Oregon Tradeswomen Grads Working for Living Room Realty
Recently, Living Room Realty was searching to fill a brand new in-house Maintenance Coordinator position and out of the 7 women who applied, two stood out above the rest: Ash Jimenez, an Oregon Tradeswomen graduate, and Kathleen George, were so well received that Living Room Realty created a whole other maintenance position in order to keep them both!
Ash, whom Sarah remembered from the tradeswomen fashion show at Oregon Tradeswomen’s Annual Career Fair, took the role of Maintenance Coordinator and Kathleen, an experienced general contractor of 20 years and the owner of her own painting business, is their new Maintenance Manager.
Ash Jimenez at Oregon Tradeswomen’s “Build With Us: A Blue Collar Gala”
Living Room Realty is a female owned and almost all female-staffed local company that is committed to giving back to the community. Their owner, Jenelle Isaacson, and her Executive Assistant Sarah McBee met when they served together on the Board of Directors for the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls and are involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors around Portland.
Living Room Realty’s commitment to giving back to the community shines through in their work: they have a designated charitable giving fund called The Loving Room Fund that benefits three nonprofits for the year. The fund is currently committed to helping:
- P:ear, a nonprofit that creatively mentors homeless youth.
- Urban Gleaners, an organization that is dedicated to reducing waste by rescuing edible surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and donating it to hungry children and their families.
- Oregon Wild, a nonprofit that works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlife, wild-lands, and waters.
We want to extend very well deserved congratulations to Ash and Kathleen as they embark on this new journey! BIG thanks to Living Room Realty for their support of Oregon Tradeswomen and the communities that make Oregon a wonderful place to live.
A World of Difference Features Oregon Tradeswomen
MediaLab, an applied research and media production organization affiliated with Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Arts and Communication, launched a new series, “A World of Difference,” where the producers explore gender, race, national origin, and ask the question, “How do we value difference?”
Each of the four episodes focuses on new topics in different cities. The second episode was filmed in Portland, and investigates gender, specifically in the construction industry. Women comprise a mere 3% of the national construction trades workforce, but in Oregon, nearly 7% of apprentices in the skilled trades are women.
Oregon Tradeswomen’s Executive Director, Kelly Kupcak, and Director of Training, Amy James Neel, had the opportunity to speak with MediaLab about this disparity and what Oregon Tradeswomen is doing to bridge the gap.
We are humbled by the opportunity to share with the world the work Oregon Tradeswomen does. We applaud MediaLab for their efforts to open a discussion recognizing the experiences of people in marginalized communities and what can be done to make a difference.
The series premier of “A World of Difference” took place on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Seattle Public Library. You can find the episodes available for rent or purchase on Vimeo.
Senator Ron Wyden Talks Infrastructure at Town Hall
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden held a press conference on Thursday, February 1, 2018, about the dire need for federal funding to fix roads and bridges not only in Oregon, but across the United States.
The press conference took place at the Marquam Bridge, one of the bridges in Multnomah County in need of structural reinforcement in the case of a seismic event. Nearly all of Oregon’s major construction unions were represented at the event, as well as Oregon Tradeswomen’s Executive Director, Kelly Kupcak.
Pictured from Left: Kelly Kupcak (Oregon Tradeswomen), Nicole Rappaport (Local 701), AJ Banuelos (Local 737), and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
Senator Wyden addressed President Trump’s purported intention to raise $1.5 trillion to fix our nation’s failing infrastructure. Senator Wyden said, “The way you improve bridges and roads and do all the great work these people do is with real federal dollars… We still haven’t heard from the president and the Republicans how that’s going to happen.”
Sources from the Trump administration claim that only $200 billion would come from the federal government, putting the pressure on state and local governments to raise the rest of the money. Since 2003, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been making major efforts to fix Oregon’s bridges and even with the $5.2 billion plan approved by state legislature in 2017 to invest in our infrastructure, federal aid is needed to truly strengthen our roads and bridges to the extent needed.
In 2009, Senator Wyden authored the bi-partisan Build America bonds program that successfully generated $181 billion for public works projects and created 3,500 jobs in Oregon. Now, the Senator is calling on the current administration to help fund the rebuilding of the nation’s infrastructure by endorsing a plan to use some of the $2.6 trillion coming back into America’s economy as a result of the tax cuts implemented in December 2017.
Investing in infrastructure not only improves our local and national economy by creating jobs and reliable mobility for people and businesses, but it is also a critical issue of public safety. We applaud Senator Wyden for his efforts in making sure that funding to maintain a strong infrastructure for our country is a priority for our government.
Donna Hammond to be Honored at LERC Black History Month Event
Donna Hammond (Photo from Portland Tribune)
The University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) is holding a special Black History Month Event!
Pioneering a Living Legacy:
Shaping Our Vision for Diversity and Inclusion in the Labor Movement
February 8, 2018
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
UO Portland
White Stag Building Room 142/144
70 NW Couch Street
Portland OR 97209
Click here to save your seat for this free event!
LERC will be honoring Donna Hammond for her continued efforts to make the trades a safer place for women, people of color, and other minorities. There will be a special viewing of the film “Sista in the Brotherhood” by Dawn Jones Redstone followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Roberta Hunt of Portland State University and honoree, Donna Hammond, Business Representative for IBEW 48.
Donna began her career in the trades 39 years ago as an apprentice electrician and became Oregon’s 2nd ever black woman to journey out as an electrician. During her time in the trades, Donna faced discrimination and harassment from her coworkers and even supervisors. As a result of her experiences during those 20 years where she was a union electrician, Donna took it upon herself to blaze a trail for marginalized people so that they could pursue a career in the skilled trades without fear of harassment.
Hammond joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) as their first black female Business Representative and negotiates contracts and inspects job sites among other things. Outside of her work there, she has been a member of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus for the past 22 years and has spent the past 3 years with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. Not only that, but Donna Hammond played a key role in the development of our Pathways to Success program here at Oregon Tradeswomen.
We have immense respect for Donna and the impact she has made. Thank you for your continued work making the trades a safe place for women and diverse workers!
Isis Harris (front) and Donna Hammond (back) on National Women in Apprenticeship Day
Thank you for Supporting Oregon Tradeswomen in the Willamette Week Give!Guide!
Thank you for helping make Oregon Tradeswomen’s Give!Guide campaign such a success!
We are so grateful to have been included in the Willamette Week Give!Guide again in 2017 – a fantastic opportunity for local non-profits to reach new and long-time supporters alike.
All we can say is WOW and THANK YOU! We are completely blown away by the outpouring of generosity from all of you! Between November 1st and December 31st, we received 177 gifts totaling $19,960 – only $40 short of our goal of $20,000! These gifts will go a long way in the continued effort to increase the visibility of women in the trades and building their economic independence, from supporting the Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class (TACC) to offering career and leadership support as they grow in their Trade
A special thank you and round of high fives to our fabulous Oregon Tradeswomen Alumnae, who contributed an impressive $1,224!
As gifts began to come in, so too did the seriously heartwarming words of appreciation and support. Here are a few of our favorites:
“Thank you Oregon Tradeswomen! I have benefited greatly from your organization and mentorship and I am grateful for all of the work that you do!”
“Happy to support you all in any way I can. Thank you for the positive impact you make for the trades industry and women entering the field!”
“YOU ROCK.”
Thank you again to all of our supporters, whether you made a monetary donation, or donated your time, energy, and love to Oregon Tradeswomen and the work we’re doing together.
Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2018!
Looking Ahead to 2018!
As we begin 2018, Oregon Tradeswomen would like to thank our industry and community partners and supporters. Each of you contribute to changing the lives of the women we serve, and we are grateful for all that you do.
With your support, we are building our capacity to reach and serve more women each day. In 2017 we provided more than 1,000 women with career education and support to pursue a career in skilled trades in construction and manufacturing.
Because of your commitment, support, and generosity, Oregon Tradeswomen was able to provide 159 women with industry skills training, hundreds of women with job placement, access to registered apprenticeship, career counseling, supportive services, advocacy, and leadership development. Our work – with your support – ensured that women were able to move themselves and their families out of poverty and into prosperity. They have gained skills and confidence and community. They have been able to build a career and a future and a sisterhood. Thank you for making all of these things and more a reality for women in the Portland region and across Oregon.
As we begin this New Year, Oregon Tradeswomen invites you to continue to support our work, and to join us as we think and dream and do – bigger and bolder.
We have big changes underway – including the development of a three-year strategic plan, revamping of our decade old pre-apprenticeship training program, and expanding services. We are raising money to purchase our own building where we will house a training workshop, community space, on-site childcare, and low-income housing. We are building an advocacy platform to ensure positive changes for women and industry at the local, state and national level are realized. We are developing a mentoring program, expanding our services to rural communities and engaging new partners.
We invite you to join us as we build this vision and our future for the women, industry and community we serve.
With gratitude,
Kelly Kupcak, Executive Director
Oregon Tradeswomen Honored With PCC Community Partner Award
Last night, Oregon Tradeswomen was honored with Portland Community College’s (PCC) first ever community partner award for a partnership with a non-profit organization.
PCC recognized three categories of partnership: non-profit, small business, and large business. At the dinner, PCC President Mark Mitsui introduced us, spoke about our partnership, and how we were one of their strongest employers who guide curriculum and give the support that allows PCC to educate and train a skilled workforce. President Mitsui then introduced the small business partner, Rebecca (Gillenwater) Smith of Blessing Landscape. As soon as they introduced her she professed, “I’m also a grad of Oregon Tradeswomen!” and the whole room cheered with excitement!
Rebecca (Gillenwater) Smith went through our pre-apprenticeship training program in 2009 and also graduated from PCC’s landscaping program. She worked in the field for a number of years and is now the landscape designer for PCC and has helped them win awards for their sustainability practices!
It was a thrilling convergence. Rebecca wanted to re-engage with Oregon Tradeswomen: she is actively looking to recruit Oregon Tradeswomen pre-apprenticeship graduates for her company and has been wanting to come and speak to students in our classes.
We are so humbled by this recognition and are also thrilled to see how our grads are positively impacting the community! Thank you PCC and keep up the good work, Rebecca!
Women on the Rise Awards
Women on the Rise award winners: Katie Kuchta, Isis Harris, Heather Mayther, and Carly Rush
On Thursday November 16, 2017 the whole country celebrated Women in Apprenticeship Day. This day is part of National Apprenticeship Week which was started during President Obama’s administration in 2015 as a call to action to increase the use of Registered apprenticeship to develop the skills of our nation’s workers and expand the talent pipeline available to U.S. Industries.
Heather Mayther, Left, with Amber McCoy, Representative Pacific Northwest Region Carpenters Institute
Aida Arranda, Apprenticeship Coordinator Oregon & S. Idaho Laborers with Katie Kuchta, and Dan Clark, General Superintendent, Skanska
While many organizations across the U.S. celebrated this year, Oregon Tradeswomen did something truly special. This year, we launched our 1st annual, “Woman on the Rise,” awards dinner. We asked four of our closest union apprenticeship partners in the Portland area to nominate four spectacular women apprentices in their program. These women are leaders, supporters of their community, and have shown excellence in their trade.
Kevin Roth, Training Coordinator Sheet Metal Institute, with Carly Rush
Carly Rush receives a hug from her proud daughter
In honor of these four award winners, Oregon Tradeswomen hosted a several course meal with the women, their friends, families, and apprenticeship coordinators to celebrate their achievements. Each apprenticeship representative spoke about their honoree with presentations and custom videos. We were also joined by Steve Simms from the state of Oregon’s Office of Apprenticeship, who gave a moving speech about the importance moving beyond just tolerance of women in the trades, to truly accepting women into these non-traditional fields.
Keith Edwards, IBEW Local 48 Member, Isis Harris, Pat Daniels of Constructing Hope, and Donna Hammond, IBEW Local 48 Member
Donna Hammond is ready to surprise Isis Harris with a bouquet of flowers
The quote of the night belongs to Donna Hammond from IBEW Local 48 who said,
“There is going to be hard work at every job, but do you want to do it for minimum wage or thirty-five dollars an hour?”
Special thanks to Oregon Tradeswomen staff member, Emma Brennan, who handmade toolboxes foe each of the award winners!
IBEW Local 48 Awards Connie Ashbrook With Honorary Membership
Oregon Tradeswomen founding Director, Connie Ashbrook, was awarded with an honorary membership by IBEW Local 48 Business Manager Gary Young and President Wayne Chow.
This prestigious award is historic – it is the first time in the Local’s 106-year history they have recognized someone who is not a member! President Chow stated that the Local sought this honorary membership for Connie because of her tremendous contributions to promoting equity for women in the trades, and clearing the path for women to become leaders in their unions, in their communities, and in the construction industry.
Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Connie!
Guest Blog: Apparatus Contractor Services
We are so excited to announce Apparatus Contractor Services, LLC to the women of our contracting and trades industry! Apparatus is a suite of back office services for small contracting companies, general contractors, independent and subcontractors, and tradeswomen (and men!).
Through months of preparation, we’ve put together three month-to-month subscription-based programs. Each one offers critical business services including administrative assistance, accounting, payroll, marketing, and more. We’re the first of our kind in the Portland area: a comprehensive digital support solution for contractors. We offer our subscription services to contractors locally and nationally.
Apparatus is the end-result of a careful examination of the challenges faced by growing contracting companies. Companies made of, or ran by, people just like you! We believe that the three programs we offer will be a testament to Apparatus’ skill for process and service design. Most importantly, our willingness and determination to really understand the needs of our future contractor clients.
As the marketing manager, I was witness to the challenges we faced building Apparatus (building a business is hard work!). We wanted to resist the temptation to design the services we thought we should offer. Instead, we listened carefully to what we heard contractors tell us they need. We incorporated this feedback until we felt we had a product that would really help people as they start, grow, and scale their contracting businesses.
Here is a brief overview of the services each program provides:
- Apparatus Start! Program™ is intended to set and reinforce your business’s foundation through entity formation assistance, compliance management, document management, and full-service accounting and payroll.
- Apparatus Grow! Program™ incorporates all the features of Start! and adds business identity and branding as well as opportunities to enhance the professionalism of a contracting business through estimates and full proposals.
- Apparatus Scale! Program™ incorporates all the features of Start! and Grow! and adds an extensive suite of marketing and client management tools and services.
We also offer a variety of a la carte services available alongside each service package. We built these options out to encompass a broader range of need form our clients. The options include, but are not limited to, LLC formation assistance, contractor licensing assistance, and notices of right to a lien. As we grow, we look forward to evolving to meet the needs of our contractor client base.
Beyond unveiling our company, we’re also on a mission to get to know our contracting community better. We’re proud members of the Master Builders Association of Seattle, The Home Builders Associate of Portland and of course, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.! I love hearing from local contractors and encourage any woman, either aspiring in her career or established, to reach out and start a conversation.
Until next time!
Erin Lehmann, Marketing Manager
Apparatus Contractor Services, LLC
503-833-2888
About Apparatus Contractor Services, LLC: Apparatus Contractor Services, LLC was designed to power the back offices of small and large subcontractors and general contractors. Their back office services are tailored to the unique needs of contracting companies seeking to start, grow, and scale to their true potential.