How North Alabama women are building community in the construction field
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Construction is a field typically dominated by men, but every year, the number of women grows.
'We have a pretty large co-opp and intern program, and more and more, we're seeing more girls coming through each class,' said Alexa Toler, an Assistant Project Manager at Brasfield & Gorrie. 'Even when I went through college, I was the only girl in my class, and now looking at where I went, there's women everywhere popping up.'
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Toler's job takes her from the office to job sites.
'I'm on the job, trying to get out a couple of times a week, walking with subcontractors in our field team seeing what needs to be handled,' Toler said.
Toler said the number of women working in her company's operations group has grown from about 10 to more than 200 over the past 10 years.
The first week in March celebrates women in construction. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed a proclamation highlighting the organizations, like the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), that support the female workers who are building up the industry.
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'It helps you to really foster that community and have that support system,' said Brittney Gaston, a Digital Marketing & Business Development Specialist at Jesse Stutts, Inc.
Gaston, who serves as the NAWIC's marketing chair, said in addition to building community, NAWIC can help members tackle any difficulties they may have at work. The organization's North Alabama chapter was founded about a year ago.
'We found that there was a large interest,' Gaston said. 'A lot of us were being overlooked in meetings, and we wanted to really get a community together for our ladies to feel seen and feel heard.'
Gaston said the organization also wants to support the next generation of women in construction, and she encourages young women to take the leap and know they can be successful in the industry.
For any young women who may be looking to get involved, Go Build Alabama provides training to young Alabamians who are interested in entering the construction industry and other trade fields.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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