Women in Construction

Boston Chapter

Board of Directors

	President - Jennifer Weiss Donovan, AIA Now a licensed Architect, Jennifer Weiss Donovan spent her formative years involved with a family-owned Electrical Construction business inupstate NY. She went on to earn an Associates Degree in Interior Designfrom Cazenovia College and a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Syracuse University, then began her Architectural career in Ithaca, NY. In the five years spent there, she gained experience as an Interior Designer, Project Architect, Project Manager, and Construction Administrator on projects for the United States Postal Service, public schools, and colleges/universities. Ms. Weiss Donovan relocated to Boston in June 2000 and further tailored her role as an Architect and Construction Administrator. At Payette, she has most recently been enjoying the challenges and responsibilities of contracts and budgets on various projects. Ms. Weiss Donovan holds an Architectural License in both New York and Massachusetts and is LEED Certified. She contributesto several committees at Payette, has been a speaker at Build Boston, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Boston Societyof Architects, and the National Association of Women in Construction. Jennifer and her husband Al reside on the South Shore and are proud parents of two small children.
	Vice President - Amy Blake-Baldwin, AIA
	Immediate Past President - Amy MacDonough Ms. MacDonough graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. With over 10 year in the industries, she has worked for the most respected companies in the industry. Having started out at Shawmut Design and Construction in the restaurant and retail division as an assistant project manger, she later worked for Gilbane Building Company as a superintendent on wide range of projects. Currently Amy is an assistant project manager at Ashling Inc. and is involved on projects from pre-construction to commencement. Ashling is a small group of highly skilled professionals who bring experience from all disciplines of project management, specializing in building high-end restaurant and retail spaces.
	Treasurer - Meghan Damon Meghan Damon is a graduate of Lesley University and holds a degree in Business Management. She has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry and began her career in 1992 working as a bookkeeper and office manager for a general contractor in Boston. Meghan has steadily progressed through the ranks and has held a variety of positions including project manager for numerous local and national construction projects. Meghan is currently providing business and bookkeeping services for small firms on the South Shore. Her main focus is on budgeting and profit retention. She also holds a current Massachusetts Construction Supervisors License and is certified in QuickBooks Pro. Meghan has served on the fundraising committees for Dana Farber Cancer Society and The Leukemia Society of America. Her individual efforts have raised over $9,000 dollars while participating in the San Diego Marathon and Boston Marathon.
	Recording Secretary - Amy Hutchins A recent graduate of Roger Williams University, Amy Hutchins received a Bachelor of Architecture with minors in Historic Preservation and Art History. She graduated second in her class, magna cum laude, and was awarded the AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit. While in college she participated in Tau Sigma Delta, the Architectural National Honors Society, as well as Alpha Chi National Honor Society. Amy is currently employed at Payette as a designer and is an Associate AIA member in addition to the Boston Society of Architects.
	Corresponding Secretary - Siobhan Costello Siobhan Costello is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She began her career working as an environmental consultant. Siobhan transitioned into recruiting within the environmental, engineering, and construction industries. She is currently the Human Resources Recruiter for Exponent ®. Her main focus is identifying and attracting candidates for Engineering and Scientific consulting positions across the United States. She has a particular focus on University Recruiting at the Masters and Ph.D. level. In her personal time, Siobhan is an active naturalist and works part time for the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
	Director - Nicolette Brewster Nicolette Brewster graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth summa cum laude with a bachelors of business degree with concentrations in Marketing and International Business. Upon graduating she began her career with TAC and remains employed at TAC, a building automation provider, as a Sales Engineer. In addition to NAWIC, she is also an active member of the Boston chapter of ISPE.
	Director - Susan Evans In the Fall of 2007, Susan joined the Boston office of S.R. Clarke, Inc., a national executive search and recruiting firm serving the construction, design, engineering, and real estate development markets, Her professional focus is construction placing superintendents, project managers, and project executives, while also placing drafters, project managers/architects, and senior associates in the architecture marketplace – temporary, direct hire, and retained search. Altogether Susan has over 15 years experience in staffing experience including the fields of IT and Software Engineering for start-up internet companies and major corporations. Being a Board Member of NAWIC Boston gives her another avenue where she can contribute to the advancement of women in their careers. Outside her professional life, Susan has volunteered her leadership skill as President of Boston West Toastmasters achieving the highest individual and club award in the Toastmasters organization in 2004. Over the past few years, her passion has been environmental conservation where she is active in the United Methodist Church Green Team and leading the energy conservation initiatives on the Board of Governors of Brook Village Condominiums in Boxborough, MA. She is a member of Boston’s USGBC affiliate, Green Round Table, and recycles everything she can. Susan holds an MBA from Boston University, concentrating in Organizational Behavior and Marketing, and a B.A. in General Arts & Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University. She enjoys travel, nature and the environment, and a healthy and socially active lifestyle balanced with a variety of cultural interests and volunteer endeavors.
	Director - Gina Fonte Gina A. Fonte is a member of the Litigation Department at Holland & Knight, LLP, and concentrates her practice in all areas of commercial litigation, with an emphasis on the construction industry, insurance, and surety law. Ms. Fonte’s construction law practice concentrates on the litigation, arbitration, and mediation of construction disputes as well as contract drafting, negotiation and interpretation, and general business advice to general contractors, developers, subcontractors, suppliers, sureties, and engineers. Ms. Fonte has experience representing such entities in both negotiations and during litigation. Ms. Fonte is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She is also admitted to practice in the State of New Hampshire and the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association. Ms. Fonte received her bachelors degree, magna cum laude, in English and in French Language and Literature from Boston University. She received her law degree in 1998, from Boston University School of Law. Ms. Fonte is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and French
	Director - Jamie Niedzolkowski Jamie Niedzolkowski is a graduate of Syracuse University where she earned a degree in Marketing. She has been employed by Armstrong World Industries since graduating from college and has held positions in Oklahoma, Georgia and now as distribution sales manager in the New England market. Armstrong is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors ceilings and cabinets. The architectural building products division where Jamie is employed is a worldwide leader in the manufacture and marketing of acoustical ceilings and suspension systems for commercial and residential applications. In her spare time Jamie enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.
	Director - Siggy Pfendler
	Director - Kourtney Thomas Kourtney P. Thomas is a member of the project management team for J.C. Cannistraro, LLC, a highly respected mechanical contractor. Cannistraro specializes in the installation of plumbing, HVAC, and fire protection systems on large commercial projects in the greater Boston area and New England. Ms. Thomas began with the company as an intern with the HVAC division, then went on to work in the Special Projects Division where she gained experience managing several smaller projects. She is currently an Asst. Project Manager on high profile projects such as Massachusetts General Hospital’s Building for the 3rd Century in Boston, on which Cannistraro has the HVAC and plumbing contracts. Ms. Thomas has always pursued a career in construction. She grew up working for Morse & Doak Builders as a carpenter on large private homes in Maine. She is a recent graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. She is currently pursuing her LEED AP Certification, MA Journeyman Plumbing License, and HVAC design certification from Northeastern’s Professional Studies Program