
Associate Spotlight – Rebecca Schaefer
For Women in Construction Week, Rebecca Schaefer, Assistant Project Manager, shares insights on her construction career, and the most amazing success of also becoming a mother…
I had a baby this year, and to be honest, when I was a kid I made my dreams smaller because I worried they would get in the way of each other. I wondered, was there such a thing as a pregnant construction manager? Well, I will never forget standing on the 4th story roof of my project inspecting TPO progress at 7 months pregnant and realizing that yes, there was such a thing.
At Miller-Valentine we say we Build Dreams. Project management is all about thinking creatively and strategically to make the client’s dream a reality and challenging the assumptions of our industry to get it done better and more efficiently than ever before. If I could go back today and talk to myself at 16 I would say, instead of worrying about any challenges that you perceive, focus on developing your ability to adapt and problem solve. It will make you a successful project manager, and when you find the right team, that skill set will make those challenges workable.
I built a few dreams this year, some for our clients, and some for myself. Because in our industry, whatever the world throws at us, a pandemic, complex structures, or a baby, there is always a way to figure it out together.
Congratulations Rebecca!
Interested in a Career in Construction? Read more at Five Reasons Why It’s Time for Girls and Women to See Their Future in Construction