As the construction industry recently observed Women in Construction Week to honor and recognize the efforts of women in the industry, Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) reflected on the contributions and services the women of AP provide to both their clients and the community.

Here is a glimpse into a day-in-the-life of four outstanding women leaders who make a difference both in and out of the office throughout Texas.

Drea Vega

Project Manager

From “dirt to doorbell,” Drea oversees projects from the initial concepts to the final client delivery. Collaboration plays a large role as she strives to provide project stakeholders with clear and consistent communication.

“The most rewarding part of my career is seeing a project completed and knowing I helped guide it from concept to reality,” Drea said.

“Construction is fast-paced and high-pressure, and people need someone who can steady the room, listen and guide the conversation toward solutions. I serve as the bridge between the client’s vision and the field’s execution, delivering not only a completed building but confidence and trust throughout the process,” she said.

Drea approaches projects with a relentless drive and pushes progress forward, no matter the obstacle. Choosing to lead with positivity, especially when the stakes are high and times get tough, her attitude sets the tone for the entire team.

She worked on the Austin ISD renovation and expansion project at Anderson High School, which required weekly – and often, daily – involvement with the campus team.

The team found creative ways to keep the local community updated on construction progress. “We attended rivalry football games as well as AISD’s Inspire The Future Event to encourage students who may be interested in a construction industry career,” she said.

“But even more meaningful is mentoring and being visible in this role. If a young woman can look at me on a jobsite and think ‘I can do that,’ then I know I am contributing to something bigger than a single project,” Drea said.

My role requires me to be strategic and solution-driven, but it also necessitates emotional intelligence. On any given day, I am part strategist, part negotiator, part problem-solver and occasionally part therapist.

Jodie Matthews

Assistant Project Manager

In her role, Jodie supports project managers and the field team throughout a project’s lifecycle, from buyout to closeout. She ensures documentation, coordination, compliance and communication are maintained at all stages.

“Providing quality service and value to our clients by ensuring organization, accuracy and proactive communication throughout the entire project brings me great satisfaction,” Jodie said. “My goal is to make the client’s experience seamless by ensuring transparency, compliance, and reliability at every project stage.”

That entails everything from contract preparation to facilitating owner-architect-contractor meetings, trade partner and internal staff meetings, to supporting the documentation flow between company systems and client software, and so much more.

I take pride in maintaining accurate documentation, facilitating clear communication among team members and trade partners, and ensuring safety and compliance standards are met. I approach my role with a strong sense of ownership, making sure processes run smoothly and nothing falls through the cracks,” she said.

A successful project requires organization, reliability, accountability, collaboration and attention to detail; all skills Jodie brings to both her personal and work life.

Seeing a project through from start to finish has been one of the most rewarding parts of her career, Jodie said. “Having that exposure is both rare and incredibly valuable. There’s a strong sense of accomplishment in watching something that began as paperwork and planning evolve into a completed, fully functioning facility — and knowing I played a key role in making that happen.”

While she hadn’t planned to work in the construction industry, it is something she is “truly passionate about. I can’t see myself doing anything else,” she said.

Kelly Wesley

Project Manager

As AP renovates and expands Austin ISD’s McCallum High School, Kelly oversees the day-to-day operations. In a prime example of how she and the AP team partner with their clients, AP sponsors the MHS Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

At one point during the remodeling of the administration offices, the school’s band hall (on the opposite side of the school) flooded over a weekend. While it didn’t impact the construction efforts, AP’s team helped move band equipment to minimize damage to the instruments.

Because the school is aging, it has multiple roof leaks. The band instructor was visibly upset outside the band hall, worried that her instruments were in danger of being destroyed. AP’s McCallum team dropped everything to help her, and she was extremely appreciative, she said.

“The project had some challenges, including working around students, staff and school schedules, all while maintaining safety and minimizing disruptions on a phased construction project,” Kelly said. “But with early and detailed coordination, we have navigated successfully around this.”

Additionally, bringing an older school building to current ADA, Fire/Life Safety and energy codes requires thorough investigation and early coordination, she added.

By having clear communication with all stakeholders and providing transparent updates, realistic timelines and proactive issue reporting, we identified potential risks early and implemented mitigation strategies before an impact to the budget or schedule,” Kelly said.

Addressing issues or concerns with a problem-solving mindset and solution-oriented thinking allows the team to build trust with its stakeholders and “be a reliable partner, not just a manager,” she explained.

Especially at a project like MHS, community involvement is critical, she said. “Schools serve more than just students; they serve families and the broader community. Engaging ensures projects reflect the needs and priorities of the people they serve,” she added.

Each of these actions mirrors Kelly’s work approach, which centers on leading with integrity, collaborating with purpose and persevering through challenges to deliver meaningful results.

“By actively listening to our stakeholders and aligning teams around shared goals, and fostering open communication, we can stay solution-focused when challenges arise, remain steady, adaptable and committed to a path forward,” Kelly said.

Natasha McDougle

Staff Accountant

As the project managers’ right-hand person, Natasha’s strengths of collaboration and communication ensure billing issues don’t fall through the cracks.

Her role is more than sitting behind a desk and working on Excel spreadsheets. She manages a variety of day-to-day tasks, allowing project managers to focus on the job site.

In the trenches, she’s knee-deep in paperwork and managing a variety of software programs and billing challenges. She supports AP and its clients while also assisting trade partners when they have invoicing concerns.

My focus is on preventing funding delays that can quickly snowball into schedule disruptions,” Natasha said. “Even minor billing issues can hold up reimbursements, restrict cash flow and ultimately slow project momentum. By partnering closely with the PM to identify risks early and refine our billing strategy, we can remove financial obstacles before they impact critical milestones and overall delivery timelines.

In her 11 years at AP, software advancements have helped Natasha accomplish much more to support the projects on the finance side. One of her biggest recent challenges was a project changing to tax-exempt status mid-construction. That involved revising how the billing was managed across the board and making sure the trade partners knew what to do, as well.

“I appreciate how AP works hard to ensure our trade partners, clients and the community benefit from all that we do,” she said. “We don’t just put up a building’s walls and walk away. The core values of AP reflect our company culture, giving our time and talents to charitable organizations. We are building community, too.”

She single-handedly manages the finances for AP’s Charity Golf Classic (on top of her normal day-to-day job) and provides financial forecasting/planning, which has helped AP maximize the tournament’s financial success and final donations to beneficiaries.

AP’s charitable efforts show the human side of AP, she said. As a self-described “people person,” Natasha thrives seeing her team members excel and contributing to their success on the job.

“It is rewarding when a colleague doesn’t understand how to do something, and I’m able to help them. That brings me joy because not only am I doing my job, but I’m helping AP succeed,” she said.

Women in Construction Week is sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction to amplify the contributions and achievements of women in construction-related fields and build the future of women in the industry.