Influential Woman · Commercial Construction

Rachel Lester

Owner, SE Constructive

Brentwood, TN

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Civil engineering, bs

Her Story

About Rachel

I have almost 20 years of experience in project management. I started out in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune for about three and a half years, working for NAC and Whiting Turner. Previously, I was working for a general contractor on that side of it, and now I've gone out to do more of the owner side. About 4 months ago, I founded my own owner's representation project management firm focused on nonprofits. I saw such a need for guidance, especially in the nonprofit world, through the construction process, to ensure that they understood the decisions that they were making and that they were spending their money and time wisely. By coming in early enough in the process, I can essentially backtrack from what a hard date is, like a grant deadline, to ensure their project gets done on schedule. If they miss that date, they're not going to get the funding, which is crucial to their operations. I'm very detail-oriented and methodical in things, and I really explain it and break it down to ensure it's understood. It's not just doing it, but it's ensuring it's understood why.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Rachel

01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Don't be afraid to get dirty. You need to go in the field, and don't be intimidated. Just, you're out there like they're out there. I've gone to a lot of, like, oh, that must be hard, you must be treated differently, you must be calling, you know, all of that. And I worked on a military base for many years, and a lot of it's just don't tolerate it. You know, set your boundaries, basically, and get the job done.

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