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National Association of Women in Construction
NAWIC Region 14—Maine Chapter #276
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Members at May 2008 meeting |
2009-2010 Maine Chapter Officers
President:
Heidi Rodzen, Skillings Shaw Associates
Vice President:
Lacey Barcelou, American Concrete Industries
Secretary:
Crystal Manzer, Bruce A. Manzer, Inc.
Treasurer:
Joyce Newman, Maine Better Transportation Association
Directors:
Shelly Chipman, @WORK Personnel
Trisha Mosher, Women Unlimited
Tracie Travers, ABC Maine
Robin Wood, Reed & Reed, Inc.
2009 - 2010 Maine Chapter Newsletters
Click here for the October 2009 Issue
Click here for the November 2009 issue
Click here for the December 2009 issue
Click here for the January 2010 issue
Click here for the February 2010 issue
Click here for the March 2010 issue.
Click here for the April 2010 issue.
March 1 - 7 marked the celebration of the 12th Annual Women in Construction Week throughout the country.
The Maine Chapter will be no exception. A gubornatorial proclomation has been requested and several special announcments will be made. Check your local newspapers and this website for updates. WIC Week is once again sponsored by the Maine Turnpike Authority, a strong supporter of the scholarship programs developed by the Maine Chapter over the years for the young men and women pursuing a career in construction. The Chapter recently established a scholarship trust within the Maine Community College System for women enrolled in construction related courses and has more plans in the works for programs that will particularly help women.
Habitat for Humanity presentation on behalf of former Southern Maine Chapter Members.
Several members were on hand for the presentation of over $5,000 to the Habitat for Humanity Wednesday, March 4. The presentation was held at the West Street Habitat home currently under renovation for a family yet to be selected.
Click here to view the news release sent to various media sources following the presentation.
Pat Adriance, Angela LeVasseur, Sharon Martel, Heidi Rodzen, Joyce
Newman, Cathy MacDonald, CIT, LEED AP, Cathie Stevenson, George Ellis.
Eastern Maine Chapter
If you live or work northeast of Augusta, consider joining the Eastern Maine Chapter of NAWIC. Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month, rotating between Waterville, Pittsfield and Bangor. Click on "member events" in the toolbar at the top of this page for information about their next meeting. For more information about the chapter, click here, and Eastern Maine Chapter President Billie Nelson will be happy to answer your questions.
Educational Programs for Children K-12
Several chapter members conducted the Block Kids program at the Dozer Day at Oxford County Fairgrounds on last summer, sponsored by The Boxberry School in Oxford and AGC Maine. About 500 children and parents attended, and the kids could climb into the cabs of heavy equipment, dump trucks, emergency vehicles, and cranes, and actually operate them. There were also several equipment demonstrations, including directional boring ETTI of Lewiston.. AGC Maine member companies, MDOT, Maine Turnpike Authority and local emergency units generously brought their equipment to the fairgrounds and provided personnel. The NAWIC Maine Chapter conducted two Block Kids contests. The winners of these two competitions will be considered for the overall chapter winner to be submitted in March 2009 for the Regional competition, along with winners of other programs held throughout the year. All of this equipment nearby was pretty hard to compete with for attracting kids to come inside and participate, but aboutt 20 boys and girls took part, a few either too young or too old to actually compete. Kids going into grades 1 through 6 were eleigible to compete, and the others were encouraged to test their skills bulding something construction related with the little building blocks.
The overall winner for the Maine Chapter is Colby Tyrus Clarke, a 4th grader at Bryan Moore School in Ellsworth. Colby is the grandson of Loren Clarke, Pasl President of AGC Maine. Colby's winning project has been submitted in the NAWIC regional competition by the Maine Chapter. The winner at that level will go on to competition among all fourteen NAWIC regions. The national winner will be invited and recognized at the NOVA awards in Floriday next year.
30th Anniversary of the Maine Chapter celebrated in 2009
The NAWIC Maine Chapter was chartered on August 25, 1979 with 33 members. Althought the membership has changed in numbers over the years, there are currently 49 active members and two hororary chapter life members. There are three active charter members still active, Joyce Newman Chartering Vice President, Marion Thomas Chartering Corresponding Secretary and Sheila Stratton Chartering Treasurer. Additionally, Charlotte Eastman Chartering Recording Secretary and Ellie Richards Dumond a Charter member, still play an active role in chapter activities. The celebration will take place at the chapters August 19 meeting.
Chapter Meetings
Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month, in the Augusta and Lewiston area. Programs include jobsite tours, such as the one pictured on the left, the Freeport YMCA under construction. Other programs include tradeswomen and member panels, hands-on and community service projects, industry professional, and
association speakers.
Members visited the job site of the new Hannaford supermarket being built on the site of the old Cony High
School in Augusta. The goal is to have this project qualify as the fisrt platinum level LEED certfied supermarket
in the country. Members will return this spring to observe progress and again in the Fall prior to completion.
Members Participate in Fun Projects, too
Over the years, the Maine Chapter has constructed and entered several floats in the Great Kennebec River Whatever Race, and taken some top prizes. The patriot missile built by members won Best Theme Float the summer following the Gulf War. The lobster trap pictured on the opening page won Best Non-Commercial Float the year Maine was the theme. The Chapter has also participated in the Maine State Parade and other events. All entries have been totally built by members, utilizing the skills of our welder, fabricator and do-it-yourself members. .
NAWIC Beyond the Chapter Level
NAWIC provides opportunities for members to attend a variety of meetings throughout the year. There are two regional meetings, Annual Planning Conference in the fall, and Spring Forum. Each are hosted by a chapter in Region 14 has chapters in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York . The NAWIC Annual Convention is held in September in a large city somewhere in the 50 US states. Members of the Toronto Chapter have formed the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC). More cities are expected to form chapters and join CAWIC in the near future. All current members of the Toronto Chapter were made Honorary Region 14 members at the Spring Forum in Saratoga Springs in April, in an effort to continue a long standing relationship.
Other Events and Programs
NAWIC members nationwide participate in Habitat for Humanity and similar programs. The Maine Chapter completed the landscaping of the Women's Build home in Bowdoinham. Many chapters sponsor Blueprint Reading seminars and other training programs. The pride of NAWIC is the NAWIC Education Foundation, which provides construction education programs for students K–12. The Block Kids Program is designed for grades 
1–6 and involves the construction of various structures with interlocking blocks. Building Design, the scale-model building program is for students at the junior-high/middle-school level. This team building project will be offered during the school year and will involve constructing a structure from architectural drawings. The CAD/Design Drafting Scholarship Competition is a contest designed for senior high students. The contest provides recognition to students for creative design, successful problem solving, and craftsmanship in preparing architectural drawings. Adult programs consist of Certified Construction Associate (CCA), Introduction to Construction, Construction Document Specialist, Construction Industires Technician and Legal Protection for Construction Subcontractors and Suppiers. For more information about these programs, go to www.nawiceducation.org.
Any woman who is employed in the construction industry is eligible for membership in NAWIC. Owners, managers and support staff of construction companies, subcontractors, engineering and architectural firms, tradeswomen, construction equipment dealers, construction bonding and insurance companies and agencies, construction material suppliers, construction trade association personnel or any other construction related entity all qualify. NAWIC is probably one of the best kept secrets in the construction industry, but we want to tell you more about our wonderful networking association. Email us using the link at the top of this page, write to NAWIC Maine Chapter 276, P O Box 366 Hallowell, ME 04347, or call 207-623-4683.
NAWIC 2004 Tradeswoman of the Year
Nancy Baily Farrar, NAWIC Tradeswoman of the Year
Maine Chapter member Nancy Bailey Farrar was selected as the 2004 NAWIC Tradeswoman of the Year at the annual meeting and convention held in New York City. Nancy is shown here with her award, with husband Dave proudly looking on. He joined Nancy and a few Chapter members at the event to help celebrate her award.
NAWIC Crystal Vision Award
The Maine Chapter's 2006 nominee Dale McCormick was honored as the recipient of the 2006 Crystal Vision Award at the Crystal Vision Awards Banquet in Kansas City, MO in September at the 51st NAWIC Annual Meeting and Convention. Several members of the Maine, Eastern Maine and Southern Maine Chapters were present to help honor Dale when she receives this award.
NAWIC • Maine Chapter • PO Box 366 • Hallowell, ME 04347 • 207.623.4683 • Click here to email
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