Women-led Firms Deliver Transformative Projects to Yavapai College

(Photo Courtesy of Canyon State Electric) Women leaders from the team involved in delivering two Centers for Learning and Innovation for Yavapai College include: Back row, left to right: Candace Arroyo, Tracy Garrison, Hikmat Lawal, Gillian Haley; Front row, left to right: Sharon Yates, Kathy Wright, Dr. Lisa Rhine, Stephanie Maderazzo-Hughes.

The construction industry celebrates Women in Construction Week on March 3-7, and what began as a standard construction project at Yavapai College’s Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale has evolved into a showcase of women’s leadership in action.

The Verde Valley Campus Center for Learning and Innovation, completed in August 2024, has transformed learning for those Yavapai College students it serves with its 11,000-square-foot facility featuring AI-assisted tutoring platforms, media production rooms and immersive learning labs.

The Prescott Campus project follows a similar philosophy but on a larger scale. The $10 million renovation of Building 19 on the Prescott Campus brings together collaboration of women-led construction companies, design firms and client leadership. When complete, the campus will feature a one-button media studio, makerspace, study rooms, open computer laboratory and collaboration areas with tutoring and academic support. It is expected to be completed by spring 2026.

The two projects for Yavapai College mirror one another, with both transforming buildings into the two Centers for Learning and Innovation. It will provide students with the opportunity to learn and use the latest media and technology within adaptive learning spaces, while still offering the resources of a traditional library. The project team features female leadership across multiple disciplines. Haley Construction is the general contractor, SmithGroup is the designer.

According to industry statistics, women make up only 11% of the construction workforce nationally. Projects like these at Yavapai College demonstrate that women are not only participating in construction but excelling in leadership roles throughout the industry.

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