NARI Celebrates Women in Construction Week with a Focus on Industry Trailblazers

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is proud to support Women in Construction Week, March 1-7, 2020. As a leading advocate for women in the trades, NARI stands behind all female members who bring professionalism and integrity to every project.
 
This year, we celebrate four women whose stories embody the knowledge, drive and determination of NARI members to effect change and create a more diverse workforce. Each has followed a different path, but all have made key contributions to their communities, their colleagues and the remodeling industry. They include:

Melissa Andrekus, Electrical Foreman—Melissa helped to lead the electrical team that recently built out the new NARI headquarters. She’s passionate about the creative process involved in electrical construction and says about working in a male-dominated field, “We’re all here to do the same job.” Watch Melissa here.
 
Judy Transue, CR, CRPM, Owner, CHC Design-Build—Judy serves as Chapter President at Kansas City NARI. After 15 years in the remodeling industry, she believes continuous education and professional certifications give her an edge when meeting with customers. In addition, Judy’s background as a farmer and IT professional also helped shape her current role as a businessperson. Read more about Judy here.

Jess Cannizzaro, CRPM, UDCP, Owner, Milestone Plumbing—As a female in the male-dominated plumbing industry, Jess has built Milestone Plumbing into a thriving business through hard work, a zest for learning and a strong belief in her own abilities. Today, her Milwaukee-area company employs a team of 14 and gives back to the industry through apprenticeships and advocacy. Read more about Jess here.
 
Allie Berenyi, CLC, Instructor, Madison Area Technical College—With more than 27 years of industry experience, Allie is a popular instructor of construction & remodeling at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin. While she teaches a variety of technical classes, her focus is giving students real-world, hands-on experience. Her message to female students is simple: Do something that is rewarding. Read more about Allie here.
 
“At NARI, we always seek to give women like Allie, Jess, Judy and Melissa a platform to share their inspiring stories so that other female remodelers can see a bright future ahead of them,” Megan McCullough, Director of Marketing, NARI, says. “As a new member of the remodeling industry myself, I’m encouraged to see more women represented in our industry every day. I’m proud to spotlight this new generation of female leaders who are changing the workforce through their expertise, intelligence, advocacy and commitment.”
 
About Women in Construction Week
Women in Construction Week, March 1-7, 2020, highlights women as a viable component of the construction industry and raises awareness of the opportunities and growing role women have in it. It is sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction. Learn more at www.nawic.org.
 
About NARI
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry, or NARI, is the medium for business development, a platform for advocacy and the principal source for industry intelligence. NARI is an organization of high-quality remodeling professionals. Its members are committed to integrity, high standards, professional education, ethics and market recognition.
NARI connects homeowners with its professional members and industry intelligence so consumers have a positive remodeling experience with a professional, qualified remodeler.