Brown’s own relationship with construction began long before she understood where it might take her. “The idea to pursue this line of work was embedded in my DNA,” she says. “It was because of exposure and the opportunity to see firsthand how this part of the business works.”
“Women have always been integral to the success of this industry, whether we were given the spotlight or not.” Rita Brown does not soften her language when she talks about women in construction, and she does not believe the industry benefits when anyone else does either. As President of the National Association of Women in Construction, Brown has spent two decades inside an organization devoted to advancing women across an industry where their contributions have long exceeded their representation. To her, the conversation is no longer about proving that women belong. “Women have always been integral to the success of this industry, whether we were given the spotlight or not,” Brown says. “This is not about collecting accolades. This is about being vital and vigorous and recognizing the worth of intellect and skill and improvement in an industry and in a society that has often relegated women to secondary roles or support roles.”
She knows how consequential that early exposure was.
“That’s something that the vast majority of our gender doesn’t get to see, but I grew up with it. I was enculturated in it.” The career that followed was not built on uninterrupted confidence or an absence of resistance. “You don’t always believe in yourself,” Brown says. “It’s an ebb and flow and some days are better than others.” The moments when she was diminished or considered unequal to the task ultimately became some of her greatest teachers. “I think every single challenge is and was a gift,” she says. “You learn more from failures and mistakes. You learn more from the places that are broken than you do from smooth sailing.” “Any time I faced being diminished, any time I faced being thought of as not up to the task was an opportunity for me to reinforce what it is that I believed in myself and in my abilities.”
That determination now shapes Brown’s vision for NAWIC.
“To invest 20 years in an organization, you have to believe in its mission and vision,” she says. “And I 100% do.”
39
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker