Honoring Zigmund During 2019 Women in Construction Week

It’s National Women in Construction (WIC) Week and PRIME AE is proud to celebrate the leaders who are making an impact in our industry. This year’s WIC spotlight is Lisa Zigmund, Director of Construction Administrative Services in Columbus, Ohio.

Why did you choose the construction industry?
I generally am interested in building things and wanted a career helping society. What better place to be than in civil engineering? We create public works for the good of society. Building roads helps people connect, roads are necessary for the transport of goods and services. Our work is essential for commerce.

When did you realize you wanted to work in construction?
My summer engineering internship with ODOT cemented my love of construction. I was at first just happy to have a job, but once on the job site, it was so interesting, never boring. Every day progress was made on the work or a problem came up that had to be worked out. It was very rewarding to feel a part of this work that would be used by thousands of people.

What has been the most surprising part of being a woman working in construction?
I knew going in that women were a minority in the field. I expected to have to come up against construction workers that didn’t want me around, but I rarely experienced that. I decided very early on that I would earn the respect of my fellow construction workers and worked to make it so. I always felt that I could do my part as well as anyone. My surprise is that even today, 30 years into my career, I still see women in the minority of people working in our field and I’m proud to be one of them.

What challenges have you experienced within the construction industry and how did you overcome them?
I’ve been on projects which did not go well for a variety of reasons, but when there are problems on the project, it makes communication difficult. Negotiating a fair settlement to a claim is probably the most difficult thing I’ve done. There are also technical challenges at times, but I rely on my engineering experience and discuss with my colleagues and we always come up with a sound solution.

What is your favorite part of your career?
I enjoy the people that I work with, no matter what position I’ve been in throughout my career, I’ve always connected with my coworkers and contractors and clients. I like to go to work everyday to see what new challenges arise.