High-Profile: Women In. Construction 2026 | Page 16

16 Women in Construction

March 2026

High-Profile caught up with Jessica Anthony, vice president of internal operations at Callahan Construction Managers, to discuss her journey to leadership and her advice for those working toward a career in construction project management.

High-Profile: What does a typical day look like for you?

Jessica Anthony: There are lots of conversations and meetings! My position is about keeping things moving in our organization. That can be preconstruction and construction projects; procedures, trainings, and software improvements; or company initiatives. It requires me to get the right people together for discussion, input, and collaboration to drive results.

HP: What experiences or mentors have most shaped how you lead today?

JA: As an inexperienced assistant project manager and project manager, I can recall many experiences where I leaned on the advice of a mentor to get through a situation where I was unsure of how to proceed. There were also occasions when I needed guidance, and the person who should have been my mentor was less than helpful. Now, as a leader and mentor myself, I make every effort to be available to our teams to assist with troubleshooting

Jessica Anthony

and issue resolution, and to set them all up for success.

HP: Why did you choose this field?

JA: I have always been interested in building construction. As a child, my interests showed in building things, loving the outdoors, and driving my father’ s skid steer. As a teenager, that interest developed into a love of architecture. My path to construction was a little convoluted: I started in architecture school, graduated with a civil engineering degree, and landed my first job in construction management.

HP: What was your biggest issue( or fix) on a job to keep it on time / budget?

JA: While working on a phased, occupied renovation and new construction project, we experienced significant delays in the first phase, which directly affected the remaining phases. My team collaborated with the client to identify potential rephasing options to establish a new plan that would meet their acceptable completion date. The project also involved considerable additional scope due to unforeseen conditions, typical of renovation projects. We worked closely with the client to determine which scope was essential for the project to stay within budget and which tasks could be deferred as maintenance. Collaboration and communication were key to successfully keeping the project on time and within budget, while building a lasting relationship.

HP: What advice would you give to a person considering a career in construction project management?

JA: Keep asking questions. Learning as much as you can from your peers is the most important training and experience that you can get in construction. This industry isn’ t about being book smart; it is about soaking up experience. You can do that quickly if you come in with an open mind. Never think that you already know the answer.

The National Association for Women in Construction( NAWIC) will hold its annual WIC Week event with local, regional, and national events from March 1-7. This year’ s theme is“ Level up. Build strong” and will include both live and online events throughout the country.

“ WIC Week spotlights the essential roles women own across every level of our industry,” said Rita Brown, president of NAWIC.“ The events of WIC Week directly speak to the impact women bring to the job sites and workspaces we build; and we build, every day, the communities, careers, and a strong, bold future, that is undeniable.”

This year’ s WIC Week will cover many topics from construction industry trends to workplace safety and conduct and strategies for career advancement. Events across the country will include webinars, job site tours, training and education sessions, and community gatherings. A list of national NAWIC events can be found at https:// nawic. org / wic-week /.

The origins of WIC Week date back over six decades. In 1960, Amarillo Mayor A. F. Madison proclaimed the first“ Women in Construction Week” to honor the founding of NAWIC and recognize the growing contributions of women in the field. What began as a local observance has since grown into a national movement.

In 1998, NAWIC moved WIC Week to the first full week of March to align with Women’ s History Month and International Women’ s Day— a strategic shift that strengthened NAWIC’ s leadership in championing equity and visibility for women in construction.

LOCAL NAWIC CHAPTERS:

CONNECTICUT NAWIC Hartford # 165 nawic-hartford. org

MAINE NAWIC Maine # 278 nawicmaine. org

MASSACHUSETTS NAWIC Boston # 15 nawicboston. org

NAWIC Worcester # 241 nawicworcester. org

NEW HAMPSHIRE NAWIC New Hampshire # 218 nhnawic. org

RHODE ISLAND NAWIC Rhode Island # 52 nawicri. org

VERMONT NAWIC Vermont # 395 nawicvt395. com www. high-profile. com