Last week, the New York Times shared Lenore Janis' obituary.

In addition to advocating for women in the construction industry, Janis was the founder and past president of Professional Women in Construction (PWC), a national nonprofit that seeks to support, advance and connect women and promote diversity within AEC and related industries. 

According to one article honoring her life and accomplishments, she once said, “In 1980, a woman could not hope for a well-paying, managerial job in the construction industry. Women attempting to run construction businesses were shunned by banks and suppliers.  Attitudes have changed…When a woman steps into the room she may even be pleasantly surprised to find she’s not the only woman at the table.”

Yestermorrow isn't affiliated with PWC or Janis, but her legacy as an advocate for women in the trades aligns with our core principles; we've been creating safe spaces to introduce women to building through classes like Carpentry for Women, Timber Framing for Women and more. 

To that point, we've created a Scholarship Fund dedicated to individuals who identify as women in an effort to continue advocating for diversity in the construction industry.