Winners of the third annual Hays NAWIC Excellence Awards have been celebrated as “trail-blazing role models for women in construction” during a ceremony held at Auckland’s Aotea Centre on 19 August.

The awards honour the outstanding achievements women are making in New Zealand’s construction industry.

Donna Howell, NAWIC president, says, “With 10 per cent yearly growth rates predicted through to 2019 and 50,000 more construction workers required within the next five years, it makes sense to encourage more women to work in construction and to highlight career paths available in this exciting sector.”

Full list of winners:

Professional Woman of the Year Award

• Rachael Rush of Klein

Rachael’s ability to understand the complex nature of New Zealand healthcare and her desire to constantly add value to each project makes her a fantastic role model for women in construction. The judges were impressed with the specialist skills Rachael has developed while finding her niche in architecture.

Tradeswoman of the Year

• Verena Maeder from Solid Earth

As a 16-year-old exchange student, Swiss-born Verena visited a mud brick home in Nelson and it was “love at first sight” when she entered the house. After returning to Switzerland, Verena studied architecture and building ecology before returning to New Zealand in 2002 to purchase a mud brick operation. Verena has worked with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to develop earth building standards, along with contributing to the development of an improved energy efficient load bearing mud brick.

Outstanding Achievement in Design Award

• Sian France of Beca

Sian, a technical director specializing in hydro-geology, is noted for her work on the Waterview Connection project. She was involved in implementing a major design change that achieved a positive environmental outcome and significant cost savings for the project. The judges were impressed by her strong leadership skills coupled with well-researched decisions which deliver excellent results.

Helen Tippett Award

• Laura Clifford of Hawkins Construction

Laura acts as a mentor to young women entering the industry through her enthusiastic contribution to He Toki ki te Rika, a Maori trade training scheme re-established after the earthquakes to ensure that Maori could play an active role in the Canterbury rebuild.

Rising Star Award

• Steph McLeod of Stantec NZ 

After starting out as a project manager, Steph was promoted to commercial leader for water throughout New Zealand. Her outstanding business acumen and enthusiasm for construction give Steph the edge to succeed in her role. The judges were impressed by Steph’s focus on effective communication as a key driver to delivering projects on time, while leading teams by example. Her desire to foster collaborative solutions to construction issues also made her stand out as a rising star.

and

• Vikki Stephens of Beca

A knowledgeable leader in the field of mechanical engineering, Vikki has made her mark while working on complex projects such as Wellington Airport’s Control Tower. Vikki is passionate about working with others to improve the built environment and her cooperative approach combined with excellent decision-making skills have made her a popular team leader.

Excellence in Construction Services Award

• Sophie Lackey of Leighs Construction

Sophie has been instrumental in setting up effective policies and procedures as the company grew from 50 to 280 people. She aspires to be on the board of directors in the future and absolutely loves working in the construction industry.

Apprentice and Student Award (professional category)

• Gillian Linton of Arvida

Gillian showed exceptional commitment to her role as an assistant construction project manager while studying towards a Bachelor of Construction at Massey University. Judges commented on her excellent organisation skills and methodical approach to problem solving, along with her generosity in sharing knowledge with fellow students.

Apprentice and Student Award (trades category)

• Emily Sutton of City Care

When Emily joined City Care as a pre-apprentice she watched digger operators onsite and thought, “I want to do that”. She now operates diggers all over Christchurch and has achieved her dream. She is studying towards a Certificate in Civil Infrastructure Trades while volunteering as a firefighter in her free time.

Highly commended and special merit awards were given to the following:

• Hayley Tribble (Tripro Ltd) – highly commended – Professional Woman of the Year (professional category)
• Andrea Williamson (Fletcher Construction) – highly commended – Professional Woman of the Year (construction category)
• Melvina Browne Uriarau (LiveWire Electrical) – highly commended – Tradeswoman of the Year
• Laisa Pickering (Electrix Ltd) – highly commended – Tradeswoman of the Year
• Esther Loh (Beca) – highly commended – Outstanding Achievement in Design
• Pam Bell (Prefab NZ) – highly commended – Helen Tippett Award
• Robyn Phipps (Massey University) – highly commended – Helen Tippett Award
• Jordan Kirk (Fulton Hogan Ltd) – highly commended – Rising Star Award
• Stephanie Cerpa (Contract Construction) – highly commended – Rising Star Award
• Emma Cushnie (Fulton Hogan Ltd) – highly commended – Excellence in Construction Services
• Bev McKay (Registered Master Builders Association) – special award – Excellence in Construction Services
• Sally Davis (BCITO) – special award – Excellence in Construction Services
• Megan Burfoot (AUT) – highly commended – Apprentice and Student Award (professional)
• Amritpal Kaur (AUT) – highly commended – Apprentice and Student Award (professional)
• Nikita Ward (Hutt Gas and Plumbing) – highly commended – Apprentice and Student Award (trades)
• Fahimeh Zaeri (AUT) – special merit – Apprentice and Student Award