The National Institute of Building Sciences hosted a Virtual Town Hall with leaders from across the built environment to address concerns regarding building safety around COVID-19. Stakeholders discussed:

• Re-population of commercial buildings
• HVAC systems and air circulation
• Public transit and other public infrastructure needs
• Pandemics and the future of cities
• Sanitation standards

In this town hall, industry experts discussed best practices to prepare and close out spaces used for COVID-19 patients. Our panel also gave detailed advice on sanitation of buildings and how to address mental health challenges as people plan to reenter facilities, convention centers or hotels used to house COVID-19 patients or medical personnel. Your company may need to conduct business at one of these convention centers or hotels in the future. If you plan to visit or stay at a property that could have been affected, learn the steps taken to keep future attendees or guests safe and ease your customers or employees’ anxiety. Topics included:

• Re-occupancy (spaces used to house COVID-19 patients and/or medical personnel)
• Sanitation recommendations
• Addressing mental health issues around reentering these spaces

Women in trades are daring to confront stereotypes that are still holding women back. Powerful women defying the odds in a predominantly male industry need to be aligned to increase awareness of labor shortages and lack of diversity. Most importantly, we must come together to reach a more diverse audience, including the young women and girls who may not consider this as a career path.

These monthly virtual meetings will lead up to the second annual Women Executives in Building Summit on May 5-6, 2021 in Nashville, TN.  

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to women–owned and operated trade businesses.

Event format: There are no panels or programming. This is a conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment. The May session focused on productivity and serving your respective customers in a time of crisis.

The pandemic is forcing businesses and organizations to reevaluate future plans. Your company will want to be ready for anything — our experts covered what you can do to keep your staff and employees safe as the nation continues with the process of reopening for business. Industry experts covered:

• How will offices be redesigned moving forward
• The importance of facility management
• What will become of co-work spaces
• Future of commercial buildings

We all need support. Especially in today’s increasingly stressful world, it’s critical to take time out to regroup and bring your mind, body and families back into a healthy balance. This meeting aims to open up the discussion about what brings you mental wellness and work/life stability. Feel free to share what keeps you grounded. Sharing is caring here.

These monthly virtual meetings will lead up to the second annual Women Executives in Building Summit on May 5-6, 2021, in Nashville, TN.

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to women–owned and operated trade businesses.

Event format: There are no panels or programming. This is a conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment.

The National Institute of Building Sciences hosted a Virtual Town Hall with leaders from across the built environment to address concerns regarding building safety around COVID-19. In this town hall, experts discussed the importance of healthy buildings. As we continue to respond to COVID-19, it is essential that the built environment work to prioritize the following:

• Public health
• Climate justice
• Green energy sector

Women in the built environment must break through what keeps them from advancing. Equality within executive leadership and management is where women across our industry should be headed. For example, nearly half of the engineering classes are women and a larger portion of entry-level spots are being filled by women. The time to work on advancement issues is now.

You're invited to this limited-invitation virtual event with keynote speakers Sandra Benson, WW Head of Engineering, Construction and Real Estate for Amazon Web Services and Nancy Novak, CIO of Compass Datacenters. These monthly virtual meetings will lead up to the second annual Women Executives in Building Summit on May 5-6, in Nashville, TN.

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to women–owned and operated trade businesses.

Event format: This month we will have Nancy Novak, Chief Innovation Officer, Compass Datacenters and Sandra Benson, WW Head of Engineering, Construction and Real Estate for Amazon Web Services as the keynote speakers. They will share statistics and their message on how we can move the needle and continue to place more cracks that glass ceiling. This is also an opportunity for conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment.

Mentorship has been key for the career growth of many women in the C-suite in the built environment. It’s important to find a quality mentor and be a mentor for those who need guidance.

You’re invited to this limited-invitation virtual event with keynote speaker, Judy Dinelle, CGP, CAPS, AMA and building ambassador with 84 Lumber Company. Dinelle will share her story of how mentorship impacted her career at 84 Lumber. This session also will serve as an opportunity for women in the C-suite to share their stories and whether their career was impacted by a mentor.

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to women–owned and operated trade businesses.

Event format: This month, we will have Judy Dinelle, with 84 Lumber Company, as the keynote speaker. This is an opportunity for conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment.

Building a brand for your company in the traditional way is normally something you do every day and have a marketing team to conduct the effort.

But building a personal brand is different – it’s promoting yourself and reminding people of your achievements and how you achieved your career success. That can be even more difficult as a female leader in the building industry, where you are focused on simply achieving success without too much disruption. In today’s environment it is important to utilize social media to highlight speaking opportunities, awards and other achievements to promote yourself, your company and motivate others.

We often take for granted the importance of building our brand and celebrating our achievements, but it is important. This session will allow C-suite leaders to share how they’re marketing themselves and utilizing social media to help build a brand. After the session we will share a few of these stories to encourage young women to join the industry and build their career by building their brand.

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to corporate leaders and women–owned and operated businesses.

Event format: This is an opportunity for conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment.

What is an Elevator Pitch, and How Can It Help Advance Your Career?

In today’s fast-moving, fast-talking business environment, sometimes you only have seconds to make a good impression.

We call this an elevator pitch. It’s literally 30-60 seconds (or the time you’d be sitting in an elevator) to deliver a memorable and well-crafted synopsis of your background and professional experience.

Your pitch allows you to share expertise and credentials with those who don't know you. When done right, it is the best way to introduce yourself in a compelling manner.

This month, we will continue the February discussion from the Women Executives in Building: Virtual Leadership Series which centered around building your personal brand. Attendees will be divided into small groups so they can learn from and practice an elevator pitch with peers.

Who Should Attend: All female C-Suite executives in the building industry, from association executives to corporate leaders and women–owned and operated businesses.

Event format: This is an opportunity for conversation with other C-Suite female executives in a safe, thought-provoking environment.