Celebrating Women in Construction Week 2025: Interviews on Site

As Modular Genius celebrates Women in Construction Week 2025, we’re shining a light on the talented women who help make Modular Genius a leader in the industry. This year, we met with three incredible team members- Christina Scott, Director of Operations; Bonnie Johnson, Project Manager; and Angela Durham, Assistant Project Manager- on a local job site to hear their stories. In our latest blog, they share their experiences, challenges, and the impact women continue to make in the evolving world of modular construction.

Can you share your journey into the construction industry? What inspired you to pursue this field?

Christina: I actually did not pursue the field of construction. I originally started out in July 2000 – my parents owned a business across the street from a competing modular construction company, and I was looking to have more opportunities. They said to me, “Christina, there’s a business across the street and they have a lot of trucks that come and go, so maybe you should apply over there.” So I sent in my resume, and I was called in for an interview. I was given the opportunity to pursue two different roles: one was file clerk and the other was collections analyst. I went with collections, so that’s where it all began.

Bonnie: Oh, that’s a funny story. I grew up in the construction industry. I was a part of a family that worked in the construction field. My dad specifically, I can remember growing up, him coming home every day from work with his overalls on and his dirty boots from working in the field. He was a metal worker, and he would come in, and get ready for dinner. That was our regular routine every night. So around the age of nine, he asked me to come outside with him. He taught me how to read blueprints, and he showed me what the steps  were in the process of reading the drawings, and how it would be built out into a building. From that point on, I fell in love. It was just amazing to me. I just enjoyed it all.

Angela: I actually did not want to pursue this career. But my father was in construction, and then I jumped into a job that he got me, working on site as a timekeeper. From then, I worked myself up the ladder to assistant project manager, and just absolutely have loved it the entire time.

How many years have you worked in construction, and how many specifically in modular construction?

Christina: I’ve been in modular construction for 25 years.

Bonnie: It’s been one year in modular for me. However, I’ve been in the construction industry for well over 30 years now, so I’ve been enjoying working in all the different phases, with concrete, to metal, to residential buildings, to commercial buildings, underground tunneling, all types of parts of construction.

Angela: I’ve worked in construction for over 25 years. This is actually my first time ever being in modular construction. I’m very excited. I’m loving what I’m seeing from start to finish. It’s amazing, but definitely a new experience.

What is your favorite part of your current role and what keeps you motivated in this industry?

Christina: My favorite thing about my current role is the ability to use what I’ve learned over the last 25 years to help shape processes, policies, and just make it a better overall experience for customers and those who work in the business.

Bonnie: I like helping people. I will always like to go on to a project, and I like to look for issues that can be solved. For me, that’s my whole job; to come in, find the problems, fix them, and I love doing it.

Angela: My favorite part of my role is supporting the Project Managers and really getting them organized and geared up to start the project and getting them all the way to the end.

Have you had any mentors or role models who influenced your career in construction?

Christina: For me, it was more of my own self-development, wanting to be the best at anything that I could do and learn as much as I could.

Bonnie: My dad, of course, my dad – and then also his brothers. They all had a construction company, so it’s a long family line of it. My brother was also a project manager, so anytime I would get in a little pickle, I would call him. He would walk me through issues and things like that. So I’ve always had family members that helped me out through the process.

Angela: Yes. I’ve had a lot of project managers that have been really great and have supported me and mentored me to get to the position I’m at now.

What’s one challenge you face in this industry, and how did you overcome it?

Bonnie: Challenges come across every day. So you have daily challenges and then you have milestones, the challenges that you have to work with in the project. A lot of the time you just take them head on, you know, you get started with it, you break it down piece by piece. It becomes a task.

Angela: It’s just it’s hard to get used to working with just all men in the industry. But it’s a team effort. And once you get past that hump, you’re good to go.

What advice would you give to young women considering a career in construction or in modular construction?

Christina: I would say go for it. Anything that you want to do, you can do. Growing up as a young girl, I never considered a career in construction. Oftentimes, girls were told they could be teachers. So, I thought that was the only thing I could do – be a teacher or be a secretary. I never even considered being a project manager, or working in operations, or out in the field. It’s very rewarding and challenging. You get to work with a great group of people.

Bonnie: You gotta need tough skin to deal with this industry. Being a woman in this industry has not made it easy. But it’s challenging, and it’s a good challenge. Look towards people that are already in the industry for advice. They can help you step by step. It is mostly male based, but women, we are taking over the world, of course. So I would say you know, put your hard hat on, put your safety glasses on, put your boots on, and get to work.

How do you see the industry evolving for women in construction?

Christina: From the time that I started to today, I see a lot more women out in the field. Not only are they working in the office, but they are on our construction crews, they’re in the shops, they’re working for our manufacturers and suppliers. So, we’re seeing more women. I’d love to see more women in leadership roles. I think we have a lot to bring, like new ideas, a different perspective versus our male counterparts.

Angela: Oh, I see a lot of women going far with construction. It’s a big field now. It’s not just for the men. It’s for women, too.

What have you learned in your role so far that has helped you grow professionally?

Bonnie: Kindness is the key to always being successful in the industry. A lot of the time, everyone doesn’t know everything about everything. So you have to engage with the people that you work with to get your answer solved.

What advice would you give to women looking to step into leadership roles in construction? 

Christina: I don’t think a lot of women consider a career in the construction field, whether that’s out of fear of construction and dirty work, and not really understanding or knowing all of the different career opportunities that may be available to them. Or maybe this is a career choice that’s not really being presented to them as they’re growing up. I would encourage you to pursue it. There’s a lot of opportunity. I think there’s a lot of fun that you can have versus other career choices, and it’s a different experience every single day, working on different job sites every day with different groups of people. You get to learn so much as a person by working with people from all different backgrounds, from all walks of life. Give it a try! Connect with myself and the other women in construction for mentorship and growth. Don’t be afraid to step into some steel-toed boots.

Is there anything you wanted to mention that didn’t come up in this interview?

Angela: Just that I would encourage more women to get out in this field. It’s an awesome field, and we need all the women we can get.

Bonnie: No. I do want to add this, though. Out of all the companies I’ve ever worked for and all the people that I’ve worked with in the industry over the last 30 years, I have never worked with such a good group of people with Modular Genius. Everyone in the team, from accounting, to construction management, to the sales team, to the marketing team, everyone is just so nice and everyone gets along. We have a wonderful time, but we build the world.