This article is one in a series of conversations with women leaders in the construction industry. Click here for past discussions.
With over 25 years of construction experience, Kerri Riggio has seen a lot of change for women in the male-dominated industry.
Originally, Riggio pursued a career in education, largely for three months’ vacation every summer. But when she transitioned to construction — the industry in which her dad worked — she found it a rewarding shift. Nonetheless, there was room for progress when it came to making women feel included.
Now a senior superintendent at Boston-based Suffolk, Riggio has overseen some major, high-profile projects in New York City, including aspects of the restoration of the iconic Waldorf Astoria.
Here, Riggio outlines what construction means to her, the projects she’s proudest of and her advice to other women in the industry.
Editor’s note: The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What about construction attracted you to switch from teaching?
KERRI RIGGIO: I think for me, the biggest thing is that we affect the world around us. We build tangible things. We build schools, we build homes, bridges. And all of these items are things that people use every day. It adds a lot of purpose for me. The things that I do every day make it worthwhile standing outside when it's zero degrees; knowing someone's going to live in this building, utilize it, make it their home.
I think that's what really made me fall in love with construction. And working as a team. Getting to meet so many different personalities and how they affect that dynamic on the project site in our office.
What was it like working on the Waldorf Astoria?
It’s an amazing building. I was brought on to do the structural renovations. That included demolition, steel, concrete and fireproofing the building. That was about four years ago. We couldn't demo the facade. We couldn't demo parts of the plaster. They were landmarks.
We essentially rebuilt the building without knocking it down.
About two years in, they moved me up to the pinnacles, which are the copper spires up at the top. We supported the copper and then demoed all of the walls and rebuilt the entire structure of steel, brick, stone, windows, doors, terraces, all while they were fitting out the bottom portion of the hotel, which were now residences.
Also, something else I've never done in my career, which is very cool; scaffolding was welded into the steel of the building. We worked on it from the outside, 750 feet in the air.
It was a very cool project. It gave me a lot of gray hair, but it was very cool!
What are the other projects you’re proudest of?
The most notable one would be an affordable housing unit in the South Bronx, during COVID. It was not an easy build. Everything had long lead times. Where we would normally have 10 or 12 people working on one aspect, we had three or four. That's what the city allowed.
At the very end we got to meet some of the residents. They came in the door and they were beyond grateful. Some were senior citizens living in homeless shelters or in women’s shelters. They had no privacy. And now they were applying to have an apartment, something to call their own.
I said before, we build tangible project products and it's great to see that, but it's even better to see when it goes to somebody in need. I remember this one woman, she was like, “You're a girl! You did it by yourself!”
And I was like, “I had help.” But that’s pretty great.
What has been your experience as a woman in construction?
I think that it's changed a lot. I did work for a GC years ago where it was definitely an all-boys club. I had people reporting to me that were making more money than I was, which is a reason why I left. We weren't even invited to the party, nevermind, getting a seat at the table. Thankfully over the years, that's changed. We're now at the table and there's more than one of us.
I currently work on a team where there are eight women. That's unheard of. That’s project managers, field people, not just administration. I think it’s wonderful. I think more women want to get involved.
What advice would you give other women in construction?
My advice to women early in their construction careers is to be confident and trust yourself. It’s normal to have moments of self-doubt, especially in an industry that hasn’t always looked like us, but don’t let that hold you back. You belong here. Believe in your abilities, speak up and know that you have the capability and determination to succeed. Confidence grows with time, and every challenge you take on helps build it.
