Building What’s Next: Culture, Talent, and the Future of Construction

What an honor to be in the room with so many accomplished women at the top of their game, and so many others on their way, at ENR’s Groundbreaking Women in Construction conference in San Diego.

The energy was real. The ambition, the listening, the sharing, and the genuine support for one another made this one of the most inspiring events I’ve attended in a long time.

I had the privilege of joining Peter Davoren of Turner Construction, Beth Lowry of Holder Construction, and Krista Twesme of Mortenson for a terrific panel discussion, Building What’s Next: Culture, Talent, and the Future of Construction, moderated by Kim Altsuler, Managing Partner at Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

One of the most important themes that emerged was the role culture plays in retaining talent and creating pathways for advancement. Our industry continues to face a significant talent shortage, and women still represent a relatively small percentage of leadership positions across construction. If we are serious about building the workforce of the future, we must be equally serious about creating opportunities for women to grow, lead, and succeed.

The conversation touched on flexibility, meaningful skill development, technology, mentorship, and a culture of genuine care. Creating an environment where people feel supported, challenged, and empowered to advance is not simply the right thing to do. It is essential to the long-term health of our industry.

Peter did an outstanding job articulating what it takes to create lasting change. It starts with a true culture of caring, a relentless commitment to safety, and an organization where everyone is pulling in the same direction. Culture is not a slogan. It is the daily behaviors and commitments that shape how people experience work and build careers.

Beth Lowry is a remarkable example of what is possible when talent meets opportunity. Her journey from intern to CEO at one of the country’s most respected construction companies is inspiring. Her story resonated throughout the room and serves as a powerful reminder of why creating pathways for advancement matters.

Krista Twesme brought both grit and realism to the discussion. She spoke candidly about the complexities of leading in our industry while continuing to push for progress. Her perspective reinforced the idea that meaningful change requires both determination and persistence.

In my comments, I spoke of what it takes to hire the best and brightest, the golden rule, and how important it is to enforce working with people who treat each other the same way they want to be treated, and how important it is for builders to be selective about where they apply for craft so that the owners' values match those carrying out their complex projects. I refer to our critical traits that are right up front in our career path, Creativity, Courage, Mentorship, Teamwork, Adaptability, Grit, Results, Sense of Urgency, and Leadership, as to how we assess people who are going for the brass ring, and then it's our job to bring folks into the conversation.

I left the conference optimistic about the future. The talent is there. The ambition is there. The opportunity is there. Our responsibility as leaders is to continue creating cultures where people can thrive, grow, and reach their full potential.