Momentum rising at PWC

Real Estate Weekly, June 4, 2008

"Professional Women in Construction (PWC) is on an upward course," says PWC resident Lenore Janis of the organization she and a dozen enterprising women founded in 1980.

For close to 30 years, Janis has compelled PWC's ever-growing momentum to the crescendo peak it finds itself at now with over 1100 members and chapters spread along the east coast (New England region, NY, NJ, MD, VA, DC, and PA) and two more ready to burst upon the horizon. For all its permutations, the advocacy and business networking organization remains true to its mission: to further the advancement of women entrepreneurs, professionals and executives/ managers in construction, real estate development and related fields. "We had a vision, and 'impossible' was never part of our vocabulary" says PWC President Lenore Janis, the former owner of a steel erection company who was sought out by NYC government to become the first woman director of 250 tradesmen at the City's Department of Sanitation.

In more and more ways, the vision is being realized as growing numbers of small and mid-size business owners--many of them women and/or minorities-seek out the opportunities and support offered by PWC. The organization represents an extremely broad spectrum of the industry plus a large and diverse number of suppliers and service companies.

Gwendolyn Colbert Kushner, PWC vice president of development says, "Our networking events, seminars on upcoming projects, all-day golf outings, and trade shows create business for our members and participants."

Last year, PWC took a giant leap into uncharted territory by presenting a full-scale, all-day trade show and professional recruitment fair. Due to its resounding success, this year PWC will reprise the event on October 31 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.

PWC is, indeed, a resource with ever-broadening and expanding borders.

The national PWC-NY (the first and original chapter), based in Manhattan, is flourishing with well-attended monthly events and over 600 members in the New York metropolitan area that includes women, men and major corporations and public agencies. National sponsors include construction and real estate development titans plus leading public agencies, and supporters from the highest ranks of industry and government.

Janis notes that PWC's growth has long been anticipated. Through the years, she has received letters and, more recently, emails from across the nation and the globe. In the late 1990s, PWC sent a delegation to South America and just last year a high-ranked committee from South Africa met with key PWC board members to explore business opportunities between the nations.

The PWC website, www.pwcusa.org boasts 25,000 visits from across the nation in an average month and posts a very active employment opportunity page.

"We've come a very long way and are proud of our progress. Now the real work begins!" says Janis.