14 - One Woman's Construction Career Journey: From Job Site Laborer to High-Level Executive Leadership

Alecia Wilmeth is the V.P. and General Manager of Alston Construction Company in Northern California. Alston is an ENR top 100 contractor, corporately based in Atlanta, GA. Alecia started her thirty-year career shoveling dirt on the job site. She has been a foreman, Superintendent, Project Engineer, Project Manager, and now VP and General Manager. Highlights of our interview include: 00:01:04  Alecia's rough and tumble West Texas roots 00:02:50 Her "horrific" first day on a construction job site 00:03:53 Why she rose in just three months to running the job site 00:04:59 How Alecia survived the recession in the 1980s 00:06:28 The one skill that set Alecia apart, and enabled her to excel 00:08:41 How she succeeded by concentrating on performance, and staying away from politics. 00:09:25 How she handled her shift of role from Project Engineer to Project Manager by focusing on responsibility and accountability 00:10:48 Thriving in the "Great Recession" by combining Superintendent and Project Manager roles 00:14:14 Alecia's move into senior leadership 00:17:33 How Alecia is mentoring young women to succeed in construction 00:21:10 The benefit of working in California, the state at the leading edge of societal change 00:22:39 Alecia's perspective on the discomfort some men feel with her being in a leadership role 00:25:36 Alecia's focus: not leaving a "legacy" of projects built, but rather of lives impacted. 00:28:04 Alecia's favorite restaurant: Rey Azteca in Carmichael, California Other Links: Alecia Wilmeth Alston Construction   This episode is brought to you by The Construction Leader's Dashboard. It's is one of the simplest and yet most powerful tools for leaders in construction companies of all sizes.    Construction companies use this tool to get clear on strategic priorities, recruit new field and office talent who are aligned with the mission and values of the firm, and as a development planning tool to develop the next generation of leaders. It will empower you to: Focus on what matters, so that you spend your time doing the things that have the most impact with clients. Make sure that everyone in the organization is aligned, accountable, and contributing equally to the company's growth and success.   Attract, develop, and retain future leaders who can continue to move the organization forward. To instantly download your copy of the dashboard, go to: https://www.ericanderton.com/cld