For Joan Ui`lani Meeks, there is no glass ceiling keeping her from rising to the top as a female in the construction management industry. Career-wise, she’s exactly where she wants to be.
Recruited specifically to be a project manager for the construction division of US Power & Environment, an international supplier and installer of on-site energy systems, Joan is overseeing construction and redevelopment of the Collins Radio Campus. The project, valued at $16 million, involves installing infrastructure for seven buildings totaling almost a million square feet. She manages subcontractors, budget, safety and schedules, as well as working with architects and owners.
It hasn’t always been easy, though, to be female in a traditionally male-dominated field — especially with no on-the-job experience. “In 2001, I was working in construction but had no construction experience,” she recalls. “I knew that I wanted to return to school, and there was no doubt that to be successful, I was going to have to learn about construction. In exploring North Lake College’s degree plans, I discovered the Construction Management degree — beginning my passion for education and the construction industry.
“No matter what age you are, you can obtain a degree,” she says. “Even after almost losing a child and the strenuous demands of my job, I kept up with my classes with the supportive faculty at North Lake. After attending classes part-time for five years, finally I only have a few classes left to finish. My associate degree in Construction Management will allow me to continue on to Texas A&M University-Commerce.”
Not that work and school are the only things she does, though. A founding member of the Construction Education Foundation (CEF) Student Council and an active member the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), she holds Green Advantage-Commercial certification, which affords LEED compliance points on any construction project seeking certification.
She was a finalist for the 2005 Magnolia Award given by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) for excellence in job performance, aggressive commitment to continuing education, and demonstrated leadership in promoting a positive image for the construction industry. And in 2003, she created the ABC Women’s Forum Committee to help other women succeed in the construction industry.
Brushing her own considerable accomplishments aside, Joan is quick to give credit for her success to her community college education. “If it had not been for my construction classes at North Lake College,” she says, “I would not have had the avenue to move forward in my career.”
For Joan Ui`lani Meeks, it all began here.