Tell us more about your background/experience/education. What decision or path led you to the construction industry/Mortenson?

I spun the wheel of life on careers and it landed on civil engineering. At that point I was one of only a few females in the major and was excited to pave the way for females in engineering. A woman at a career fair told me if you have a good personality, you belong in construction. At that point I was inspired! I chose Mortenson because I love the challenges of the complex jobs I’ve been apart of. I’m always learning and always growing.  

Tell us about your female role model or mentor that helped you grow your career. How do/did they inspire you?

My biggest role model of my career will always be my mom. She’s one of the only female mail carriers at work. She always told me, "if you want to be good Mary, you can’t let being a woman stop you." She told me to ask questions, be confident and remember where I came from. That part was the most important; I’m from a small town in upstate New York and by remembering where I came from, I always remain humble. 

What advice would you give other women considering a career in construction or the AEC industry?

My best advice would be to support other women. When you see something happening that isn’t right say something. Make other woman around you feel comfortable to reach out to you. Women in construction can be intimidating because we always feel we need to prove something, but we don’t need to prove something because we are women. We need to prove we are good at our jobs just like any other employee that wants to be successful and add value or purpose.