News

The construction industry is constantly changing with new technologies, more productive systems and the need to engage more employees to keep up with workforce demands. These changes also include a stronger focus on diversifying the industry.

For construction companies, this requires creating an environment that is more inclusive to women than it has been in the past. In fact, a study by McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.

Amoroso's Amy Trevisan, a project manager in Southern California, is one of the company's many women who spend their days working on a jobsite, bringing a diverse perspective to her projects.

Starting in college, Amy was always more interested in her roommate's construction management homework than her own business courses. After taking an introduction class and learning that Chico State's construction management program had a 99 percent job placement rate upon graduation, the decision to change majors was a done deal.

In the summer of 2006, Amy took an internship with Amoroso where her career began to blossom. She was hired on full-time as a project engineer and was promoted to project manager in 2014.

"During her internship, Amy was always eager to tackle new challenges and take on more responsibility," said President, Brian DerMatoian. "Amy is very personable, and in and industry where you deal with many different personalities, that is an important quality."

Throughout her time as a student and in her first years at Amoroso, Amy quickly learned about the culture in construction and continues to believe that's one of the best things about the industry.

"I love the culture and the fact that every day brings something different," said Amy. "There are always meetings being held, fires to be put out, changes to incorporate, and a lot of coordination and communication that needs to happen for a plan to be achieved."

Since she started with the company, Amy has worked on a variety of projects that have helped her learn what it takes to thrive as a woman in construction. As a novice project engineer on a $93 million, high-security Emergency Operations Center, this project played an important role in her introduction to construction. Her first project as a project manager, the LAUSD South Region High School #8 Campus, also taught her a lot.

"We had to overcome extreme adversities at the High School #8 project," said Amy. "While my first job as project manager was a challenging one, we had a phenomenal team that I enjoyed working with every day."

As a woman in the field, Amy uses her communication and people skills to enhance every project she works on.

"Amy works fairly with the owner and knows the true art of give and take," said Project Executive, Kim Altamirano. "She works well with subcontractors, getting the job done while still being kind and respectful to those around her. Amy has proven to use her wealth of knowledge to go above and beyond what's requested of her while balancing home life and motherhood."