By Madison Eldridge ∙ Sept. 18, 2024
When asked, the women working at DKI-CRCS agreed that restoration is a male-dominated industry. Some said they rarely see other female project managers or sub-trades on job sites. With this in mind, we wanted to take some time to recognize the hardworking women in our industry and share their experiences.
Faithann Chininea
Faithann Chininea has been working in the restoration industry since 1997, first starting at her father’s restoration company. Chininea said she entered the industry because of her familial ties, but over time, she fell in love with the way the job allowed her to constantly meet new people and see projects develop from start to finish.
“I enjoy the restoration industry,” she said. “I really do enjoy it. There’s a sense of fulfillment when you get to complete a whole project from beginning to end, see the results and see the happy customers at the end.”
Since she started working at her father’s restoration company almost 30 years ago, Chininea said she has watched the restoration industry change.
When she started, she said recalls being on a job site where an adjuster made her feel overlooked.
“I remember, we were all on site, meeting with the adjuster,” she said. “We had the engineers, we had inspectors – all men. So, we’re standing in a circle and the adjuster goes, ‘hi, hi, nice to meet you…’ He shook everybody’s hand except mine. He just passed me. It was one of those very obvious, very awkward things.”
In 2018, Chininea continued working in the industry she loves, joining DKI-CRCS as a project manager assistant (PMA).
Through her experience, Chininea said incidents like the one she experienced in the beginning of her career do not happen as often as she notices a change in the male-dominated industry.
“I definitely see more women on sites,” Chininea said. “Before, I didn’t see any female project managers (PMs) or even sub trades on job sites. Women are not just in the office anymore. They’re in the field.”
Jorja Cooper
However, Jorja Cooper said as a woman she continues to be treated differently by customers today.
Cooper joined the DKI-CRCS family in 2021 as a PMA, working alongside PM Bruce Butwell. She said she can recall multiple incidents when she was treated differently by homeowners because of her gender.
“Bruce and I had a claim together not long before I officially became a project manager,” she said. “When I called the homeowner, he said to me, ‘no, I don’t want to speak with you. I want to speak with Bruce.’ I told him, ‘whatever you need to know, I can help you with.’ Bruce was irked by that too. He wasn’t going to stand for any of that either. But I run into it all the time.”
Cooper and Elaine Treadwell are the first two female PMs at DKI-CRCS.
Being a project manager has been a long-time goal for Cooper. However, since starting in the field in 2016, she said she wasn’t always sure her goal was supported by her previous employers.
“I don’t know that I would have even made project manager at either of the other restoration companies that I worked for,” she said. “They all knew that was my goal, but I don’t feel like any of them led the way to make that possible. Whereas here, that was always the goal. Ryan, Matt and Kyle knew that as well so, they worked with me and they got me there.”
Mabel Luna
Mabel Luna, our lead water technician has been working at DKI-CRCS for 10 years.
After working in the restoration industry for 18 years, she said she is used to being met by various reactions from homeowners – some negative but others positive.
“It’s kind of cool,” Luna said. “When we show up, some customers are like ‘What? A woman doing demo?’ Some customers, they’re like, ‘Where are the guys? What time are they coming?’ When we’re there to remove drywall. And I say, ‘No, there are no guys. We’re here to do it.’ And some customers are really encouraging saying, ‘oh my gosh, good for you girls! You represent the women.’
Despite the encounters they have had, women continue to work in the restoration industry to help homeowners who have faced disaster.
Cooper said you have to have thick skin to work as a woman in the industry.
“I usually kill them with kindness and gently put them in their place,” she said. “You’re not going to get any different treatment from any man that I work with. They’re going to tell you the exact same thing. It’s difficult especially when somebody’s being rude, but I still have a job to do. I’m still going to make sure their place is cleaned, dried and treat them with respect.”
Whether it’s Chininea who said she likes being on the road and meeting new people, Cooper who said she enjoys being able to learn new things or Luna who said she loves how everyday brings something different, each woman described the joy that working in this industry brings them.
DKI-CRCS recognizes the importance of representation in the workplace. We appreciate and acknowledge the women that continue to represent our company with pride.
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