WiOPS Southern California Chapter Recognizes Brenda Maldonado (ISEC, Inc.)

The WiOPS Awards were awarded to the individual that attended the most events the previous calendar year (2022) and the company that had the most employees attend events the previous calendar year (2022). We are so proud to announce that Brenda Maldonado is the recipient of the WiOPS Award, having attended more events than any other active member.

I value the connections I make. Every person I have met in WiOPS is passionate and empowering.

Brenda currently works at ISEC and has been with the company for three years. When she was attending UC Irvine (studying civil engineering!) she was always involved with clubs and organizations that help her both mentally and physically. It was during this time that she attended a job walk tour led by a female superintendent. She was inspired, and realized that she didn’t want to continue design after college, but instead wanted to be on the construction side of things to hone into her skills as a hands-on peron.  Upon graduation, she knew the industry didn’t have many women in the field and thought she was mentally prepared for it. However, during her first full-time job in construction, she found it challenging and she felt the need to find inspiration . She searched online for supportive construction groups for women and WiOPS popped up. She attended her first event in 2018 and finds that the variety of events stands out to her the most. In one session you are networking with mentors, and the next you are tasked with assembling a lamp. When asked about what she values most about our organization, she states, “I value the connections I make. Every person I have met in WiOPS is passionate and empowering.” We agree!

One of Brenda’s favorite WiOPS events of 2022 was the speed mentorship session. She feels like she was able to learn valuable insight from powerful women in the industry. Her advice to others in the industry would be, “Be patient. You may not have all the answers when you start something new or when you are out of your comfort zone, but eventually you will have more knowledge than when you first started. Keep asking questions and lean on the experts in the field.”

Outside of work, she loves trying new things. She recently started kickboxing, which she finds both challenging and fun! She also enjoys collecting crystals and studying astrology. “I am an Aries!” she adds!

Brenda would like to give a special shout-out to her ISEC family, who she finds to be genuine, amazing, and supportive of her and her career. She also wants to give a special should out to Ileana Holguin who encouraged her to never give up.

Please join us in recognizing Brenda Maldonado for her dedication to WiOPS! Our organization would not exist without the support of our incredible members, and we’re proud to recognize her for being such a crucial part of that. We look forward to another successful year of mentorship, networking, and education with you!