangible energy wouldn’t be possible without women like Mimi and Alicia—women who are committed to shaping the future of MGAC and of what’s possible in our industry.