Professional Women in Building Donate $10,000 to Collin College
The Dallas BA’s Professional Women in Building council on Feb. 14 presented Collin College with a $10,000 check for its Excellence Fund, which provides scholarships for students in the school’s construction management program. The presentation was part of the council’s Galentine’s Day Brunch at Association offices in Plano.
The donation is earmarked for female students and will be awarded March 22 at Collin College’s Women in Construction Event. “This contribution is the embodiment of PWB’s mission, uplifting women and providing opportunity within the construction industry,” said council Chair Katie Youngblood of Highland Homes.
Collin College’s construction management program prepares students to work in a wide variety of management/supervisory roles, both in residential and commercial areas of construction. Key topics include scheduling, budgeting, personnel management, quality assurance and safety.
The school’s female enrollment is twice the 11 percent national rate of women in the construction workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor.
“There’s an overall awareness that women can and should be doing every job that’s out there,” said Craig Johnson, director of architecture and construction programs at Collin College. “The construction industry is now deliberately seeking females because they are truly valued. Traditionally, they have a great eye for detail and are better communicators. Those are two things that are very important.”
Top Photo: Professional Women in Building Chair Katie Youngblood with Highland Homes; Cheri Weinhagen, professor of construction management at Collin College; Barbara Dabbs, construction management student and former scholarship recipient; and Yvette Lane, student.