NAHB’s Professional Women in Building leadership recently welcomed a new chapter—GHBA’s local PWB council. This action supports a growing network of female professionals in the homebuilding industry, spotlighting their achievements and voice in our industry.
Adding to the excitement and buzz of this powerful council, the Houston chapter of PWB has named industry leader, Jennifer Taylor, VP of marketing for Brookfield Properties Development, as council president.
When asked, how she would sum up the makeup of our growing council, Taylor answered, “I’d say our members are passionate and determined – and diverse! I am amazed at the enthusiasm our chapter has been met with. It really is inspiring! And one thing that makes me so happy is that our membership represents so many different career paths for women in the homebuilding industry. From finance and accounting, to purchasing and construction, you name it – and our members do it.”
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Nearly 200 members strong, GHBA’s PWB is off to a remarkable start as it is now the largest PWB council in the country.
Kicking off the year with a sizzling success, PWB hosted its first networking event in celebration of Galentine’s Day. With more than 100 industry professionals in attendance, the talented women (and men!) were divided into teams putting their cooking skills to the test. Seeing how each team measured up, there were a panel of judges that chose the winning team of the night.
During the evening, attendees had to pivot the surprises—as in the Iron Chef television series—and create recipes given sometimes with missing utensils or ingredients. Up to the challenge, attendees heated up the kitchen stations with outstanding dishes. Their final dishes were judged on taste as well as presentation.
With wine and creativity flowing at the workstations, delicious meals were prepared and judged in two heats. The final round came down to presentation and, of course, the use of bacon. The biggest takeaway from the evening was the new relationships made among everyone in a comedic and memorable setting. See photo highlights in the March issue of Houston Builder magazine, and on GHBA’s Facebook.
When asked what she hopes members of the PWB benefit from being on the council, Jennifer replied, “First and foremost, I hope PWB is a place to create friendships, fellowship, and support for women in all facets of our industry. Especially during this first year, we want to have fun social events that encourage our members to really get to know one another. These events won’t be just networking events, but rather relationship building events. Additionally, there are so many different career paths for women in homebuilding and I’d like to shine a spotlight on those that may not be as well-known.”
With quarterly events set and two additional networking opportunities planned for 2022, the goal is to accommodate schedules so that times and locations are convenient for those attending. We hope to see you at the next event on April 12 at Truck Yard.
To learn more about the benefits of PWB membership and upcoming networking events, visit ghba.org/pwb.