Bringing Projects to Life in a Challenging Field

Amanda DavyRomano, Director

Chicago, IL

Amanda is a seasoned project management and scheduling expert. She has been engaged in various projects throughout her career with PMA, from schedule analysis in support of claims analysis to project management and controls on multi-million-dollar construction projects.

How did you get started in the construction industry?

Growing up, I was a girl who enjoyed building cities and towns out of Legos. With a little nudge from an engineer uncle, I was introduced to engineering early on in high school, and by the time I got to college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in engineering.

What do you love about working in the construction industry?

You get to “build stuff.” While I may not physically be out there in the field with a hammer and some nails, I get to be part of teams that bring projects to life, building things that people rely on. Every project is something new, and every day brings different problems to solve and challenges to tackle.

What tips or advice would you give to women considering a career in the construction industry?

Don’t let the fact that this is a majority-male industry intimidate you─accept it, and know that you have just as much to offer as your male colleagues. Choose what you want to do, work hard, and do it well. If you are doing something you enjoy, it doesn’t always feel like “work.”

Karina Pena, Associate

Boston, MA

Karina has significant project management experience in industrial and commercial projects ranging from $200 thousand to $29 million in the public and private sectors. Her skills include project planning, project controls, quality control and assurance, and facilitating communication between the owner and the project team.

How did you get started in the construction industry?

I have been passionate about the construction field from a very young age. I migrated from the Dominican Republic in 1999 with the goal to one day build a skyscraper. I have been working to achieve that goal ever since. I began my career in the construction field in 2006, where I attended a technical high school with a focus on carpentry. After graduation in 2010, I went on to college, where I received a bachelor’s degree in civil/environmental engineering with a minor in business administration from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Most recently, in 2020, I earned a master’s in management with a concentration in construction management.

What do you love about working in the construction industry?

There is so much to love about the construction industry, from the challenges that you have to overcome to ultimately seeing the results of your hard work.

What tips or advice would you give to women considering a career in the construction industry?

It will not be an easy journey, but it will be a rewarding one. Keep pushing forward. Take the turbulence as lessons for personal/career growth and the smooth sailing as a sign that you’re on the right path to achieve your definition of success