NAWIC Vice President, Debbie Knight, Hourigan Construction, presented the workshop “Call for Help,” in which the Scouts learned how to respond to a gas leak, check and change the batteries in a smoke detector, and respond to other emergencies. Jenny Davis, NAWIC Corresponding Secretary, also with Hourigan Construction, presented the “Hang It Up” module. Hang it Up taught the girls about different types of wall fasteners and installing hardware on a picture frame. The frames were also painted, which was part of the “Out and About the Home” module. Accountant LeeAnn Old, of Sussex Development, spearheaded the painting room. Jean Baker, of Tesoro Corporation, taught “Flash,” in which the girls learned how to change the batteries and light bulb in a flashlight.
NAWIC member Carol Curtis, is the President of Virginia Beach-based Noah Enterprises. Noah is an 8(a), Woman-Owned, SDB Certified, General Contractor. Ms. Curtis’s workshops included “Fix a Faucet” and “A Simple Fix,” during which the Scouts learned how to fix a faucet, and learned how to do toilet repairs.
The last workshop included “It’s Electric” and “Conserve Energy.” Gloria Harris, NAWIC Director, taught the Scouts what a panel box looks like, identified fuses and circuit breakers, and taught them how to change and reset them. “Conserve Energy” taught the girls how to help their parents reduce the cost of utilities, and taught them about water conservation and energy-efficient lighting. Presenting the workshop with Ms. Harris was NAWIC Director, Christine Swanson, a Senior Fire Protection Engineer with Hankins and Anderson.
Concluding the day, each Scout received her Ms. Fix-It Badge and her very own tool box, containing a hammer, screw driver, tape measure, level and pencils. The boxes were donated by the Greater Tidewater NAWIC Chapter.
Other WIC Week Activities
The Greater Tidewater Chapter of NAWIC celebrated Women in Construction Week (“WIC Week”), along with other chapters across the United States, from March 1 through March 7, 2009. The local WIC Week events sought to raise awareness about career opportunities for women in the construction industry, and were co-chaired by Gloria Harris and Wanda Piland.
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, and the mayors of Norfolk, Suffolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth issued proclamations recognizing March 1-7, 2009, as Women in Construction Week.
On March 1, the Chapter led a workshop for fourth and fifth grade Girl Scouts. See separate article on this page. On March 2, the Chapter held a “Lunch and Learn” program on “Going Green.” James Crissinger, an architect with Paul Finch & Associates, gave a presentation entitled “An Introduction to LEED,” during which he explained the procedures and requirements for building structures that are certified as environmentally sound, under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)guidelines.
 On March 3 and 4, NAWIC members gave presentations in four local high schools, encouraging young women to consider construction careers. These presentations were made in conjunction with the Chapter’s partnership with the ACCESS College Foundation (www.accesscollege.org) to provide scholarships to local, female, high school seniors who express a desire to earn a college degree that is related to the construction industry (e.g., engineering, architecture, business, etc.). This year, our local NAWIC Chapter will award $5,000 in ACCESS scholarships. NAWIC members who spoke at the high schools were: Becky Bachmeier, Gracia & Vigil; Wanda Piland and Arlene Klinedinst, Vandeventer Black LLP; WIC Week Co-Chair Gloria Harris; Ashley Poglese, an engineer with Malcolm Pirnie; Julie Rowland, NetTek; Wesley Dodd, owner of Beacon Contracting, LLC; Mary Berridge, Noah Enterprises; and Jenny Therrien-Davis, Hourigan Construction. For more information on scholarship opportunities, please see www.nawic-greatertidewater137.org.
Finally, on Thursday, March 5, the Chapter ended its WIC Week activities with a construction job site tour of Norfolk’s HRT Light Rail Project, led by Pat Query, Jim Thomas, and John Richardson, of general contractor, Skanska USA Civil Southeast. Following the tour, members gathered for a “Hard Hat Happy Hour,” during which they displayed and distributed information about NAWIC, enjoyed professional networking, and raised over $200 for Samaritan House, a homeless shelter for women and children. |
