For many women in the business of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC), navigating the challenges of charting a successful career in a predominately male field can be a daunting journey, especially for younger female professionals. Fortunately for those in our region, the Central Oregon Women in Construction (COWIC) group is providing avenues of support.
Since launching their first kickoff meeting in early 2024, an enthusiastic team of female AEC professionals is championing a vision to encourage the career aspirations and professional development of women in these interdisciplinary fields.
After being approached by several colleagues to mentor younger female staff in various offices – and with resounding interest within her network — Heidi Slaybaugh, principal at Cole Architects, contacted heads of local firms and construction companies to gauge interest in regular gatherings to support women in these industries. “A lot of the men who lead these companies were very interested (in COWIC) because they can’t provide that level of feedback and input to their younger women staff… they were probably the biggest advocates of this program getting started,” Slaybaugh noted.
Upon completing her licensure requirements, Genevra Obregon, project architect with BBT Architects, knew that she wanted to create community and provide mentorship for women within the region. “At BBT, there’s a majority of women in the firm; I know this is not the case for everybody…COWIC is not just architecture firms; we try to reach out to all disciplines in this field.” Obregon organizes regular core committee meetings, and along with others, schedules site visits, project tours and social and networking events for the larger group.
Connections created among female colleagues is a foundational reason why this grassroots group exists and is evolving with the inclusion of professionals in architecture, design, engineering, construction, various trades and region-wide organizations.
A rotation of firm-hosted COWIC events provides spaces for larger groups to gather and engage in Q&A sessions, discuss field-based scenarios, share lessons learned and expand important alliances. Establishing environments of learning, inquiry, development and improvement is beneficial for all members in their representative fields.
Site tours of different building types and construction methods are exposing women to a range of project experiences outside the scope of what they may be working on in their own company. As Ellen Hassett, project architect with BBT Architects, described, “The tours have just been wonderful – to get to see projects that we’re not working on and understand the different construction systems. The Mass Timber project (Shevlin Crossing) was really cool; to have another female architect explain how they designed it and worked with the contractor was very inspiring.”
In contexts where the knowledge and expertise of others is valued and sought out, Kimberly Stroup, KSA-Bend Architectural Services, perceives barriers beginning to break down and connect disparate entities within the design community with the potential to positively affect change in the overall design culture.
As stated by Virginia Bailey, architect with Steele Associates Architects: “Being a woman in the field and learning from so many different people reaffirms a sense of empowerment; this is exactly the environment that I need as a young professional woman in architecture and just construction in general.”
Mentoring is an intentional focus for COWIC with Kaitlin Baker, architect with Steele Associates Architects, at the helm in pairing mentors with mentees. After several positions in her career where she always wanted a mentor but never worked with a female architect, it’s serendipitous for Baker to lead the formation of mentoring teams.
Mentors contribute an inestimable form of support for younger female colleagues, especially in imparting their expertise and insights within their specific disciplines. In reviewing feedback submitted by mentors, Baker conveyed, “Areas of contribution by mentors is where they feel their strengths are and can help others. They want to share their experiences and how they’ve overcome their own challenges. Starting a family is a big thing with women, (along with) a family-life-work balance in the work and construction world.”
Mentees seek support through a range of realities they confront in their professional development — from learning how to confidently participate in project meetings, effectively collaborate with male counterparts on site, to building credibility as a young professional, and receiving guidance through exam study and testing strategies for licensure requirements.
As Baker emphasized: “Younger people who are studying and taking their exams really want (to connect with) somebody who’s gone through it recently…it can be quite daunting, the whole process of becoming a licensed architect… talking to somebody who’s been through it and hearing everything’s going to be okay, (affirms that) we’re going to make it, too.”
In Oregon, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) has chapters in Portland, Salem and Eugene, but there is no chapter or presence east of the Cascades. The informative and inspirational impact of COWIC for over 100 participants in Central Oregon is significant. For the woman working within multidisciplinary teams where she is often the only woman in the room, a female-centric gathering is gratifying and provides a sense of empowerment that she is not alone in the industry. For women in fields where connecting opportunities are limited, COWIC welcomes involvement and provides support within a multi-faceted community of professionals.
Stronger together as women in the AEC fields, COWIC represents a powerful catalyst for growth, change and innovation. In the local landscape of architecture, engineering and construction, the ideas, perspectives, technical skills and diverse leadership roles of women are vital contributions in the overall industry. As an educated and engaged network, COWIC increasingly brings a holistic approach to projects, a collaborative mindset among disciplines and advocacy for beautiful, functional, sustainable and equitable spaces in the built environment.
Learn More and Join In:
Heidi Slaybaugh: heidis@colearchitects.com
Genevra Obregon: gobregon@bbtarchitects.com
COWIC LinkedIn: linkedin.com/groups/14719622
