NAWIC - Nashville - Newsletter

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"As material for the construction of our building, I pledge the agility of my hands, the ability of my mind, and the integrity of my heart."

Message from the President

As incoming President of NAWIC Nashville Chapter #16, it gives me great pleasure to compliment my successor Nichole Jenkins on a job well done. We have been making strides the last three years to make this chapter more accessible, more networking, and more educational for our members. Last year our theme was Building Your Floor Plan. We learned through our educational luncheons and zoom calls about Diversity and Inclusion, Conflict Resolution, Public Speaking, Team Building, and Negotiation.

This year’s theme is Be the Driving Force. We are taking what we learned in Building Your Floor Plan and now we are taking it out to the community, schools, and fellow women in construction. We have a few meetings already to go. Some of the meetings will be a Round Table discussions with different topic that relate to women in construction. Another is a meeting with our National President Anne Pfleger and Southeast Director Cindy Spiropoulos. We will have speakers throughout the year that will help us Be The Driving Force. We will also have pins that have our theme on them for all renewing and new members. This compliments of our new Membership & Marketing Chair Tiffany Wondrow with C & R Services, Inc. We will have our new member orientation every quarter again (by zoom or in person). Our next one will be ihnWe also will have one day a month just for fun networking. (bowling, candle pouring, pottery painting). As always our luncheon or regular meetings will still be the second Thursday of each month. Our big item this year is a Women Build for Habitat for Humanity in Davidson County. The Civic Committee has been working long and hard on this to make it happen.

We are making an honest effort as well to reach our trade women and make them feel welcome with ideas for interaction with networking or breakfasts. We are plan on using our occupation to connect with others in our chapter who are alike. There are Industry Councils that are being formed nationally that are doing just that. We want our chapter to grow and what better way than line members up with the same careers. Be on the lookout for a survey for what you like about NAWIC and what more do you want to see. I have been in NAWIC now for seven years and have seen so many changes for the better. I look forward to the future and seeing what next year brings.

Andrea Nicholson Ward, President Nashville #16 2020-2021

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville Link

*As of Sept 27

Memory Bagsby

Beth Beech

Roxane Gelband

Barbara Gilmore

Simone Metzger

Know somebody that hasn't renewed? Give them a call!

Alex Durd - Bon Aqua Environmental Solutions, Inc.

Melissa Allen - Madiston PowerTel, Inc.

Heidi Anderson - Building Ideas Architecture

Stacy Nash 14th

Ann Murphy 19th

Lori Smith 22nd

Happy NAWIC Anniversary!

Kristen Bowlds -1

Jennifer Camargo - 4

Lauren Carter - 1

Carrie Christmas - 1

Jennifer Corley - 1

Lora Couts - 2

Michelle Fox - 1

Sandy Hankiewicz - 2

Victoria Lopez - 1

Shelbie Nelson - 1

Sheila Ohrenberg - 1

Anna Sinervo - 2

Andrea Ward - 7

Kaylah White - 9

Tiffany Wondrow - 1

Gena Wray - 1

Hannah Ziegelmeyer - 1

Member Spotlight

Name: Kelsey Unland

Company: Meridian Safety

Hometown: Mount Juliet, TN

Birthday: Month/Day September, 19th

What do you love most about the construction industry and how long have you been in it? I started working in construction at age 16 when I went to work for a safety consulting firm. I started out performing administrative duties. In 2006, I became a consultant with this same firm providing a variety of safety services to our construction clients. In 2019, I moved to Insurance Group of America (IGA) providing risk management services primarily to our insured clients. Services include designing written safety and health programs, jobsite safety inspections, safety training, and incident investigations. Some of the safety training classes I teach include OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Training, 1^st Aid/CPR/AED Certification, and Competent Person Training as well as classes on a variety of construction topics such as excavations, fall protection, electrical safety, PPE, hazard communication, silica awareness, and aerial lifts to name a few. I absolutely love working with construction companies to assist them with protecting the health and safety of their workers, maintaining OSHA compliance, and controlling losses. My husband and three brothers work in construction. So I have always felt at home in this industry!

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? I love to spend time with my family! My husband, Caleb, and I have two kids. Ivey, age 7, and Crosby, age 4. We also like to be outdoors. Boating, hiking, camping, you name it! I also really enjoy watching the kids play sports. Both of my kids are in soccer and Ivey just started basketball.

How did you hear about NAWIC and why did you join? I joined NAWIC several years ago when a work colleague recommended that I check it out. It is nice to connect with women in the industry. I enjoy NAWIC for the networking and education opportunities.

What advice would you give a new member or prospective member? When I first joined NAWIC, I enjoyed the membership meetings but didn’t feel like I was really getting to know the members. With that being said, I highly recommend joining a committee or the board. By getting more involved, you will build those relationships with other members and your involvement will be very rewarding. I currently serve as the Safety Committee Chair. If you would like to get more involved in this committee, please reach out to me!

Meridian Safety is a safety consulting firm established in 2020. We offer a suite of risk management services that include developing written safety and health programs, performing safety training, inspecting work sites for potential hazards to protect workers and ensure OSHA compliance, and investigating workplace incidents. Meridian Safety is a subsidiary of Insurance Group of America. A safe workplace is often priority number one for our clients. At Meridian Safety, we provide a cost-effective and comprehensive suite of risk management services. Whether you need a written safety program or an OSHA-required training course, our risk management consultants develop and implement programs customized to your specific needs. We can partner with your safety director or you can have Meridian Safety assist your company with managing the entire program. For our clients to succeed, preventing and mitigating risk is of the utmost importance.

Start Your Engines for the Year

Wednesday, October 7th 4:30 - 7:00 pm

Two Rivers Park, Shelter #1 (look for balloons)

Discussions with NAWIC members around guided topics. Share the trials and triumphs and just talk about it!! Members can sit in on (3) discussion groups facilitated by a NAWIC Member. Discussion groups will be held outside the pavilion under different tents with chairs. Please bring a folding chair with you to ensure we have enough! Food and drinks provided. Meeting sponsored by Messer Construction Co.

Topics Include:

· Women-Owned Businesses

· Leadership in Male Dominated Fields

· Advocating for Yourself

· Finding a Mentor

· Career Advancement

Please make sure to RSVP! This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Start Your Engines! RSVP Here!