I joined KPFF in the summer of 2018 as a structural engineer in the Los Angeles office, and became part of the Women’s Network very shortly thereafter. As a new team member of KPFF LA, our Women’s Network played a large role in helping me feel at home within the company. There was broad participation among all our female engineers, and every meeting featured lively and interesting discussions. Women of all experience levels spoke openly about their experiences, and contributed to the topic in any given session, encouraging others to do the same. Most importantly, the sense of community this group created resonated with me and the other members. This sense of camaraderie is what keeps this group together and helps us build our relationships.
As a community, we dive deeper into issues that interest the members of our group and give us the opportunity to learn from each other. We usually gather at lunchtime to conduct round table discussions led by passionate facilitators, who share their insights on issues such as: career trajectory, being a working parent, dealing with difficult situations, or difficult conversations. We dive deeply into trainings such as Crucial Conversations, which can be applicable in all aspects of life. Just ask Mary! I especially enjoyed when Sharon Gallant, a Principal and Reporting Center Manager at KPFF, shared her experience and led an open conversation about the challenges and joys of rising to that position. Recognizing that non-engineers within our company would also benefit from the topical discussions and sense of community, we extended an invitation for our core business employees to join us as we meet, and I have appreciated their contributions to the network.
Our KPFF LA office knows how to take a break from work, and this group is no exception. Each summer, the Women’s Network hosts a social gathering to welcome our newest members and meet our counterparts in KPFF civil. This year’s virtual platform allowed us to get to know each other in a new way, with scavenger hunts and kids joining in on the fun.
We love to include our clients in the fun and have had a great time arranging happy hours with other women’s network’s at client companies, such as ZGF and PCL. Our three networks attend an annual event with an alternating host company to keep things interesting. The hosting firm will feature their female leaders and share their success within the company. The year we threw the party I learned a great deal about our panelist’s contributions to the success of KPFF, and I felt proud to be a part of a great company.
Moving forward, I am excited that we have diversified our network by including women from other teams in the office. Our support staff and modeler teams will be contributing to conversations about a multitude of themes like our upcoming meeting on the book Same Words, Different Language by Barbara Annis. Meetings like this will help the office as a whole dive deeper into ways we can use the strengths of both women and men to improve our practice and serve our community. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?
