The City of San Diego celebrated National Women in Construction Week, from March 6 through March 12. From libraries to parks to storm drains, there is a diverse group of women leading these crucial infrastructure projects at the City.

One of these awesome women is Sarah Chavez, a Senior Engineer for the City’s Engineering & Capital Projects Department (E&CP). Sarah co-leads the City’s Materials Test Lab, which oversees citywide quality assurance testing. She says her favorite part of her job is teaching the next generation of female engineers that they can be strong and successful in their careers. Her advice to future engineers is to “Look to those that blazed the trail ahead of us to ask questions and get direction. We aren’t alone and it’s a whole team effort to get us where we are.” 

Another woman in construction at the City is Mitzi Karen Gamboa, an Associate Engineer and Enforcement Officer. She says “I love my job because it hones my skills and I get to learn new things every day. We help build a better community and our work is essential to the safety and security of our community.”

Earlier this year, employees in the E&CP Department created the Women in Construction committee to demonstrate the importance of women in a male-dominated industry. The committee officially formed in January 2022 and has more than 40 City staffers from the E&CP Construction Management & Field Engineering division.

The committee gives a voice to women working in the field and provides guidance on how to handle obstacles and situations that women in construction face, and allows members to share stories, advice and to empower one another.