Katie Jordan, Assistant Project Manager
What is your role at P. Agnes? I have several areas I work in, but a majority of it revolves around the billing of our Small Projects Division. I work with the Project Managers to ensure our billings are competed on time and are correct before they are submitted to the Owners. I have a part in training new project managers and/or project accountants on our systems. I am also a key member of our RACP (Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program) team, and our EOP (Economic Opportunity Plan) reporting team.
What interested you in the construction industry or did the industry find you? The industry found me, almost 25 years ago. I went in as a temp for a few weeks to a company that installed refrigeration piping for grocery stores in the Chicagoland area. Once my temp position was over, they kept me on and I started working on the accounting side of the business. It was from here that I learned how projects come together. From the processing the quotes, and submitting them to the owner, to producing the monthly billings to the General Contractor.
What has been the most exciting and/or rewarding part of your career? I feel the most exciting part is watching a project from inception to completion. There is something gratifying seeing students or patients using something your company built, or renovated. I was the office manager for the site when we were building the Heart Pavilion at Lankenau Medical Center, and seeing the building go up out of the ground over the course of 3 years was amazing. You get to see each subcontractor’s work being competed. As you process the subcontractors billing for the steel you can see it being erected in front of you. Then once the job is complete you can see how all the pieces fit for the end result.
Why should more women consider a career in the construction industry? I feel there will always be a need for construction. In my working with our EOP, I have seen the areas where there are no females. As more clients strive to have more diversity there will be a demand for females in all trades, not just office work.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction or just starting their careers in construction? Don’t give up. It may be hard working with mostly all men in our field but, if you do the work and do not expect things to be handed to you because you are female. You will gain respect, and learn a lot in the process.
What is your role at P. Agnes? Senior Safety Manager. I oversee the safety on our jobsites and help plan for safe projects with our preconstruction and operations teams
What interested you in the construction industry or did the industry find you? I loved the design side of construction at first. My personality and skills helped me realize that the technical side of safety on a construction site is how I can most impact the industry.
What has been the most exciting and/or rewarding part of your career? Being able to help mentor students about the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering industry. It’s been so refreshing to see them absorb the information and improve upon it.
Why should more women consider a career in the construction industry? More women should consider a career in the construction industry because it will help create a more dynamic industry.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction or just starting their careers in construction? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t get an answer that makes sense, ask it again or ask someone else. No one is expected to have all of the answers but everyone should be willing to help.
Christina Pasquariello, Assistant Project Manager
What is your role at P. Agnes? I am an assistant Project Manager at P. Agnes.
What interested you in the construction industry or did the industry find you? What interested me in the construction industry is a bit unique for me. I grew up going to job sites with my father. During the weekends we would go to a couple sites just to see the progress. As far back as I can remember we did this. My grandmother was a big reason why I decided to take this path in my carrier. Growing up she would always speak so highly about the industry and how she couldn’t wait for me to be involved, so I like to give her credit for my decision in choosing this industry.
What has been the most exciting and/or rewarding part of your career? The most rewarding part of my carrier is seeing the success of the company. Growing up alongside of P. Agnes my entire life I couldn’t be more proud to see the growth and success of the company. From top to bottom – the team effort is amazing here at Agnes and it gets me excited for the future to see what more we can accomplish.
Why should more women consider a career in the construction industry? More women should consider a career in the construction industry because it’s a great industry. No two days are the same, every day there are new challenges and new rewards. Women have become more respected in this industry, and now there are women across the US running major construction companies and it’s wonderful to see.
What advice would you give to women considering a career in construction or just starting their careers in construction? If I could give any advice to a woman considering a career in the construction industry, I would give the advice that my father gave me when I first began, and that would be just to listen, take it all in and take a lot of notes. The more you listen the more you learn.