Her Story
About Kyra
I've been in construction for about 8 years and in inspections for almost 4 years. I actually started as a controller for a disadvantaged minority construction company, and doing the payroll, I found out that labor and operating paid significantly more money, so I slowly shifted into labor as an apprentice, then operated for a little bit. I got tired of redoing stuff because they didn't give you plan sheets - they'd say dig a hole here, then you were filling it in and digging it somewhere else the next day. So I quickly found out that inspections was the point where you could help with that a little bit more. I actually have over 14 certifications, and I've used them all on this I-205 bridge project over the last 3 years, which is kind of cool - it's like skipping 20 years of experience. My key responsibilities involve verifying that the work being done and installed is following the specifications and the plan sheets, the special provisions, and verifying that the products are on the QPL or they're correct versus what was submitted by the contractor. Before construction, I was in dietetics for 10 years in hospitals, schools, and prisons, and you'd be surprised that contracting is actually very similar - the whole formatting of it, the inspections and standards you have to meet. I work for ACMS Northwest as a consultant, and ODOT's always trying to poach me, but ODOT doesn't have the nice pay scale and benefits that a consultant does.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kyra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to just staying focused and keeping going through it, even on the hard days. A hard day would be something going inevitably wrong, nobody else is answering, and then you've got to calm yourself and start going through everything and get everything back in order, all by yourself. There's a lot of covering in areas that you're not really familiar with, so it's like starting over pretty much every other week sometimes. If you're not careful, you'll go down a rabbit hole in the wrong direction, so you just have to look at the piece that you're focusing on today. You've got to start the next day fresh - if you're carrying stuff from the other day, it's going to be harder and it wastes your energy.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is: if it doesn't scare you, it's not worth it. If you're absolutely terrified, keep going forward. Had I not done that, I would not be where I am. It definitely takes a self-driven individual to do what I do. I made my position in healthcare, I had a good name for myself, but then started all over in construction, and now I'm right back to where I was in healthcare, but in construction. It's definitely comforting, but it's hard work.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Start with an apprenticeship. That's a good place to start, and a lot of them are free, and they pay you to begin, and they don't tell you that in high school for some reason - especially for women. It's the same in healthcare, honestly. I've worked my butt off, and they paid for a lot of my schooling for that, but they don't really support women with that. This industry is still very male-dominant, but if you want to make the big boy money, you've got to hang out with them. I actually had half of the ACMS team that was against me and the other half that was for me, and now they're all on board for me, thankfully. But it was a lot of proving before we got there. It's kind of like starting over - I made my position in healthcare, I had a good name for myself, but then started all over in construction.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is time and how many places you've got to be at the same time. Then there's budget deficit and things like that, so you definitely have to multitask and be prepared for that. My reports help drive budget meetings, so I don't get to participate in them, but I definitely know the background, and I see what's coming before it hits the news. You've got to figure out if it was the contractor mistake, the subcontractor, or the designer. Communication on projects this size is key - over-communication is important, and not everybody wants to listen to you. So if that doesn't work, it always works in writing. Sometimes they don't even want to listen to a female, essentially, and then I just forward it up to the PC with ODOT. But thankfully, they've gotten used to me and they know I'm very skilled and proficient in what I do.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I just kind of like to see what I put out come back, and if I can help that on the other side, I do my best to do that every day. I actually did this feature on the basis that hopefully some girl somewhere else reads that and realizes that, hey, I can actually do that, and they make that effort to move forward. I actually had an ODOT shadow that does all the accounting on this project, and she was like, I don't make money, they treat me like crap in the office. So she shadowed me for a day and was like, this is all you do compared to what I do? I was like, yes, and I've done what you do, so if you want to take this step, go ahead, and I'll walk you through it. So she's actually going to become a general inspector for ODOT.
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