ZWBG Leadership Conference: Planting Seeds for Future Growth
The Zachry Women Breaking Ground (ZWBG) group recently hosted the 2024 Leadership Conference: Seeds of Change in San Antonio. The two-day event aimed to promote personal growth, evolve workplace dynamics, and inspire industry change.
Attendees heard from David Zachry, CEO and owner of Zachry Corporation, the parent company of Zachry Construction and Capitol Aggregates, who discussed ZWBG’s role in the company’s strategic plan. Keynote speaker Angela Taylor, executive director of Construction Careers Collaborative, introduced the A.D.V.O.C.A.T.E. framework, empowering members to find and use their voices.
Katy Adams, director, ZWBG at Capitol Aggregates, emphasized the theme of this year’s leadership conference. “Our goal with Seeds of Change was to sow seeds today that will lead to meaningful change in the future – personally, professionally, within our company, and across the industry,” said Adams. “We hope attendees left feeling empowered with new tools to leverage their strengths, shift their mindset, and advocate for themselves. Ultimately, we aimed to inspire members to become active contributors and part of the solution, fostering a lasting, positive impact within Capitol Aggregates, Zachry Construction, and the construction and aggregates industries for years to come.”
The conference featured a panel with accomplished Zachry women including Savina Albers, senior field engineer; Rachael Ferrera, manager of investment and ideation; and Erika Kilgore, director of risk management. They shared their unique paths to success and were joined Kevin Allen, Southeast regional manager; Ranjeet Gadhoke, VP of project controls; and Travis Mross, EVP of operations, who demonstrated strategies for handling difficult conversations. The panel was moderated by Susan Labrie, director of surety relations.
Christie Boubel, director of accounting, and Maribel Salas, corporate trainer and HR support, led attendees through a transformative Shifting Exercise to change mindsets from negative, “below-the-line” thinking to a positive, “above-the-line” approach. Building on the lessons from the 2023 Leadership Conference, Megan Medina, director of talent management, helped members discover how to leverage their strengths to achieve professional goals.
The conference concluded with an interactive “Yes and…” session, led by ZWBG Founder Kat von Kamrath, area controls engineer, and 2023 Director Leslie Reyes, senior project engineer, teaching attendees how to collaborate effectively and be solution-oriented team members.
This was the third annual Leadership Conference held by ZWBG and the first opened to external attendees. ZWBG remains committed to creating an environment that uplifts and supports the advancement of women in the construction and mining industry through leadership, advocacy, empowerment, equality, inclusivity, and education.
