Selema Lawson-Jack, 39 

Director of Production

Schroeder Design/Build / Fairfax, Va.

The Inspirational Power of Pioneering Women

Being from Nigeria, I was interested in building a career in oil and gas, so I moved to the States to attend the University of Kansas’s petroleum engineering program. The cold winters and tornados took some getting used to, but Kansas soon became home for me. I am a proud Jayhawk and my introduction to remodeling happened while going through school. I worked in the dorms as the assistant to a general maintenance and repair technician (GMRT).

The cold winters and tornados took some getting used to, but Kansas soon became home for me.

My boss Pam Crane was inspiring. She was the only female GMRT in the housing department and arguably the best. She taught me everything about maintaining buildings and influenced my interest in this field. After college, I moved to Maryland to be closer to family and eventually ended up in the remodeling industry. When the opportunity at Schroeder came to my attention, it was not lost on me that I would be one of a small number of women leading in the industry. I thought back to Pam. I also learned about the amazing women at Schroeder and their contributions to the industry, and it sealed the deal.

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