This week is Women in Construction Week and in celebration we’re profiling a few of our incredible female Barton Malow team members. WIC Week is an annual event put on by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry. We also invite you to participate by posting on social media using #WICWeek2021 and recognize the women in construction who inspire you, share advice for other women in construction, or post a picture.
Name: Jacky Dakota
Current Role: General Foreman for Laborers
Current Location: Industrial Project in Blytheville, Arkansas
Years in the Industry: 13 years
What led you to a career in the construction industry?
I signed up as a laborer and just stayed with it. I’ve continued doing industrial work, mostly working on steel mills. It’s been a journey, but who I am as a person has allowed me to get as far as I have. I’m bold and straightforward and my work ethic speaks for itself.
What are some of the biggest challenges of being a woman working in construction?
For me, there wasn’t a big challenge because I’ve always worked just as hard as anyone else. I don’t compare myself to the guys on the job. I just go to work and do a good job. I was with a different contractor for eight years and then started at Barton Malow and have been here for five years. I’ve always been a foreman or general foreman and never ran into challenges, workwise. When I have a job to do, I don’t stop until it’s complete.
What do you love most about your career?
Completing a job and feeling like you did a good job. It’s also really satisfying to know my boss doesn’t have to question my work, they know I’m doing a good job. I’ve also enjoyed getting to try different roles and being surprisingly successful.
What advice would you give women starting out in the industry?
Show up to work. Don’t worry about other people and do a good job.
This year’s theme is “Connect, Collaborate, Construct.” What are some of the ways you’ve worked to connect, collaborate, and construct with other women in construction?
I’ve always worked in industrial, which doesn’t have a lot of women on the job. So in the field I’m in, its been difficult to connect with very many women. But when I have, they’ve really reflected my same work ethic became really good friends.
