NAWIC Brochures
The National Association of Women in
Construction (NAWIC) began as Women in Construction of Fort Worth, founded
on September 11, 1953 by Doris Efird and 15 other women who were looking for
a support system. These women were all actively employed in the construction
industry and had been doing business with each other for years when they
decided to finally meet face to face. The founding members of Women in
Construction of Fort Worth were Alice Ashley, Ida Mae Bagby, Carolyn Balcomb,
Sue Bowling, Margaret Bubar, Margaret Cleveland, Era Dunn, Doris Efird,
Ronda Farrell, Hazel Floyd, Jimmie Blazier, Nina Ruth Jenkins, Ethel
McKinney, Irene Moates, Mildred Tarter and Edna Mae Tucker. This progressive
group of women had the foresight to create an atmosphere where they could
network and support each other professionally as well as personally. This
support system gave them the confidence to reach for and achieve their
goals. When describing this group of women, Alice Ashley said, “We were
women with electricity in our veins, cement dust on our shoes, sawdust on
our minds … busy, busy, busy, filthy things. ” In the first year of its
existence, Women in Construction raised over $2,700 to donate to the
Foundation for Visually Handicapped Children. They wanted to branch out
beyond Fort Worth in search of other women to join the organization, but
they discovered the charter was not adequate and did not have the powers to
organize other chapters. Women in Construction of Fort Worth amended their
charter to incorporate other chapters in Texas and throughout the nation. In
doing so, on May 17, 1955, they became The National Association of Women in
Construction.
Advancements were made over the years with the inception of The NAWIC Image
in 1969, the official publication detailing Association news. In honor of
the founding members, The NAWIC Founders Scholarship Foundation (NFSF)
was created in 1961 to award scholarships to students pursuing
construction-related studies. The NAWIC Education Foundation (NEF),
founded in 1972, developed programs to enrich the minds of children as well
as adults.
As word of NAWIC spread, several foreign countries became interested in the
cause to enhance the success of women in the construction industry. In 1996,
NAWIC signed an International Affiliation Agreement with NAWIC-Australia. In
1998, NAWIC signed an International Affiliation Agreement with New Zealand
and another in 1999 with South African Women in Construction (SAWiC). In
September 2003, NAWIC signed an international affiliation agreement with the
United Kingdom.
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Website Updated Last 10/16/06
Today's NAWIC
Since its founding, NAWIC, an
international non-profit organization, has grown to a membership of
5,500 women with more than 179 chapters. In its 51 years of service
to its members, NAWIC has advanced the causes of all women in
construction whose careers range from business ownership to the
skilled trades. With almost 900,000 women working in construction
today, the industry is becoming more accepting of their
non-traditional roles.
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NAWIC Leadership NAWIC is governed by a 20-person Board of Directors. The Association is divided into 14 geographic regions, and each region elects a director to serve as its representative for a two-year term. The 14 region directors serve along with the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer and immediate past president. The Board of Directors holds a Mid-Year Board Meeting in the spring and an Annual Meeting & Convention each fall to conduct Association business. |
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Mpls/St. Paul #164 Chapter History
The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter was chartered on June 23, 1969 as the Minneapolis, MN Chapter. At that time the chapter was a part of Region 6 until 1975 when Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and northern Illinois formed Region 13. In 1994 the Greater Omaha, Nebraska Chapter (formerly part of Region 6) joined Region 13.
Mpls/St. Paul #164 Chapter Goals
The goals of the chapter include increasing awareness of NAWIC throughout the Twin Cities, attracting new members, interfacing with "Women In The Trades" and educating our youth about careers in the construction industry.