In July, we had the honor of attending the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of our Upper Proctor Creek Capacity Relief at Rodney Cook, Sr. Park in Historic Vine City projects. So it was with pride, we watched the local community gather in Vine City in Atlanta, Georgia, to celebrate the completion of this park and recognize the significance it carries in this community.

We’re thankful to have worked with Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management, Parks and Recreation, and The Trust for Public Land to bring this state-of-the-art park to life.

The breathtaking park stands in the middle of a neighborhood that experienced a devastating flood in 2002. The flood destroyed homes and displaced over 60 families. That same space that flooded is now transformed into a safe green space for all that is designed to alleviate and prevent future flooding by capturing and storing up to 10 million gallons of stormwater.

“The 16-acre oasis includes a playground, basketball court, pavilions, water features, and a statue honoring the legendary life of Congressman John Lewis. The park also includes a bioretention pond and eco-inspired green infrastructure such as stormwater planters that line the streetscape and capture runoff, rain gardens that saturate and filter water from stormwater pipes, and native plants and wetlands near the pond that enhance water quality. These unique attributes of the neighborhood park’s design are programmed to prevent flooding, filter stormwater and enhance overall wellbeing.” – Atlanta Department of Watershed Management

Rodney Cook, Sr. Park, also referred to as Peace Park, will provide a space for urban farming programs, sports, youth activities, and a 10,000-volume library of the late C.T. Vivian and Martin Luther King, Jr., families. Eventually, the park will also house two museums that highlight 300 years of Georgia’s history.

We could not be more proud to have been a part of this project. The most fulfilling part of what we do is making communities a better place to live. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this park will have for years to come.

Thank you for celebrating Women In Construction Week (WIC) 2021 with us! Before we wrap up the week, we want to introduce you to Kathryn Whitaker! Kathryn is an Assistant Project Manager at Astra, and she has been a part of the Astra team for 4 years! She puts 100 percent into everything she does, and she has been instrumental in ensuring that no detail is left unattended.

Kathryn first entered the industry while pursuing her second bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. While going back to school, she reconnected with a friend who was working at Astra. Kathryn was put into contact with her now boss, and the rest was history!

Kathryn balances both on-site and office work and is usually at the job site about twice a week.

“Being on site helps to grasp what is being discussed and decided when you are able to see the project,” said Kathryn. “Getting out and speaking with all of the people on site is also extremely helpful in making sure everyone has what they need in order to make a project successful.”

When Kathryn first entered the construction industry, she had a mentor in Morgan Tuschen. “Her patience and ability to help me truly understand the ins and outs of the job inspired me to be the best I could be,” said Kathryn.

Even though Kathryn was able to work with other women early in her construction career, not everyone is able to find other women to mentor them as they enter the industry. This lack of diversity can sometimes cause hesitation for other women wanting to enter the industry.

“At first, I was a little intimidated. It does take some time (at least for me) to find the power to put behind your knowledge,” she explained. “Once you get over the initial “fear”, it becomes more natural.”

You may be surprised to learn that more and more women are entering the construction industry, and there are several resources to connect them to each other. One of which is the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Kathryn has taken advantage of this resource.

“I was fortunate enough to attend their [NAWIC] conference in Atlanta a couple of years back. They are such a supportive group of women who empower you to use YOUR talents to progress your career and the industry.”

Moving deeper into what her experience has been as a woman in this industry, we were curious if she thought being a woman in a male-dominated industry was difficult.

“I believe it is what you make of it. You definitely have to make your presence known as a leader and as someone in a position of authority,” said Kathryn. “You may have to speak a little louder or be a little more firm, but your ideas always deserve to be heard and will help you be the leader that everyone admires.

“It can be challenging to be taken as seriously as men on a project and in the industry. However, with patience and determination, you can easily prove your well deserved worth to the project!” she said.

As we look forward, we reflect on the past to bring to light the changes we would like to see.

            “It has nothing to do with my time at Astra, but I wish I had gotten into the industry sooner. I have really found my passion and love what I do. It just took me some time (and a whole separate degree) to get me here!

           “I hope to see it become more commonplace for women to be seen on the project and in a leadership position. We are gaining in numbers, and the confident women that I know and have met through my time so far are making our presence known!”

Melanie Thomas has been with Astra for over 14 years, and she currently serves as our Safety Director. She does an excellent job of overseeing the safe construction of all of our projects and of creating a safe and healthy work environment. She is also at a job site almost every day. Melanie goes above and beyond to make sure we are all safe and well, and we could not produce such amazing work without her contributions.

Melanie started in the construction industry at a very early age. For her, the pay was better than her other job options as a teenager. Throughout her journey in the industry, Melanie has had one primary mentor who still inspires her today.

Some young women become intimidated by the lack of other women in the field when they are starting out; however, Melanie was never personally intimidated by this lack of diversity.

“There may be additional challenges being a woman in the construction industry, but it is not hard,” said Melanie. “I do not feel I need to be more assertive or more confident just because I am a woman. Everyone should be confident in their ability regardless of their gender.”

Like many women, Melanie has benefitted from taking advantage of the resources and community offered by the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC).

“Hopefully after the pandemic is over I will have the opportunity to meet in person with others at NAWIC again, and I look forward to the volunteering events with NAWIC as well,” said Melanie. “It is a way to come together with other women in the industry and give back to the community.”

In the future, Melanie hopes to see more women choose to join the construction industry and to build their careers there. She also hopes to see an increase in the advancement of women to senior levels of leadership throughout the industry.

As we continue to celebrate Women in Construction Week 2021, we would like to highlight Fathima Lahar! Fathima has been an Assistant Project Manager at Astra for a little over a year, and she has made a big impact in that short time. She is always ready to tackle new projects with a great attitude and impressive dedication. Read her interview below to learn more about Fathima and what entering the construction industry has been like for her.

Q: How did you get started in industry?

A: I pursued my Master’s in Construction management from Georgia Tech which opened my doors into construction.

Q: How often are you at the job site?

A: It’s hard to account for, as we don’t know when there would be a need to be on site. If everything goes really well on site, I spend much time in the office. However, this is construction, and not everything goes as planned. There are a lot of unexpected situations, and so we have to juggle between being on site and being in the office. But, I try to be onsite at least once a week. We also used to have Owner and Subcontractor meetings onsite (pre-COVID).

Q: Do you think it’s hard being a woman in male-dominated industry?

A: It could be for some, but for me, I would like to say, ‘Never’. I believe women are mentally stronger and can achieve anything with their hard work. Also, I believe women are good decisionmakers which is a must for surpassing in this industry.

If they [women] are willing to do their best and have the right attitude, any woman can shine like a diamond in any group she goes into, be it male-dominated or not.

Q: How has Astra or your supervisors supported you in your position?

A: At Astra, I have the flexibility of learning both from the job site and the office setting. I also have a great team that is always willing to help. Additionally, I have the right work-life balance here.

Q: Are you aware of the tools and resources available, i.e., NAWIC and do you use them?

A: Yes, I have been a member of NAWIC since my university days at Georgia Tech. I even had a mentor through NAWIC who always surprised me with her abilities managing work and family.

Q: What’s one thing you wish you could change?

A: I wish I could break the stigma that ‘construction is for men’.

Q: What do you hope to see in the future with regard to women working in construction?

A: I hope to see the new generation girls eliminating the ‘stereotypic perception’ about construction being a physically tiring job that suits men as they are physically stronger than women. This is a great industry with a wide range of opportunities for women. I also wish the industry would give more consideration for working mothers juggling between job sites and childcare.

If you are in the construction industry or hire tradespeople including laborers, field staff, operators, foremen and superintendents, then this is especially for you!

CEFGA, the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia, represents 18 construction trade organizations, 3,000+ employers and more than 200,000 skilled trade employees. It is a thriving statewide organization; a powerful and effective voice for construction workforce development in Georgia.

BUT CEFGA CANNOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT US!

We’re asking you to join our alliance of construction companies dedicated to building a talent pipeline for Georgia. Click here to learn more and secure a sponsorship opportunity for 2020!

One of Astra’s Superintendents/Assistant Project Managers, Kyle Glasgow, has recently made the transition from strictly being a superintendent in the field to starting his new office position in Operations as an assistant project manager. We asked him a few questions to get a better understanding of what his transition looked like.

Q: What was the hardest part about making the transition from the field to the office?

A: The hardest part for me was getting into the office mindset and starting to look at the job from “the other side of fence” so to speak.

Q: What do you enjoy about working in the office?

A: I enjoy learning how to become a project manager, helping my team set up jobs, and being in the A/C!!

Q: What inspired you to make this change? What were your reasons?

A: I wanted to progress in my career and become well rounded in the construction industry.

Q: If someone else was thinking about making a change similar to the one that you have, what advice would you give them?

A: I would tell them, “Decide what you like best. They [field and office positions] both have their advantages and disadvantages. Basically, I would give them kind of that whole where-do-you-want-to-be-in-the-next-five-years speech.”

Q: What has this experience taught you?

A: It takes a lot to become a PM [project manager], there are a lot of parts and pieces to setting up a job, and as a superintendent, I would always have those things handed to me at the beginning of the job. Now, I’m the one finding, setting up, and doing the front-end work.

Q: Have you had to make any tough decisions so far?

A: Not really. I am still getting a lot of help from my team so I haven’t had to make a hard decision on my own yet.

 Q: How are you ensuring that your projects stay on track?

A: Communication! Daily communication is a must to make sure everything is lined up and on track. Sometimes it takes over communicating… repeating a lot of the same things so that the little things don’t become big things.

Q: So, where do you see yourself in the next five years.

A: It’s hard to say now, but I will continue to work hard to become the best Project Manager I can be.

Carter Madden, one of our project engineers, and his wife, Ashley, are currently in Ireland on a working holiday visa. They have been exploring the world since this past May, and they have been sharing some incredible footage with us that we want to share with you!

We interviewed Carter to get a better sense of what this adventure has been like for him and Ashley. Check out the interview below!

Q: What made you decide to get a working holiday visa? Why did you choose to go to Ireland?

A: “Ashley and I wanted to travel after college, and a working holiday visa is available during the first year after graduation. It was the best time to go before we had a house and other responsibilities. Ireland is one of the few countries to offer a working holiday visa so we could still work while traveling.”

Q: What are your top 3 favorite sites you have seen on your trip?

A: “Edinburgh Scotland: Aran Island, Ireland: Lagos Cliffs, Portugal”

Q: What is something about the culture there that you enjoy?

A: “Health and walkability. We can easily get anywhere we need to by a walking path or a short bus/train ride.”

Q: What is the community you live in like?

A: “We move around a lot, usually in a place for 2 – 4 weeks. So, I guess our community is the changes with the host we stay with. We have stayed with young families with children, an older grandma who had her extended family visit regularly, we worked/ stayed for room and board on the Aran Islands for a few weeks, and currently, we are staying in a small town with a retired math teacher.”

Q: What is your favorite part about currently living there?

A: “Learning and exchanging culture with the people we meet. Being able to take day trips exotic places is a bonus as well.”

Q: Is there anything else you think is worth mentioning about your experience?

A: “This has been the most amazing / toughest experience we have ever taken on and has taught us what things are important and what we can live without.”