Meet the women of this year’s Site Service Awards

Women in Construction Week is a reminder that the industry is changing — but also how much work is still ahead. Women now represent close to 14% of all those employed in construction across Canada, the highest share ever recorded in the Labour Force Survey era. And yet the gap is still stark on site: BuildForce has reported that while hundreds of thousands of women work in construction overall, women account for only about 5% of the on-site trades workforce.

To help amplify women in the industry, SiteMedia is creating a new space for female leaders in the industrial space to develop the skills they need to succeed. This spring, CALIBRATED is launching in Vancouver to bring together senior women leaders from technical and industrial sectors — including construction, infrastructure, building, energy, water, environment, and resources — for a one-day immersive program focused not on simply inspiring leadership capacity, but resourcing it. 

Many women are already crushing it in the sector. 38% of our Site Service Awards finalists were women and three of eight category winners were women.

The awards spotlight the high performers and unsung heroes who keep projects moving — from HR, safety, and operations to marketing, VDC, and community-building — and they put real names and stories behind the progress happening across Canada’s construction sector. Below, we’re highlighting the women finalists who earned this recognition, and the impact they’re making on job sites, in offices, and across the industry.

Isabelle Weber-Concannon

Isabelle Weber-Concannon is an exceptional representative of women in construction and a remarkable young leader within one of Metro Vancouver’s major water infrastructure projects. She consistently demonstrates a thoughtful and proactive approach to community relations, ensuring Metro Vancouver’s commitment to residents is upheld in every interaction. In her role as Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel Project, Project Manager Engineer at Metro Vancouver, Isabelle keeps design intent and buildability aligned, helping teams avoid rework and protect schedule. Colleagues say Isabelle possesses a rare ability to stay consistently positive, solution-oriented, and community-focused even in challenging construction environments. She combines technical understanding with genuine empathy, ensuring project needs are met while community wellbeing is protected.

Christy Giberson

Christy Giberson is exceptional in every sense of the word. She is a servant leader whose professionalism, warmth, and approachable personality make her an invaluable teammate. In her role as Analyst, HSE/Sustainability & Instructional Designer at Strike Group, Christy helps teams plan work safely, reduce risk, and build trust in the process. One of her most impactful recent wins has been leading the development of the organization’s annual Sustainability Report. She was the driving force behind the analytics, the design, and the overall structure of the report, providing invaluable support to the organization’s Sustainability Manager in bringing this important document to life. The report has become a critical resource for the entire company. Colleagues praised her for her flexibility, noting her unmatched breadth of knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines.

Janice Stanley

Janice Stanley doesn’t “run safety” at BM Group — she owns it. She brings a mix of confidence, clarity, and genuine care that makes safety feel real on the ground, not like paperwork from the office. And because she’s worked across tough corners of the industry — from heavy equipment to oilfield and mining — crews know she understands the work, not just the rules. That credibility shows up everywhere. Janice is a key reason BM Group maintains its COR certification, leading audits with precision and making sure the company’s processes hold up to the highest standards. Since joining, colleagues say she’s taken safety “to another level,” tightening compliance, updating critical policies, and pushing improvements around equipment issues and safe work procedures before they become problems.

Melisa Turkmen

Melisa Turkmen has a rare talent for making safety stick — not through paperwork, but through trust, tools, and a program crews actually want to be part of. At Rabcon, she’s been a key force behind a safety culture that’s earned real results, including early progress on COR 2020 in Ontario and recognition tied to protecting young workers. What stands out is how well she bridges the gap between the field and leadership. Voters repeatedly pointed to her ability to earn buy-in: she listens first, communicates clearly, and creates a system shaped by both management and workers—practical on site, strong in audits, and built for day-to-day use. She’s also pushed modernization in a meaningful way. Melisa has helped drive safety software upgrades and digital improvements that streamline compliance and make training more engaging.

Dara Wone – Winner

Dara Wone has been one of the steady hands behind ETRO’s rise — not just in how the company looks to the market, but how it feels to work there. Since joining in 2018, she’s helped shape a strong brand and culture that has stayed “people first” even as ETRO grew from roughly 20 people to more than 160. That takes more than good marketing — it takes someone who understands how teams actually operate, communicate, and stay aligned when things get busy fast. Where Dara really flexes is in high-stakes pursuits. She’s raised the bar on proposals and submissions with a level of structure, polish, and storytelling that gives ETRO a real edge — including on major pursuits like the BC Place Stadium Upgrades tied to the 2026 World Cup. As one voter put it: “From external branding to internal bid proposals, Dara does not let anything slip through the cracks.”

Jennifer Blake

Jennifer Blake is the kind of marketer every construction company wishes they had: creative, relentlessly helpful, and somehow always game to jump in. In just 18 months, she’s essentially built Fero’s marketing function from scratch — moving the company from piecemeal outsourcing to a real in-house engine with consistent branding, faster turnaround, and a stronger digital presence. And the results aren’t fluff: LinkedIn followers up 322%, Instagram up 395%, and monthly inbound website leads up more than 400%. For a smaller company, that’s the kind of momentum that helps you punch above your weight against much bigger competitors. At industry events she makes real connections that turn into long-term partnerships, while representing the brand with professionalism and warmth.

Mandy Atwood

Mandy Atwood has a knack for making big, technical construction stories feel human. She can take the complexity of what Graham builds and turn it into clear, emotionally resonant storytelling that lands with everyone from a superintendent in the field to a student sizing up the industry. Just as importantly, she can zoom out to brand strategy, then zoom right back in to the details — photo shoots, social content, internal comms — making it all feel like “one Graham.” Her standout win has been leading Graham’s 100-year anniversary campaign in a way that didn’t just look backwards. Instead of leaning on nostalgia, she used the centennial as a platform to spotlight the projects, people, and partnerships behind the brand — and to tie that legacy to what matters now.

Marion Bouet

Marion Bouet treats communications as core project infrastructure, not an add-on. As Senior Business Partner – Operations Communications at Pomerleau, she supports flagship construction projects by making sure field teams, leadership and partners are aligned around the same goals and messages. Coworkers say she helps elevate operations communications within Pomerleau so that it directly supports project delivery and culture, rather than sitting off to the side. She has focused on developing communication strategies tied to major projects and operational priorities, strengthening how information flows between offices, sites and leadership. This work has helped position communications as a key enabler of project success instead of a reactive function.

Marlene Arianna

Marlene Arianna has helped turn People & Culture at EllisDon into a real growth engine—one that’s as serious about building careers as the company is about building projects. Over the past eight-plus years, she’s shaped a team and a strategy that supports 4,200+ employees across Canada and internationally, covering everything from people ops and total rewards to talent acquisition and leadership development. Her signature move is Leading at Scale—EllisDon’s high-potential leadership program built around self-awareness, team leadership, organizational impact, and legacy. She’s also tackled the industry’s hardest constraint: talent. Marlene spearheaded EllisDon’s UK “Skills Mission” in London, securing federal approval for roughly 100–125 visas under a special program—speeding up mobility and helping bypass lengthy LMIA processes.

Amandeep Chahal

Amandeep Chahal has a winning combo: Unwavering commitment to excellence and positivity. Colleagues described her as a passionate, curious, and empowering Human Resources leader. This past year year was a big one for her. She added a whole new sector to her portfolio, lead two acquisitions and employee transitions to Aecon, created an Aecon-wide estimating field rotation program, a sector specific playbook to address talent gaps within the rail sector, all the while, keeping her team positive and engaged. Coworkers say she doesn’t just excel at her job. She inspires others to be their best and has a knack for getting support from colleagues in executing challenging, rewarding work.

Danya Scott

Since joining CGI in 2018 (starting as Office Manager and growing into a senior leadership role), Danya Scott has helped shape CGI into the kind of workplace that can scale across Canada without losing its culture. She’s led the rollout of BambooHR, rebuilt the employee handbook, and created more consistent feedback loops through surveys so issues get surfaced early — and fixed fast. She’s also been a steady hand behind talent systems that matter on real jobs: a site superintendent training program, stronger recruiting through a refreshed website + careers site, and a more intentional presence at career fairs. Colleagues described her as empathetic, calm, and quietly resourceful — “the quiet force solving problems before anyone else even notices them.”

Elaine Carelse

Elaine Carelse is the secret weapon behind Orion Construction’s culture. One of the company’s earliest hires, she helped shape Orion from a fast-growing team into a people-first workplace—building structure where it was needed most through mentorship, feedback programs, and clear development pathways that tie individual growth to company performance. She’s known for blending empathy with execution: creating human-centred systems from onboarding to leadership training, fully funding certifications, and helping develop leaders from within. Elaine has also strengthened workforce development and compliance, expanding training and supporting a strong safety and accountability culture. Colleagues describe her as a mentor and anchor—calm under pressure, deeply authentic, and the kind of leader who makes people feel seen, supported, and proud to stay and grow.

Joanne Seto

Joanne Seto turns “people strategy” into a real competitive advantage. As VP, People and Talent at Axiom Builders, she’s built a high-performing team of specialists that supports the entire organization—from talent acquisition and HR operations to learning and development, communications, corporate events, community engagement, and corporate services. In just a few years, she has helped transform HR from a support function into a strategic partner trusted by the executive team, aligning people practices tightly with business priorities while elevating engagement, culture, and retention. What sets Joanne apart is how she leads: with influence, empathy, and zero ego. Colleagues point to her hands-on presence—regularly visiting job sites to understand the work, connect with site teams, and ensure employees feel supported and connected to the company.

Katrina Ingraham

Katrina Ingraham is a people-first leader who’s become a steady anchor at Emil Anderson Group. Colleagues describe her as the rare HR professional who leads with genuine care—always making time to listen, creating space for concerns and ideas, and approaching challenges with calm, clarity, and creativity. When pressure builds or priorities collide, she’s the constant the team relies on. What sets Katrina apart is her ability to think ahead and turn big-picture ideas into practical progress. She has helped drive meaningful growth and development through initiatives like ACORN, a portal for continuous learning and skill-building, and the EAGLE program, focused on leadership development and preparing employees for expanded roles. Through her leadership, Emil Anderson Group has strengthened how it develops talent from within—building a culture where people feel supported, heard, and empowered to learn, lead, and move forward together.

Sarah Beley

No gear? No problem. Sarah Beley is helping eliminate a simple but often overlooked barrier to getting on the jobsite: having the proper safety equipment. Under her leadership during the past decade, Working Gear has expanded from a small volunteer operation into a high-capacity program that equips over 2,000 people each year with steel-toed boots, high-visibility gear, rainwear, and industry-required PPE. One of her most significant impacts has been the complete modernization and expansion of Working Gear’s construction-readiness services. She has built strong partnerships with construction companies, unions, employers, and referral agencies, ensuring that individuals facing barriers can access the equipment and support needed to safely enter the trades.

Shelby Clerihue

With nearly a decade at Kindred, Shelby Clerihue has been a steady hand through big seasons of change—growth, shifting priorities, and the challenges that come with building a company at speed. What makes Shelby stand out is how effortlessly she can zoom out and zoom in. She’s strategic enough to help steer long-term initiatives, but detailed enough to catch the small stuff that can quietly derail a team—process gaps, communication breakdowns, the “we’ll deal with it later” issues that always come due. When things get complicated, she’s the go-to. Restructures, people challenges, leadership decisions, hard conversations—Shelby brings clarity without losing compassion. She’s calm under pressure, practical in her solutions, and genuinely cares about doing things well (and doing right by people while doing it).

Briar Beers – Winner

Briar and her husband Ryan Beers are a construction power couple that can’t be stopped. After earning a civil engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, Briar built her career as a senior project manager before taking the leap into ownership at Cutting Edge Consulting (CEC), an industrial construction company focused on bridge construction and rehabilitation, mobile crane services, pile driving, welding, fabrication, and more. Inside the business, she helped build the backbone: developing the safety program that led to COR certification, building out project management and estimating systems, and supporting rapid growth from a single employee to more than 60 workers. She’s also a visible advocate for women in construction—mentoring, teaching, showing up for Chamber of Commerce work, and staying active in community events and local shows.

Allison Fowler

Allison Fowler hasn’t been with FLINT Corp. long, but has already made a huge impact. After coming aboard in May 2025, her division saw a significant decrease in turnover and an increase in employee retention. She actively reviews different markets for business expansion and is focused on enhancing the employee experience by evaluating her division’s programs. Allison’s leadership is guided by the principle: “jump to understand, instead of jumping to conclusions.” This approach fosters thoughtful decision-making and encourages a culture of empathy and collaboration within her team. Colleagues say that Allison’s most significant contribution has been bringing stability to her division and empowering her team to grow and develop.

Amy Sorrenti

Amy Sorrenti is an invaluable resource for IO as it navigates insurance risk for major capital projects. She’s also exceptional at team building and coordinating efforts across the different teams. Despite being an expert in her field, Amy is always curious to learn more about other aspects that may or may not directly be related to her line of work. She welcomes others’ perspectives and makes sure she takes different perspectives and views into consideration in her work. Amy has helped IO achieve critical project milestones in a timely manner by staying on top of her work, taking a proactive approach, coordinating single handedly with multi-disciplinary teams and that has helped IO set standards for other projects and build a reputation as a sophisticated agency.

Jennifer Chizen

Asset Management is itself an unsung hero in the development and management of public infrastructure. It is the function that underpins entire projects, from financing to the end of decades-long maintenance periods. It is where relationships are built with clients and within consortia to overcome the challenges that inevitably arise in these long and complex projects. Jennifer Chizen is at the centre of it all, calling upon 18 years of experience in healthcare and justice capital development, and facilities management. She has led oversight of many alternative financing and procurement (AFP) and Public-Private Partnership projects, and understands what it takes to manage governance and compliance through evolving relationships during construction and operations.

Cheyanne Hammell

Cheyanne Hammell has become one of PCL’s go-to fixers when the job is complicated, time-sensitive, and has zero room for error. A standout example is Lakeridge Gardens, Ontario’s first accelerated-build long-term care project. The schedule was aggressive and the expectations were high, but the team delivered it in just 13 months. It’s the kind of result that doesn’t happen without tight coordination, quick decision-making, and someone who can keep everyone aligned when the pressure spikes. What sets Cheyanne apart is the combo of technical depth and people-first communication. She can get into the weeds to solve real construction problems, then zoom out and read the room — what the client needs, where the friction is, and how to keep partners pulling in the same direction.

Sama Abri

Sama Abri has a reputation for work that’s not only accurate and well-researched, but delivered with a level of polish that often exceeds expectations—without slowing the pace. Colleagues say she consistently spots issues early in planning, documentation, or execution, and quietly resolves them before they turn into bigger problems. That mix of foresight and follow-through saves time, reduces rework, and keeps projects moving. What really sets Sama apart is how easily she bridges worlds. She can hold the big picture in her head—strategy, priorities, risk—while still tracking the operational details that make or break delivery.

Chelsea Montgomery

Chelsea Montgomery has a knack for finding problems before they become site problems—and doing it in a way that keeps teams moving. A highly skilled BIM and VDC professional, she’s also become a go-to voice in helping educate the Vancouver and broader Canadian market on BIM’s real-world benefits when it’s done properly. On the Steveston Park Washrooms project with Scott Construction, Chelsea’s coordination work helped avoid an estimated $200,000 in rework and delays—on a relatively small job, which shows how quickly value adds up when issues are caught early. What sets Chelsea apart is her blend of BIM/VDC expertise with an estimating and GC background. She instinctively knows where coordination and clash detection will actually move the needle on schedule, cost, and constructability.

Karina Delcourt

Karina Delcourt is the person who takes ETRO’s big ideas and actually makes them reality. She doesn’t chase shiny tools for the sake of it. She pressure-tests them, figures out who will use what (and when), spots the friction points before rollout, then builds the pathway, support, and follow-through so adoption sticks. A big part of Karina’s edge is how she thinks in systems. With an architecture and planning background, she naturally zooms out to see how a change in one workflow will ripple across estimating, projects, field teams, and back office — then zooms back in to break that complexity into logical, executable steps. Colleagues say most ETRO innovations “take their first breath at Karina’s desk,” and they credit her with reducing redundancies, improving project life cycles, and elevating the day-to-day work experience across the company.

Carly Steiman

Carly Steiman is a rare mix of top-tier tradesperson and true community builder. As a Red Seal electrician and the founder of Lady Electric, she’s built a reputation for high-quality electrical and lighting work, but she is doing incredible work beyond the jobsite. She’s using her platform to make the skilled trades more visible, more accessible, and more representative. A standout example is The Tradeswomen Exhibit—a photographic gallery she helped create that spotlights the strength, skill, and diversity of women in the trades. It’s equal parts storytelling and statement: “we’re here, and we’re building.” She backs that advocacy with real-world hustle. Carly shows up in schools, at industry events, and in rooms where decisions get made—connecting with youth, builders, and government leaders to shift perceptions about trades careers and open doors for the next generation.

Carol Phillips

Carol Phillips is pushing Canadian architecture and design into the future. In Ontario, she helped turn a bold sustainability brief into a building that actually teaches. As Partner-in-Charge on Limberlost Place at George Brown College, she led a design where performance isn’t hidden behind walls. From the mass-timber structure to the dual solar chimneys that drive natural ventilation, Limberlost isn’t just “low carbon” on paper. It’s a daily, lived example of architecture and engineering working in sync. A big part of that comes down to discipline early in design: the team committed to passive strategies first, then sized mechanical systems around what the building could do naturally. Carol kept the innovation ambitious but clear. Limberlost has become a national reference point for net-zero-ready, tall-timber education buildings, and the real win is that it’s replicable. Inside Moriyama Teshima Architects, it sparked a “Limberlost way” of working—start with passive moves, prove them with analysis, then build systems around them—and that mindset is showing up in new pursuits across the country.