For today’s Women in Construction Week profile, we’re highlighting Cortney Boswell, a project manager for GI Stone, a Chicago-based commercial stone provider specializing in sourcing, fabrication and installation of interior and exterior custom stone for clients nationwide, including recent Chicago projects like 1229 W. Concord Place, Sterling Bay’s first life sciences building at Lincoln Yards and luxury rental towers Onni Fulton Market by Onni Group and The Row Fulton Market by Related Midwest.
What led you to pursue a career in construction?
Cortney Boswell: I sort of fell into the construction industry in 2013 when I started working for my family’s construction company in southern California. As a young girl, I had dreamt of being a fashion designer. While to most people fashion design may seem like a totally different field than construction, the two do go hand-in-hand, which is endlessly fascinating to me. Eventually, I found my niche with GI Stone, where I enjoy the opportunity to work on designing the stone and tile for iconic buildings like the Tribune Tower Residences.
What challenges have you faced in building a career in a male-dominated industry like construction?
Boswell: One of the biggest obstacles I face is being a woman in an industry many consider to be a man’s line of work, that women somehow aren’t suited for this kind of job. Sometimes our voices get drowned out in team discussions. Some teammates question our knowledge. And on multiple occasions, I’ve seen contractors walk past me to seek help from male project managers with far less experience. But that has begun to change in recent years, which I attribute not only to my positive attitude, experience and professionalism, but also to a rise in number of female colleagues in the industry. The more of us they see on job sites, in the board room and speaking on panels, the more things will change.
Have you noticed an increase in the number of women entering the construction industry? If so, why do you think that is?
Boswell: Yes, I’ve seen an increasing number of women project managers and even stone installers onsite over the past few years. I think our society is realizing the old notions about gender roles are outdated. If you feel passionately about something and you have the skills, your gender doesn’t matter. I see women increasingly aware of and drawn to the design aspects of the job. I see it growing in the next few years to more woman project managers and eventually a growth in construction jobs for onsite female superintendents.
What do you find most fulfilling about working in the construction industry?
Boswell: When I am driving down Lake Shore Drive or taking my visiting friends and family on the architectural boat down the Chicago River, I’m able to look at Chicago’s amazing skyline and say I was a part of creating some of the world’s greatest skyscrapers with some of the very best contractors. While I realize I’m just one cog in a complex machine, I feel like I’m leaving a legacy behind, and that gives me pride.
What advice do you have for other women interested in pursuing a career in construction?
Boswell: I would recommend volunteering with an organization like Habitat for Humanity, which will give you some experience on a job site. And then if you enjoy that experience, develop a skill by enrolling in either a trade school or studying project management or engineering. Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” and all decisions determine the future. Construction is, was and always will be the future. For my fellow women in commercial construction, stay focused on doing good work and be your own cheerleaders. No one wants me to succeed more than myself . . . and my mom.
