Building fabs, careers and futures: Paying tribute to Arizona’s legion of women construction workers

Lacey Suastegui

Submitted photo/TSMC Arizona

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OPINION —  When I think about my career in construction, I am in awe of how women have revolutionized the industry.

I remember when I was the only woman in my construction management class at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Then, when I graduated with a bachelor of science in construction management in 2004, I was still the only woman on my first construction site.

Now, more than 20 years later, as a construction manager in Phoenix, I’m proud to be surrounded by hundreds of talented women who also share my passion for the industry. I don’t take this experience for granted.

This positive progression is thanks to the women who broke barriers before us. In the 1970s, Emily Roebling replaced her ill husband as the lead construction engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge. Since then, many more women have led construction projects, shaping a promising and growing industry.

Today, women make up about 11% of America’s construction workforce. Without context this may seem small, but it’s significant. That translates to more than 1 million women in construction roles, including 37% who work in management or leadership roles. That’s a 45% increase in the past decade.

In Arizona, the numbers are even more impressive: female participation in the construction industry is about 5% higher than the national average. That’s no surprise to us at TSMC Arizona, where the industry is diversifying every day. As one of our executives likes to say, “We used to count them in numbers, but now we’re counting in percentages,” when referring to female construction workers.

Recently, the industry collectively tipped its hard hats to these inspiring individuals during the annual Women in Construction Week.

We used the occasion to host our own inaugural celebration with the Women in Construction STAR Awards. This legion of workers is instrumental to our business — not just in building our fabs, but also building careers, communities and a brighter future for all of us.

We honored my tenacious colleagues like Erika Lares, whose technical leadership builds trust with colleagues; Abigail Sandoval, Carrie Chen, Chia Ju Lee, Eva Chung and Ana Silver, whose engineering prowess helps us solve critical issues; and Haley Rodriguez and Lisa Frazier who built a reputation for an unwavering commitment to safety.

We also recognized our STAR project managers who get work done on time and on budget. Stephanie South and Sierra Krause manage projects on behalf of our strong partner contractor ecosystem. In March, both were lauded for their exceptional leadership and mentorship.

Two TSMC construction STARS were also awarded: Erin Buresh, who leads construction health safety environment for our gas supplier, and Stephanie Vonpein, whose logistical expertise helps mitigate issues and establish safe and efficient operations.

These talented women stand on the shoulders of the female construction pioneers before them, and now intentionally serve as mentors for the next generation of construction workers to continue the progress.

Events like Women in Construction Week highlight the undeniable impact female construction workers have on our work. This indomitable spirit will echo across Arizona and America for decades. I am proud to work among these resilient women.

Lacey Suastegui is a construction leader with more than 20 years of experience in the field. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.