A Snapshot of Women Building the World Trade Center

The Professional Women in Construction celebrated World Trade Center construction leaders at the Yale Club on March 25.
A Snapshot of Women Building the World Trade Center
Professional Women in Construction president, Lenore Janis, keeps the crowd entertained, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)
Charlotte Cuthbertson
3/29/2009
Updated:
4/2/2009
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/LenoreJanis_medium.JPG"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/LenoreJanis_medium.JPG" alt="Professional Women in Construction president, Lenore Janis, keeps the crowd entertained, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" title="Professional Women in Construction president, Lenore Janis, keeps the crowd entertained, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-83424"/></a>
Professional Women in Construction president, Lenore Janis, keeps the crowd entertained, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—The Professional Women in Construction (PWC) and Phoenix Construction co-hosted an award ceremony for World Trade Center construction leaders at the Yale Club on March 25.

PWC’s president, Lenore Janis, was pleased with the turnout and reminded the crowd, “You know why you’re here... because the work is here.”

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/DollyMillmansm_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/DollyMillmansm_medium.jpg" alt="Dolly Millman, lead engineer for WTC 1, or the Freedom Tower. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" title="Dolly Millman, lead engineer for WTC 1, or the Freedom Tower. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-83425"/></a>
Dolly Millman, lead engineer for WTC 1, or the Freedom Tower. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/SusanBassLevin_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/SusanBassLevin_medium.jpg" alt="Deputy Executive Director of PANYNJ, Susan Bass Levin, received an award for outstanding leadership, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" title="Deputy Executive Director of PANYNJ, Susan Bass Levin, received an award for outstanding leadership, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-83426"/></a>
Deputy Executive Director of PANYNJ, Susan Bass Levin, received an award for outstanding leadership, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/group_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/group_medium.jpg" alt="Award honorees gather as part of a celebration of the World Trade Center construction, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" title="Award honorees gather as part of a celebration of the World Trade Center construction, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-83427"/></a>
Award honorees gather as part of a celebration of the World Trade Center construction, March 25, 2009. (Mingguo/The Epoch Times)
Janis, who owned a steel erection company, recalls the hard time women had in the industry during the 1980s. Though women in construction haven’t had a full break-in, “at least they [the men] are being polite,” Janis said. To help construction become a fully coed industry, PWC has started raising money for a women’s Masters scholarship in construction administration.

Many attendees at the event were women who have long and varied experience in the field.

Dolly Millman, a lead engineer for 5 Star Electric Corp., is working on WTC 1, the Freedom Tower. Millman earned her engineering degree in Russia 35 years ago and has worked on many large projects in the United States over the last 20 years, including Pier 79, City University of New York, Tower Number 7, and the Ferry Terminal.

Linda Willis and Mary Montray, business partners for 17 years, attended the awards to network. They are hoping to work with the Port Authority and are currently getting certification to enable them to compete for interior design contracts. Their business, Total Resource Associates, focuses on the commercial industry.

WTC Construction

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) was hailed as a crucial part of the economic puzzle for construction and employment in the region. The WTC has a $6.7 billion budget this year.

PANYNJ Deputy Executive Director, Susan Bass Levin, introduced her boss and award honoree, executive director Christopher Ward.

Ward stressed cooperation as the success to the project. “If we don’t build smart and fast then the resources won’t be good enough for the future,” he said.

He said of the WTC that “you would be hard-pressed to find any 16 acres in the city that is more important and more critical right now. It’s a nice night to celebrate that.”

Port Authority’s general manager of Small Business Programs, Lash Green, also received a PWC leadership award.

Bass Levin said the numbers of women in construction have been steady over the past years. She said the qualities women bring to the industry include “perseverance, attention to detail, and they treat every construction project as though they are building their own home.”

Minority and women-owned businesses received $500 million in contracts for the WTC project.