Cheers to two years and many more to come! 2023 marks the second year of GHBA Professional Women in Building Council (PWB). Sitting at 324 active members and growing, the Houston PWB is the largest in the country.
“I’m so thrilled with how well our new council was received last year, and just so proud of our board and the work that we all did,” exclaimed Jennifer Taylor, PWB board president and a founding member. Taylor. “This council was a long time coming and the reception we received is a testament to that. In our second year we plan to continue to offer ways for women in our industry to connect on social and professional levels,” she added.
The enthusiasm and excitement that the PWB was met with in 2022 led to plenty of accomplishments in the council’s inaugural year. Being still in its infancy, the PWB board has so much more they still want to do!
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Providing a place for women in all positions to meet and connect will continue to be the biggest goal of the PWB. Conscious about what is offered through membership, the board is taking a more measured approach this year to ensure that the council benefits resonate with PWB members.
“This is the first council that is not focused on just one sector of our industry,” explained Sherry Pruitt, PWB vice president. “We are a place for anyone with any position in homebuilding/land development.”
Seeing such a great response to networking events and the Ladies Who Lead event, the PWB is already in planning for this year’s luncheon. The next networking event on deck for the PWB is the annual quickfire cooking challenge, and this year we’re raising the stakes with a ‘Rodeo Queen’ theme. Watch your inbox for details soon.
One of the most exciting things crafted by council is the Mentorship Program available to members of the PWB. “We see an opportunity for enhancement and growth for both the mentors and the mentees within the organization in the next year,” said Taylor.
The incredible task of organizing and providing structure was done by board members Laurie Wilson with First American Title – Homebuilder Division and Nubia Heinz with The Sherwin-Williams Paint Co., as they have spent countless hours on creating the program over the last year. It is their thoughtful consideration and measured approach that led to a successful launch in January, when PWB hosted a Speed Pairing event with a small group of mentors and mentees. This pilot program for the first group of members participating will run February through July.
The Mentorship Program is seen as such a wonderful opportunity for any PWB member to connect deeply with someone else in the building industry and help each other grow. Excited to see how this program progresses through the year, the PWB board hopes that the Mentorship Program will become a staple of PWB.
Any PWB member who would like to participate in a future six-month Mentorship Program cycle can reach out to Laurie Wilson.