Connecting, Learning and Leading: McKinstry’s WIC Week Celebrations

McKinstry teams across the country came together to celebrate Women in Construction (WIC) Week, honoring the women whose leadership, expertise and innovation continue to shape the built environment.

As part of the celebration, teams gathered in-person and virtually for a special Building Bridges forum. Building Bridges is McKinstry’s ongoing forum that brings employees together throughout the year to engage in meaningful conversation on topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging — creating space for learning, connection and shared understanding.

The event featured Laura Swapp, Social Impact program director, alongside leaders who shared insights from their career journeys and perspectives on advancing equity and opportunity across the industry. They included:

• Allie Teplicky, director, Real Estate & Facilities
• Jaymie Van Orden, business unit manager, Oregon Special Projects Group
• Katie Arendt, project director, New Construction Mechanical
• Alexa Vinci, senior project manager, Mountain Energy

In Denver, McKinstry marked WIC Week with two events in partnership with the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Hosted out of the company’s Golden office, the events brought students and industry professionals together to celebrate leadership, mentorship and opportunity across the built environment.

One of the events involved McKinstry welcoming students from Littleton Public Schools’ EPIC Campus in Colorado for a hands-on site tour designed to introduce real-world career pathways in engineering, construction and project management. Led by project director Sarah Parsons, senior renewable energy engineer Lyanda Dudley, and senior project manager Alexa Vinci, the tour gave students a firsthand look at how infrastructure projects move from concept to execution.

By engaging directly with professionals working in the field, EPIC students were able to connect classroom learning to tangible outcomes and explore how their interests could translate into future careers in the industry. The visit took place at the Colorado School of Mines Lot K solar canopy project, providing an active system environment to support discussion around teamwork, problem-solving and leadership in construction.

McKinstry also hosted a NAWIC networking and panel event in Colorado focused on leadership development within the construction industry. The five-person panel featured two of McKinstry’s emerging female leaders alongside three seasoned professionals from NAWIC’s Metro Denver Chapter 112. Panelists shared personal perspectives on career progression, the transition from emerging leaders to experienced professionals and the critical role sponsorship plays in long-term career growth. The discussion fostered meaningful dialogue around empowering the next generation of leaders and strengthening support systems that help women thrive across all stages of their careers.

In addition to these events, McKinstry’s Women’s Alliance hosted networking events and informal gatherings across our markets, giving employees the opportunity to connect across teams, build relationships and continue the dialogue.