SoCal Member News: Promotions & Highlights (October 2023)

We’re excited to highlight some recent promotions and news amongst our WiOPS Southern California members and board members!

Congratulations to all on these exciting new changes in your careers. We look forward to watching your continued success in the industry and are always cheering you on.

News:

• Vanessa Tilley has joined the WiOPS Southern California Board of Directors as the Co-Director of Marketing! Vanessa is an Assistant Project Manager at McCarthy Building Companies, and after taking a six month pause from WiOPS to focus on her project, we’re excited to welcome her back! When asked about her involvement, she shared “I’m an advocate for WiOPS because the organization provides a wide range of opportunities for you to improve yourself and engage with other members of the community. I appreciate the welcoming energy at the WiOPS events, and I love that you could always feel the genuine curiosity exuding from all the participants – regardless of age, experience, or background.” Vanessa played an instrumental part in our marketing efforts, membership engagement, and organizational growth in the past few years and we look forward to all that she accomplishes moving forward. Welcome back, Vanessa!
• Candace Collins joined the KCS West family in April! She joined KCS West as a Project Engineer and we’re excited to watch her excel in her new position! We had the opportunity to catch up with Candace and ask about her involvement with WiOPS. She most recently attend the “Focus Group: Intro to Golf” event led by Kasha Burlington-Green and Leah Wimberly. She shared that it was “a fantastic event, where I learned about the distinct types of golf clubs and how to choose the right one for the shot. I received personal instruction on my stance and swing while getting to know fellow women in the construction industry. It is rare that a woman in the construction industry to be surrounded by so many accomplished peers. I will definitely be attending future events!” Looking forward to it, Candace! Congratulations!
• Liv Hanlon was installed as the new NAWIC Orange County Chapter President! Liv is a Southern California Regional Manager for Hilti. Not only is she on the Board of Directors for NAWIC, but Liv is also an active and engaging member of WiOPS. We look forward to collaborating with Liv and the NAWIC team to bring the most value and the biggest impact to women in construction. Congratulations Liv, and best of luck as Chapter President!
• Kasie Bowden was selected as a 2024 ENR California Top Young Professional! Kasie is a Project Superintendent at Hensel Phelps, and also currently serves WiOPS as our Governing Board President, where she oversees the current chapters, explores options for expansion, and leads the charge as we further our mission to empower the future women leaders of our industry. Congratulations Kasie on this well-deserved recognition! Both our organization and our industry are lucky to have you.

Do you have news to share? Let us celebrate your successes! Send us an email at socal@wiops.org with news, promotions, project wins, photos, and more to be featured in our next spotlight!