Name and Company: Heather Rustici, Jeffrey Brown, LLC
Title: Senior Vice President
Years in the industry: 9 years
What made you want to join the construction industry?
To be honest, I fell into the construction industry, starting with JBC part-time while I was earning my masters in psychology. It wasn’t life’s plan, but I really enjoyed the team I was working with and was fascinated by the A/E/C world. Thankfully, I was provided many opportunities to support the company in new ways, leading to more meaningful engagement in the company’s success. This career has introduced me to many friends and mentors and allowed me to contribute to Baltimore’s development in a way I could have never imagined.
What does being a woman in construction mean to you?
Women have a very unique opportunity to bring their interpersonal skills and managerial approach to an industry that has historically been comprised of men. I feel a great deal of responsibility to bring an element of compassion to my role whether I’m interacting with an associate, client, or field worker. To me, this role has afforded me an opportunity to utilize the skills I developed through my graduate studies to improve job satisfaction among our teammates, better serve our clients, and more effectively communicate with those we interact with on a daily basis.
How can you help educate young women that may be considering entering the industry or that don’t know about opportunities in the industry?
In my opinion, exposure is the best means to educating tomorrow’s leaders about the opportunities that exist. There is a great deal of learning that can take place outside of the classroom, and what better way to see what you may want to dedicate your studies and adult life to than seeing people that look like you fulfill the role. No young woman should be discouraged from pursuing a career simply because they think it’s a ‘man’s job’.