Women in Hampton Roads Celebrate Women in Construction Week on Offshore Wind Project
In honor of Women in Construction Week, a group of women working on the largest offshore wind project in US history gathered in Norfolk, Virginia to celebrate their achievements.
Despite the construction industry being largely male-dominated, women in Hampton Roads are paving the way for more female participation in the field.
The women are currently rebuilding a 1500 linear feet of wharf to increase capacity to stage pieces for the offshore wind project.
The construction site will be the location for 176 wind turbines, which will eventually power homes in the area.
Lisa Flittner, the only female project engineer on the site, is responsible for the construction of a 72-acre terminal that will be used to construct turbines for Dominion Energy’s offshore wind project.
When Flittner first started in the construction industry nearly 10 years ago, she was the only woman among 40 project employees.
Now, she stands alongside six other women who are working on the offshore wind project.
Michelle Kleino, who is also working on the Dominion Energy side of the project, hopes to inspire other young women to join the industry.
“It’s important because it brings a new perspective.
Women tend to be a little more detail-oriented and organized in a lot of ways, and so they have a different way of looking at things,” Flittner explained.
The 72-acre terminal is expected to be completed in 2025, and the wind turbines will power 660,000 homes in Portsmouth.
This project is not only important for renewable energy but also for promoting gender diversity in the construction industry.
