According to research conducted in December 2023 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women made up about 10.8 percent of construction overall (this includes legal, administrative, etc., women represented 4.3 percent in the trades). Comparing that to a November 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, women's employment in construction represents about 1 in 7 jobs in construction - a share of about 14 percent. If you query the BLS for poured concrete foundation and structure contractors, women represent 19.9 percent of jobs (latest observation Nov. 2024). With the entire industry challenged for skilled labor, it's easy to see that women are a growing demographic in the world that is professional concrete work.
Concrete Contractor connected with three women representing varying areas of the industry:
- Dr. Maria Juenger, Vice President of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), is a Professor and Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Centennial Chair in Engineering #2 in the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin;
- Liz Howard, P.E., is the construction senior project manager at Superior Construction and member of the steering committee of the Superior Women in Construction professional women’s group, designed to support, empower, and advance women in construction; and
- Kilah Engelke is the Business Manager of the Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association Local 599 representing the state of Wisconsin.
Q. What got you interested in the concrete industry?
Juenger: My interest in concrete started in a bit of an unusual way, through an interest in chemistry. Cement chemistry is really complex and unusual. There are so many different aspects to the chemistry of concrete from the high temperature chemistry in a cement kiln, to hydration, to durability mechanisms. When I first started, I also liked that cement research doesn’t involve animal testing or working with hazardous chemicals! 
Dr. Maria Juenger, Vice President of the American Concrete InstituteAmerican Concrete Institute
I started working in cements when I did my PhD at Northwestern University in Materials Science and Engineering, about 30 years ago. I was working with cement hydration and microstructure at that point, and I became increasingly interested in concrete at all scales when I joined the University of Texas at Austin. There are so many different areas of research in concrete, including structural engineering and construction, and many different approaches.
Howard: My interest started when I was in college at Tulane University. A professor—who was a great mentor to me—recognized that I had a passion for building things and guided me toward construction. That led to me getting an internship at a large construction company.
After completing my master’s at The University of Texas at Austin, I was drawn to concrete work since it’s so prevalent in the Southeast, particularly in foundations and bridges. I’m still fascinated by the fact that combining a few components can create something so lasting and durable.
Engelke: My interest happened because of my stepdad. He was an estimator for James Cape & Sons, a big highway paving operation that worked around in the Midwest. We had these long plans from road building projects pasted together in our basement all over the place so he could plan it out. He would always talk about going to the World of Concrete and bidding these projects.
I graduated from high school and I got put on a crew to pay for college. There I was, 17 and started watching concrete. My duty was to post up on an intersection and make sure that pedestrians and bicycles stayed off the concrete until it dried. I started working summers right after high school on a paving crew. It turned into an apprenticeship for me in the Cement Masons (OPCMIA) and that eventually led to where I am today.
Q. How is it different today as compared to when you started?
Juenger: Since I’m at a university, my experience with the concrete industry is different than those working directly in it every day. In my role as an educator and mentor, I help students from diverse backgrounds find careers that are satisfying and rewarding. The concrete industry has a lot of career paths available, some of which have been historically more welcoming to women than others. I’m happy to say that I see our female students find welcoming work environments in the concrete industry, and I think it will be increasingly so.
I have seen in 2024-2025 a greater emphasis on embracing women in the industry, especially through efforts from groups like Women in ACI and the Women in Concrete Panel at the ACI Fall convention in Philadelphia. This panel provided a forum for open discussion of obstacles women encounter in the industry and how to overcome them. It was really encouraging to hear the stories from the panel and the support and advice they gave the participants. I hope we see more of these types of events moving forward, and I hope we can broaden it beyond just women and can support more people from underrepresented groups.
Howard: There are significantly more women in the industry today than when I started in the early 2000s. I was the first female intern and engineer hired full-time at my company. Now, women have a growing presence, especially in commercial construction.
At Superior Construction, we’ve formed a group called Superior Women in Construction (SWiC) to increase visibility and advocacy. This industry has a labor shortage, and if we can get more women to join us, it will be all the better. 
Liz Howard, P.E.Superior Construction
Engelke: When I started, there were very few women. There was another woman on my crew when I first started. She was older, like the wise “mother of the crew” lady, and actually a concrete finisher. But there was plenty of days and weeks and years where I was the only girl on the site. There was plenty of times when it was me and one other girl. But I’ve definitely seen a specific interest in areas like human and workforce development that the number has grown. There’s definitely a huge push and outreach for a different demographic of people to fill the roles. I represent one of the trade unions, but all of the other trade unions, besides for the concrete finishers or the cement masons—everyone, slowly but surely, is implementing things like maternity leave, putting plans into place for helping out with child care, and huge developments to make sure that these jobs and these careers are available for women.
When I first started, it was a different world. But, I feel the numbers are still low. Concrete finishers is one of the more labor intensive trades. It’s pretty rough on coordinating family life schedule. I think our numbers are growing probably slower than some of the trades that don’t work with the perishable material that kind of controls how we operate a lot more but there’s a slow but steady increase. 
Q. What were the biggest challenges you’ve faced? How had you overcome them?
Juenger: I think the biggest challenge for many people can be self-doubt and confidence, especially when put in a new situation like a new job or new role where you have to adapt and learn quickly. This can happen often in the industry when you have new projects. My strategy is to not worry about perceived obstacles and challenges ahead of time, where you are essentially creating imaginary obstacles for yourself. I try to enter new situations fully prepared, when possible, armed with information and support from a team. A little bit of worry is a good thing because it helps you become prepared. A lot of worry can undermine you.
Howard: One of the biggest challenges was earning respect in a male-dominated field. I overcame this by being a “sponge”—constantly learning from everyone around me, regardless of their position. I asked lots of questions and worked closely with experienced superintendents and project managers who were willing to teach me. I’m also a pretty direct communicator and that has helped me.
Engelke: The challenges that I’ve faced were internal—my own perceptions of what I thought I could do or couldn’t do. It’s been coined as imposter syndrome. I’ve heard a lot of different leadership and discussions where all the people around you are men and they’re big, strong, rough, and burly when that’s not necessarily what you are. You definitely feel different. I think back to the first days when I was working on a crew thinking, “I’m never going to make it through this alive.” Looking back, none of that stuff got easier. I just got better at it.
Maybe it was that I needed to use leverage differently, like physics. Maybe I needed to become physically stronger in certain areas but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t do it. It’s the same for everybody. That’s why I say, no matter what, when you’re beginning, it’s hard for people. I feel like I would have been my own biggest barrier. I never really realized that until I continued to move forward or grow in my role, especially with the union.
If you ask my biggest challenge, I would say, knowing in myself that I’m supposed to be here. This is where I can be. I was always a really hard worker. The people around me were really hard workers, and I never wanted to be somebody that was “I’m just here.” My stepdad put me on a crew; I didn’t want to but that’s how I got in. I always had it in my mind that that’s not why I was going to stay. People were willing to help me and teach me. I was coachable. Trainable. I wanted to be good at it. I wanted to do everything that everybody did and eventually, I could. My biggest challenge was internal mindset.
Q. What’s happening right now that are getting more women involved in concrete work?
Juenger: We are seeing more female students interested in civil engineering and in concrete industry management programs. Our undergraduate civil engineering program at the University of Texas at Austin is about half women right now. The Women in ACI reception attendance increases every year because of an increasing number of female students and young professionals in the industry. It’s well known that having strong positive role models and mentors helps in recruiting people from diverse backgrounds. As more women join the industry and reach leadership positions, more women will join the industry.
Howard: There’s a growing recognition of women as an untapped resource in addressing labor shortages. Programs focused on women in construction are gaining momentum, such as our SWiC group. These initiatives provide support, mentorship, and professional development opportunities specifically tailored for women entering the field. I also attend forums, socials, and networking events that connect industry professionals and highlight available opportunities in concrete construction. The number of women attending these events has definitely increased.
Engelke: There’s women’s groups and affinity groups popping up all over the place throughout different levels of the industry. The one that I work with is called Empower. We developed a mentoring program where we are facilitating or administering a Child Care grant program. There’s a lot of attention industry-wide put on making sure that you can see women that are successful, and that their stories are being told. That their comments are being considered. There’s definitely more effort put towards changing the culture too, whether it’s mental health awareness or anti-harassment—all of those types of issues have been critical to at least try to start to move the needle.
I see women being put into leadership roles at all different levels of the construction industry. You’re definitely going to see more people, whether they’re estimating, project managers, or those that are getting elevated to higher level managers and business reps and instructors.
There’s more of an idea that the whole concept of “if you can see it, you can be it” is real, and it exists. There’s power to it. There’s value to it.
I think it’s our fifth year with an outdoor demo at World of Concrete. The OPCMIA put a huge investment into making sure that our booth is run by women. All the work performed and planned out by women. Everything. The people that you see doing any of the work are all women, so it was a critical investment that they made and it’s something that they’ve been committed to building. [The Steel Edge Women] program has grown every year…but that’s what we do. That’s not super different from a lot of most of the other trades as well.
Q. What was the best advice you received? In what ways did this advice help?
Howard: One of the best pieces of advice I received was about the importance of every individual having a role in a company, regardless of their traditional career path. This advice helped me appreciate the value of diverse perspectives and roles within our industry, and it has influenced my approach to team building and leadership.
Engelke: I think the best advice would probably be, “you’re not on time, unless you’re 15 minutes early.” That transpired into not necessarily just the specifics of it or literally like “it’s 6:45 I should be here getting ready” but figuratively into a lot of other things—like being prepared and being ready.
That was something that my stepdad would always say, “you’re not on time, unless you’re 15 minutes early.” That’s something that I try to impose on for young kids, people that are just starting, or apprentices. When I hear them tell stories on what’s happening, it goes back to “how committed are you to this?” Am I getting paid for those 15 minutes? No but in those 15 minutes I stretched, I was able to get myself together and have my tools ready and prepared. I found a reasonable parking spot. All of these things that happen to make sure that you’re going to have a good day.
That translates not into just physically being on the jobsite, but that translates into right now. Did I take a few minutes to look over the questions before we talked about this? Did I take some time to prepare for the class I’m about to teach? All of that I feel like helped get me in the right mindset and contributes to work ethic. Work ethic in the construction industry is what gets you places.
Q. What advice do you have for concrete contractors?
Juenger: I think that concrete contractors could benefit from joining organizations like ACI. Our industry tends to have silos, like many industries, and the way we will advance is through collaboration between the stakeholders. Contractors on ACI committees can have a say in the documents that are developed. The committees benefit from hearing the perspectives of contractors. Given the large student population that attends ACI conventions, contractors can also benefit by using the ACI community for recruiting.
Howard: Keep an open mind and realize it’s a level playing field— everyone is on equal footing. Be adaptable and recognize that the industry is evolving. Embrace new perspectives, technologies, and methodologies because they can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and quality. Investing in training and support for all employees at all levels will help you attract and retain talent, including women.
Engelke: This is a little bit of an extra story but this is a way to think about things. I worked for this one contractor for a long time. I would considered myself probably one of their best employees. Was always on time. Always prided myself on never being late. It was one of my last days working there, going from the field and into my role as a business rep, he said, “If I knew you were never going to have kids, I would have made you a foreman a long time ago.” I understood it. It’s kind of a backwards compliment, but not really.
My advice to the contractors of the future would be to not look necessarily at things that you might consider as accommodations as downfalls. Making the industry and the workplace suited to make sure that people feel welcome, happy, and appreciated will probably be critical to the success that you find in the future.
I talk to contractors a lot that say, “I need people, but I need people with these experiences.” And they have a really harsh outlook, but like when he this gentleman said that to me, but I wouldn’t have changed anything. I understood what he was saying, because there needs to be a commitment level.
At the same time you want good people that make good choices, that are happy in what they do. Open your mind to who you think is the right person to be a leader. Find good leadership qualities in different types of people might be something that would make you a little bit more successful in your search for your crew of the future.
Q. What is one of your favorite stories from throughout your career? How has that affected your work?
Howard: One of my favorite experiences was working at a young age as a project manager on Sanibel Island, Florida, in the early 2000s. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding. I worked on a second project on Sanibel Island in September 2022 when I was part of Superior’s emergency repair team that restored access to the island after Hurricane Ian. We rebuilt three roadway sections and five washed-out approaches in just 15 days. To me, the Sanibel Causeway emergency repairs reinforced the importance of teamwork, adaptability, and using knowledge from past experience to solve urgent problems.
Engelke: I was an apprentice and chasing a paver. It was hot, humid, and just a rough day. My job that day was to keep up one edge. There’s people that are bull floating and straight edging or bump cutting, and there’s somebody on the other edge. But I was walking backwards and tripped over my bucket, which had water in it. I fell down, scraped my elbows, my bucket fell on me and I got totally wet. Then got stung by a bee. Amidst all of this, like I said [the concrete] is coming out bad—the whole slab. We’re having to throw water and scrub and throw concrete—it was the worst thing you can imagine.
One of the scariest, meanest, grouchiest old guys—he taught me a lot, he was awesome, and I love him to death—went over to the truck, got a Band Aid, brought it to me and basically said, “Come on, get up.” He took time out of what was important that day. We knew we were screwed, but it was really funny. A Band Aid wasn’t going to help me at all, but the gesture of it was something I’ll never forget.
I love telling that story, because it alludes to how the crew comes together. How the people come together. How the situations you’re in together make you really close. It was a really sweet thing for this super grouchy, super mean, super crusty old guy to come and do. I’ll never forget it.
