Meet Our Leadership

About Us

Massachusetts Girls in Trades was launched in 2015 by a partnership of educational, governmental, and union organizations with a shared goal of supporting and encouraging female career and technical education students and alumnae to pursue careers in the building trades.

The group’s mission is to help female students in middle school and high school — as well as recent high school graduates — to learn about and start careers in high-paying, high-skilled careers in union construction trades. These are careers that they might not ordinarily consider, either because they simply don’t know about these opportunities or because they have been led in another direction due to societal pressure or stigma. By promoting these options and truly opening up these careers for women, Massachusetts Girls in Trades will play a role in providing female students with equal opportunity. This will allow them to take advantage of the uptick in Massachusetts construction activity which is now seen throughout the Commonwealth.

The work of MA GIT is driven by three (3) essential questions.

  • How can we promote and support young women currently enrolled in career and technical education to enter the union construction trades?

  • How can we develop a pipeline into the construction trades for middle school girls who are enrolling in career and technical high schools?

  • How can we reach graduates of career and technical high schools who may be looking for better opportunities and interested in careers in the union construction trades?

 

Our Steering Committee

We have a shared goal of supporting and encouraging female students and alumnae to pursue careers in the building trades.

Maryanne Ham

Maryanne Ham

Chair

Executive Director, Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium

Mary Vogel

Mary Vogel

Treasurer

Executive Director, Building Pathways

Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams

Program Manager

Massachusetts Girls in Trades

Lisa Clauson

Lisa Clauson

Western MA Conference Lead

Strategic Partnerships, New England Carpenters Labor Management Program

Jill Ashton

Jill Ashton

Member

Northeast Regional Administrator,  Women's Bureau, US DOL

Kerri Baltramaitis

Kerri Baltramaitis

Assistant Director, CTE

Assabet Valley RVTHS

Rick Carter

Member

President, Building Trades Training Directors Association

Brian Doherty

Brian Doherty

Member

General Agent / Treasurer, Boston Building Trades Unions

Renee Dozier

Member

Business Agent, IBEW Local 103

Kristen E. Gowin

Kristen E. Gowin

Member

Executive Manager, Boston Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association

Sharon Jozokos

Sharon Jozokos

Member

Vice President, Healthcare, Columbia Construction

Chrissy Lynch

Chrissy Lynch

Member

Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Kevin McCaskill

Kevin McCaskill

Member

Senior Administrator, Boston Public Schools, Office of Secondary Schools

Margaret Nugent

Margaret Nugent

Member

Career and Technical Ed Director, Franklin County Technical School

Maura Russell

Member

Formerly DESE

Liz Skidmore

Liz Skidmore

Honorary Founder

Massachusetts Girls in Trades & Policy Group on Tradeswomen’s Issues

Alison Stanton

Alison Stanton

Member

Regional Director of Community Affairs and Citizenship, Turner Construction

Shelley Webster

Member

Consultant, In Order Business