With over 25 years of construction experience, Kerri Riggio has seen many changes for women in the male-dominated industry.
Originally, Riggio pursued a career in education, largely during three months of vacation each summer. But when he moved into construction, the industry his father worked in, he found a rewarding change. However, there was room for progress in making women feel included.
Now a senior superintendent at Boston-based Suffolk, Riggio has overseen some major and high-profile projects in New York City, including aspects of the restoration of the the emblematic Waldorf Astoria.
Here, Riggio explains what construction means to her, the projects she’s most proud of, and her advice to other women in the industry.
Editor’s Note: The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Immersion in CONSTRUCTION: What about construction drew you to switch from teaching?
KERRI RIGGIO: I think for me, the most important thing is that we affect the world around us. We build tangible things. We build schools, we build houses, bridges. And all of these items are things that people use every day. It adds a lot of purpose for me. The things I do every day make being outside in zero degrees worth it; knowing that someone will live in this building, use it, make it their home.
I think that’s what really made me fall in love with construction. And work in a team. Getting to know so many different personalities and how they affect this dynamic on the project site in our office.
What was it like working at the Waldorf Astoria?
It’s an incredible building. They took me to do the structural reforms. This included the demolition, steel, concrete and fireproofing of the building. That was about four years ago. We could not prove the facade. We have not been able to demonstrate parts of the plaster. They were milestones.
We basically rebuilt the building without tearing it down.
About two years later, I was moved up to the pinnacles, which are the copper spiers at the top. We supported the copper and then took down all the walls and rebuilt the entire structure of steel, brick, stone, windows, doors, terraces, all while conditioning the lower part of the hotel, which was now residences.
Crews work at the Waldorf Astoria Copper Needles in New York City, NY
Permission granted by Suffolk
Also, another thing I’ve never done in my career, which is really cool; the scaffolding was welded to the building’s steel. We worked on it from outside, 750 feet in the air.
It was a very cool project. It gave me a lot of gray hair, but it was really cool!
What other projects are you most proud of?
Most notably would be an affordable housing unit in the South Bronx, during COVID. It was not an easy build. Everything had long lead times. Where we would normally have 10 or 12 people working on an aspect, we had three or four. This is what the city allowed.
In the end we met some of the residents. They walked in the door and were more than grateful. Some were older people living in homeless shelters or women’s shelters. They had no privacy. And now they were applying to have a flat, something they called theirs.
I’ve said before, we build tangible products for projects and it’s great to see that, but it’s even better to see it go to someone who needs it. I remember this woman saying, “You’re a girl! You did it for yourself!”
And I said, “I’ve had help.” But this is pretty cool.
What has been your experience as a woman in construction?
I think a lot has changed. I worked years ago for a GC where it was definitely a boys club. I had people inform me that they were making more money than me, and that’s why I left. We weren’t even invited to the party, never mind, getting a seat at the table. Fortunately, over the years, this has changed. Now we are at the table and we are more than one.
I currently work in a team where there are eight women. This is unheard of. These are project managers, field people, not just administration. I think it’s wonderful. I think more women want to participate.
What advice would you give to other women in construction?
My advice to women starting their construction careers is to have confidence and trust yourself. It’s normal to have moments of doubt, especially in an industry that hasn’t always been like us, but don’t let that hold you back. you belong here Believe in your abilities, speak up and know that you have the ability and determination to succeed. Confidence grows over time and every challenge you face helps build it.
