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Boston Globe

Climbing higher: Women in Construction Week celebrates a growing demographic in the industry

Plumber Maria Zammitti, working at 585 Kendall in Cambridge; her mother was a construction worker in the 1980s. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Lauren Slaven, a senior superintendent at construction management firm Shawmut Design and Construction in Boston, has spent more than two decades in the industry. When Slaven arrived at Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2000, she wanted to be an architect. But through the school's co-op program, she found herself at a construction meeting detailing renovation plans for the Harvard University Faculty Club. The project superintendent commanded the room, understood all aspects of the job, and was pushing it to the finish line. 'I was like: I want that guy's job,' Slaven said. Related : Advertisement Slaven on Thursday won the mentorship award at the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts annual Inspire Awards, which honor exemplary women in the construction business. At Shawmut, Slaven started with a three-year rotation program, spending one year learning project management, another learning estimating, and another learning the role of a superintendent. When she started, maybe one-quarter of her rotation's 20-person cohort were women. The most recent cohort was about half women, she said. Kumba Wahkor (center) rode the hoist/elevator to the sixth floor of 585 Kendall. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Shawmut's culture is one where teammates push for others to improve and rise up, Slaven said, whether it be giving someone credit or being an unofficial mentor. 'Their generosity and inspiration and really what they saw in me that I may not have seen in myself — they really believed in me from the beginning,' Slaven said. 'I thought to myself: I need to be paying this forward. Mentorship is a critical role. Because it's not just about teaching technical skills to somebody else. It's about inspiring somebody's confidence, and encouraging their growth.' Advertisement Ironworker Hannah Cahill at 585 Kendall in Cambridge. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff At the AGC awards, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll emphasized the importance of a diverse workforce and how the administration values diversity, equity, and inclusion, drawing strong applause from the nearly 1,000 attendees. 'What makes Massachusetts a strong state is the fact that we have a rich mix of people, a rich tapestry of communities,' Driscoll said. 'What makes us special, I think, is that we recognize that when we utilize everyone, when we make room at the table for people who may not have historically been at that table, we get better outcomes, better results.' Ironworker Shellian Capo-Chichi on site at 585 Kendall. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Catherine Carlock can be reached at