“It is essential to celebrate diversity in the construction workforce and the empowerment it brings to everyone involved.”
Meet Kelly, Habitat DC-NOVA’s Director of Construction – Northern Virginia. She started at Habitat DC-NOVA in 2014 as a Construction Crew Leader AmeriCorps Volunteer. Upon completing her service term, she became a full-time staff member and continues building and renovating homes throughout Northern Virginia.
“Working at Habitat, I’ve been most proud of the transformations we’ve seen in our partner families. The homes we build are filled with so much love and care. These homes are tools for them to finally break free of unfair housing costs and focus on their family’s needs for growth.”
From an early age, Kelly was into drafting and remodeling. She was inspired early on by watching her parents work on their home and seeing how things came together. She wasn’t limited to what activities she could learn about and explore. She shares, “after attending Virginia Tech and spending a summer on-site with another Habitat affiliate, I was hooked on being involved in building a home in a hands-on way.”
As a woman in construction, she is proud to be an example for other women considering the profession. “Like any job, you will have to work hard, but anyone paying attention will notice your talent and determination. Don’t let anyone make you uncomfortable or discount your experience or capabilities.”
Kelly is responsible for all aspects of construction activities on the Virginia side of the affiliate, handling pre-construction planning, permitting, subcontractors, inspections, materials, budgets, and schedules. She is the QI for our Virginia Class A RBC Contractor’s license. In addition, she works closely with our dedicated core volunteers to ensure a safe and productive experience for all volunteers on our construction sites.
Women Build allows us to bring together women and gender non-conforming individuals together to fundraise, build, and connect. While Kelly works hard to create an inclusive environment all year long, she shares, “by hosting Women Build; we create an opportunity to “give construction a try” in a less intimidating environment. We can renormalize what a typical job site looks like and create a bigger community of passionate and talented individuals.”