Her Story
About Julianne
My main area of expertise is utilities. I go through and make sure, or do my best, to make sure that all utilities are accounted for and out of the way before major highway projects start. I also delve in and assist with community infrastructure as far as new subdivisions coming in, making sure they're coordinating with the DOTs and counties and things like that in the area, because they all play a similar part, and the more communication that we have, better coordination we have up front, it always makes life simpler. I also mentor a lot of the younger generation coming up, create processes, and develop pathways for them to grow in their career. I'm working on creating an actual certification program through a technical school, and working with the school districts, so high school students can start out in this career path as well, with legitimate training, which needs to be improved. A typical day for me involves a lot of meetings and presentations throughout the U.S. on multiple categories. I work with a lot of industry experts and DOTs. I lead the standardization committee for UEFI this year, developing those processes, making sure our voices are heard, making sure that we are having good communication between everybody to where it's a fair playing field, but also a more educated playing field than what we have right now.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Julianne
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be scared to be a mom. Don't be scared to be transparent. Don't be scared to speak about the things nobody wants to talk about. And make sure that you're actually learning all aspects of this, not just focusing on one specific area. And get more involved in the community.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being a woman in the industry, especially in construction, or any type of area where you're dealing with people in the field, is always a challenge. You have to earn that respect, and you have to fight. But another thing I'm really noticing is dealing with women in the industry. Ladies, we should be supporting each other, not shooting each other down. Find those groups and support the moms, and be that sound voice for everybody. I've talked to the ladies here, and it's just insane hearing our stories and seeing what we went through, and the challenges and the obstacles, and you figure that wouldn't really still be here back in this day and age, but it sure is. I'm actually starting a Women in Leadership Group within our company to address these issues.
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