Taking Charge: More and More, It’s Women Who Are Leading Today’s Housing Industry

From left: Linda Oliveri Blanchard (Enercare Home Services); Kaylie Chamberlin (ARTium Design Build & Just Basements); Tanya Buckley (Urbandale Construction); Alyssa Stack (Cardel Homes); Rosaline Hill (RJH Architecture + Planning); Michelle Taggart (Tamarack Homes & Tartan Homes); Caroline Castrucci (Laurysen Kitchens); Carolyn Munro (Carolyn Munro Design + Build); Lianna Mackie (Mackie Homes). Photo credit: Wayne Cuddington, All Things Home

By: Anita Murray, All Things Home

The housing industry has traditionally been known as a male-dominated field, but that’s changing. More and more today, it’s women in the decision-making roles, as evidenced by three recent high-level appointments.

Late last year, Michelle Taggart, whose family has been in construction and land development since the 1940s, took over as co-president of Tamarack Homes and Tartan Homes. Two months later, Tanya Buckley, who had long been with Cardel Homes, was named senior vice-president of Urbandale Construction. And this spring, Alyssa Stack, who had been general manager at Patten Homes, was named senior vice-president and general manager at Cardel.

They certainly aren’t the first women in leadership roles in the industry. Caroline Castrucci, for instance, has been running Laurysen Kitchens with her brother for several years and is a past president of the local housing association, the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA). And Carolyn Munro started her own business, Carolyn Munro Design + Build, designing and building custom homes and renovations, in 1986, leading the way for women in the field.

But the recent appointments seemed a natural time to explore how the industry has changed for women and what they bring to the table. In June, nine of them gathered in a conference room to examine the challenges and opportunities facing women in the housing sector.

Continue reading: Visit All Things Home to read the full article, Taking charge: More and more, it’s women who are leading today’s housing industry, and watch a video summary of the discussion.