Women lead top construction projects

Construction is still a male-dominated industry, but two women are calling the shots at some of the largest construction projects in South Florida.

Norma Pendo Knott, senior project manager for Suffolk Construction, manages construction of Sinai Residences, a $250 million continuing care community in Boca Raton for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.

Katie Chesney has been project manager for Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach and Toll Brothers' Royal Palm Polo single-family home community in Royal Palm Beach.

Tricia Fitzgerald leads the $4 million restoration of Beach Club Tower I in Hallandale for the Fort Lauderdale office of Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering design and analysis firm.

Lori Douvris, project manager at Stiles Corp. in Fort Lauderdale, manages a $42 million, 261-unit apartment project, Elan 16Forty in Victoria Park near downtown Fort Lauderdale, for Greystone, a developer of multifamily housing.

While there are no data showing the growth of women in top construction roles, those in the industry say they've seen a change.

"I've seen women being promoted to management positions in construction roles that were typically male-dominated," said Ayisha Gordon, incoming president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. "Women are in those roles; they're out in the field; they're on the site; they're building,.

Those who entered the industry a decade or more ago often were relegated to office-work roles before their management skills were recognized. Newer entrants join construction firms out of college after earning a construction management or similar degree.

The job is lucrative, with construction managers making an average of $49 an hour in Palm Beach County and $42 in Broward, according to the state. On an annual basis, that's $87,000 to $100,000.

Still, women remain rare in the roles Knott and Chesney fill, managing day-to-day activities on the construction site, making decisions about supplies and working to stay on budget.

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Women lead top construction projects