Her Story
About Sierramarie
Sierramarie Fitzgerald is an accomplished environmental health and safety professional serving as Supervisor of EHSR Field Safety at The Hallen Construction Co., Inc in the New York City Metropolitan Area. With more than seven years of experience in construction safety and loss prevention, she specializes in OSHA compliance, field safety operations, workforce training, and risk management within the natural gas construction industry. Known for her people-first approach and commitment to protecting workers in the field, Sierramarie is passionate about creating safer job sites while fostering a culture of accountability, support, and continuous improvement.
Sierramarie began her career with Hallen Construction as an intern before transitioning into a full-time role in safety administration. Over the years, she advanced through multiple leadership positions, including Administrator of Field Safety, Coordinator of Field Safety & Loss Prevention, and Senior Coordinator of EHSR/Field Safety, before being promoted to Supervisor. Throughout her career, she has led safety audits, toolbox talks, PPE training programs, and compliance initiatives while supporting laborers, foremen, and field leaders across complex construction projects. Her leadership has played a key role in the growth and development of Hallen’s safety department, helping expand the team and strengthen the company’s overall safety culture.
Dedicated to professional growth and industry excellence, Sierramarie holds a Master of Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Literature from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She also maintains professional certifications including Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM) and Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP). Driven by a genuine desire to help others, Sierramarie believes safety leadership is about more than compliance—it is about making a meaningful difference in the lives of workers every day through education, communication, and proactive support.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sierramarie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would have to say my parents. My dad is one of the most hardworking people that I have ever met. He has sacrificed so much to put me and my sisters through college, for us to have such minimal debt when we got out. Him and my mom really worked together as a team to make sure that we were set up for success, so I learned a good, hard work ethic from my dad. My mom, from a very young age, always told me you don't want to rely on a man, you want to rely on yourself. If you get yourself an education, no matter what happens in your life, nobody can take that from you. Nobody can take the smarts, the brains that you have - you can do anything. The two of them together really were a power team, and I got very lucky that they raised me and my sisters to be the same way. I think I get a piece of it from each of them. In my 7 years here, I've gone from an administrator when I was young, the fourth or fifth person in the department, to now we have about 15 people and I'm supervisor, second in line. My dad is very proud, and he constantly reminds me that it's all me, not him - that I've done this and earned this myself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My mom, from a very young age, always told me you don't want to rely on a man, you want to rely on yourself. If you get yourself an education, no matter what happens in your life, nobody can take that from you. Nobody can take the smarts, the brains that you have - you can do anything.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that they have to be willing to learn. Coming into the construction industry, especially as a woman, but even putting that aside, just being someone who came in with no experience - not being afraid to ask questions, to get your hands dirty, and really just show respect. I have found that if you have respect for the guys, you ask them questions, you want them to show you what's going on, what they do on a day-to-day basis, 99% of them are more than happy to take me into a basement and show me how to do a meter setup, or how to do a relight for a stove, or taking me down 30 feet into a trench and showing me how to steel weld. Really being open to asking questions, and even though you have a college degree, you're not necessarily the smartest one in the room. Take a step, maybe humble yourself a little bit, and realize that these guys, some of them haven't even graduated high school yet, but they have all the knowledge in the world. If you just ask, they are so willing to help. I've been very lucky that we have a great group of guys that when I ask questions, they would be more than happy to do these things for me, and that's really how I learned a lot of what I know now - just staying on job sites, asking questions, and sometimes getting the qualifications to actually be able to do a thing or two with their supervision.
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