Outgoing President's Report
I would
like to acknowledge the precious time that the volunteers of NAWIC put in at
each region and at Board level to make NAWIC the successful and growing
organisation that it is. We work as a
team, and I am so proud of all of you for the passion, patience, and
perseverance you demonstrate at every level.
Thank you very much. Being your
president has humbled me and I am in deep admiration of the commitment you make
to our cause.
My second
year as president has been fantastic with so many highlights, growth and
broadening of our horizons. This has not
been without growing pains though.
Some of the
highlights are:-
·We
are still part of the Diversity Agenda programme as change makers. I report back to the Diversity team for
statistics on how we are growing and what breakdown of the different sectors of
the construction sectors we are representing, specifically in the engineering
and architectural sectors.
·We
are active members of the Property Council of New Zealand now and receive
regular updates from this side of the industry. They connect property
professionals throughout the country and they act as a collective industry
voice – something that we are pleased to be part of.
·We
remain active members of the Construction Industry Council and have a seat on
the council. Ruth Williams does a stellar job of representing NAWIC every
quarter.
·We
have joined a campaign called Mates in Construction, highlighting the need for
conversations and resources needed at every level to talk about mental health
and suicide rates. NAWIC is a voice in
discussions and we take this role seriously, as mental health in construction
has been highlighted as the number one industry of stress and pressure. The official launch is 30th
October and I will be attending that.
In my 2018
report I said that I would like to see more collaboration with industry bodies,
and we have had a very successful year with aligning with other organisations
to strengthen our voice as we get closer to normalising women in
construction. We cannot do this on our
own and with the support and collaborative wide thinking we can achieve our
goals.
Our biggest
collaboration was with BCITO who partnered with us at our Excellence Awards in
September. Working with the teams
throughout the ITO was informative, educational and also firmly cemented our
vision with many employers and tertiary education providers. We have reached
further afield than ever, getting the word out that girls can choose to be
whatever they put their heart into, and have the choice to be whatever they
want to be, knowing they have training,
support and a voice right beside them – all the way through their careers.
We
re-branded and launched our new website on International Women’s day this
year. This was a much needed fresh face
to NAWIC, and we have received very positive feedback. A special thanks to Donna Howell and Rebecca
Hodges, along with our design partners Attraction Studio in Christchurch for
making this such a success. We are
working on new pages and will look to introduce a members’ only page or link in
the next few months, all going well.
Our
satellite group in Taranaki is on-going, and we have a lot of interest in
opening more groups in Bay of Plenty and Hamilton – these will be special
projects for me and my new role next year, as I step back into a support role
for the incoming president.
We want and
need to grow – there is enough evidence in the industry to support that; we
just need to make sure we are doing things in the right way and in a manner
which is consistent and sustainable.
Our media
and communications manager Gina McKenzie resigned from her pro bono role with
NAWIC to concentrate on her paid work. As the role is quite large we decided to
split it and welcomed Corrie Cook and Ellen Sharland on board to manage the
function. They have done very well
indeed and launched an Instagram page which is proving to be very effective.
The NAWIC
Excellence Awards were our biggest yet, and had a record number of entries from
very talented and skilled women across each category. 2020 looks to be even better and we cannot
wait to see how many women nominate themselves for an award – just go for it!
We usually
attend, and are involved with Auckland Build in November. Last year we were given an opportunity to
host a two-day women in construction summit.
We had six panel discussions, two workshops, and platforms for
feedback. Unfortunately this year the
organisers have pulled out of New Zealand and are only operating in
Australia. Next year we hope to have a
stand or be present at Build NZ
We have
been interviewed live on television this year in response to a survey that went
out; I was honored to be on a panel discussion at the Kiwibuild Summit, and was
a guest speaker on diversity at the same summit in June.
The
Chapters have been active all year and held some fantastic events – I wish I
could have a magic carpet to speed there to join in everything – I’ve realised
I have a serious case of FOMO!
NAWIC was
given the unique opportunity to be a part of a documentary called Living with
the Boss which will go live to air early 2020, so watch this space!
So, you can
see where your leaders have been, raising children, managing households, holding
down full time jobs and donating time and energy to every aspect of NAWIC. We do this because it’s the right thing to do
– to give back to the industry we love.
We have
raised the profile of NAWIC and as such have got several new sponsors on board
which we are very proud to be aligned with.
Some
changes at Board level also happened this year:-
We welcomed
Agustina Esmerado as our National Treasurer, who is just wonderful and has made
a big difference to the way we handle finances.
And yes,
this is my last AGM as President. I have
reflected on my journey and feel that I have given it my all, made some new
alliances and friends, watched women grow and lift their chins up, broaden
their horizons, and feel so humbled that NAWIC is a part of my life’s journey. I am so excited to pass the baton on to the
extremely capable and equally as passionate Stacey Mendonca. Stacey, I have always been in admiration of
how you have always held NAWIC close to your heart since you and Gina Jones
founded it in 1996, and I know you are just the right leader to take NAWIC to
its next level.
Rula Alatia has resigned from the Auckland Chapter Chair role, after seven
years of being heavily involved from the inception of the Auckland
chapter. Rula has given so much, but
feels that it’s time to pass the role onto Sarah Anderson. Sarah is a young, dynamic construction lawyer
who is eager to lead, and support others.
We give her our full support. I
will take up a 2IC role in support of Sarah.
NAWIC welcomes Stacey
Mendonca as their new President
Life has turned full circle for new NAWIC president Stacey
Mendonca, who was instrumental in establishing NAWIC New Zealand in 1996.
Stacey, who is chief estimator with Pacific Door Systems,
says that while NAWIC has achieved its original aim of supporting women and
encouraging them to pursue careers in the construction industry, there’s still
a long way to go with more women needed in leadership roles, and she is
delighted to be involved with the evolution of the non-profit organisation.
“Back in 1996 there were few women in the industry and we
have seen an increase in the numbers of women in construction, however this is
not reflected at senior levels. Now is the time for more women to step up into
leadership roles within the industry.
“I want to assist more women to become role models, mentors
and leaders. I also want to see more women putting their hands up to speak at
mainstream seminars and conferences, along with increasing the number of women
on boards of directors and in governance groups.”
Being based in Wellington will enable Stacey to build on
strategic relationships with government agencies and industry partners. She
sees this as a vital connection between creating policies which reflect
on-the-ground realities for women in the industry.
“It’s important to ensure that the voices of our members are
heard and reflected in government policies and initiatives so that these really
capture what is happening at the coal face and address real issues that women
in construction are facing.
Sharing stories and “walking the talk” are two methods that
Stacey believes will encourage young girls to consider a career in
construction.
“Our sector isn’t traditionally very good at storytelling,
and I think we need to focus on this area by telling inspiring stories at
schools, conferences, careers evenings and in publications and media releases.
“I am delighted to see Engineering NZ focusing on better
storytelling, and I can’t help but think that their new chief executive Susan
Freeman-Greene might be encouraging engineers to talk about their roles with a
fresh perspective.
“I also enjoy sharing the story of a past NAWIC Chair who
now visits preschools and provides free books which showcase women in
construction roles. Girls and boys need to see that there are females playing
an active role in the construction industry, because seeing really is believing
at a young age.”
Normalising women in construction is a key focus area for
Stacey as she believes this will encourage young women to visualise a pathway
to a career that they may not have previously considered.
“I want to hear our kids, both girls and boys, saying I’ve
followed in my mother’s footsteps into the construction industry. To do that I
think we need be better at standing in the sunshine and leading alongside men -
not just being happy to play a supporting role.”
Having more women sitting on boards of construction
companies could help alleviate some of the current industry issues related to
risk, according to Stacey.
“I think we’re at a crossroads around risk. Recently,
several contractors have been impacted by taking on risk that was realised.
“Women have a different perspective in this type of
discussion and I believe that women have a role around the board table
discussing the acceptance of risk. This is useful when considering strategic
risk. NAWIC can add its voice to policy and strategic discussions as the
industry looks to resolve these kinds of issues.”
Thinking ahead to the future, Stacey hopes to see a safer,
kinder construction industry with better collaboration and sharing of risk,
alongside increased diversity at a leadership level.
“I believe risk has to be more balanced. The current
way, where all risk sits with contractors is not sustainable. I would like to
see an industry which reflects the diversity of New Zealand which enables
better decisions to be made at board level.”
