Taylor Morrison Advances Female Representation in Homebuilding

National homebuilder celebrates Women in Construction Week with female construction professionals' stories

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Mar 09, 2022, 07:03 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- While many construction sites remain largely male dominated, national homebuilder and developer Taylor Morrison (NYSE: TMHC) continues to make strides in advancing gender diversity across the workforce. From Chief Executive Officer, to Board Director, to Land Acquisition and Development and Construction Superintendent, female team members hold a variety of roles, impacting every area of our business.

"We value diverse experiences and perspectives among our team members, and men and women bring intrinsic differences which strengthen our work as a homebuilder," said Charissa Wagner, Senior Vice President of People Operations, Development and Acquisition. "There are so many meaningful career opportunities for women in our industry and it is especially encouraging to see female representation in land construction roles grow as we continue to foster a more inclusive culture."

Taylor Morrison boasts a nearly equal male-to-female workforce representation, 54 and 46 percent, respectively, and was recognized for its commitment to gender equality with inclusion in Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. Across all markets, the homebuilder employs 68 women in construction-specific roles, a 21 percent increase from last year and 45 percent increase in the last two years.

In collaboration with the Building Talent Foundation (BTF), a non-profit founded by the Leading Builders of America, Taylor Morrison aims to further increase these numbers to build a sustainable construction workforce and advance the education and career progression of young people in skilled trades. Taylor Morrison Chairman and CEO Sheryl Palmer serves as Chairman of the non-profit, which also hopes to bring more opportunities to women in construction through targeted recruiting, cross-sectoral partnerships and inclusive workplace culture. Since launching in the fall of 2020, the BTF has supported more than 600 career placements, with women making up 5.7 percent of BTF placements compared to the construction industry average of 3.1 percent.

In honor of this year's Women in Construction Week, Taylor Morrison shares the stories of several female team members in construction roles across the country, from individuals who have progressed in their careers over the years to ones just beginning.

With a passion for construction, Amber Fitzsimon joined the Taylor Morrison Denver team as a Superintendent in 2019. Two years later, she achieved a career milestone by stepping into a Senior Superintendent role. Over the years, Fitzsimon has seen the perception of women in the field evolve and admires Taylor Morrison's people-first culture and commitment to gender equality.

"Taylor Morrison doesn't bat an eye to being a female in the field, you're just another person out there who is part of the team and it doesn't matter if you're a male or female," said Fitzsimon. "Being in the field—boots in the trenches—and physically seeing and touching the project I'm working on is just moving to me. Three years later, it's so special to be able to drive by and say, 'I built that community.'"

Less than a year into her career after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in construction engineering technology, Marybeth Colpitts is already making an impact as an Assistant Superintendent in Dallas, Texas. In her role, Colpitts enjoys meeting a variety of people and doing something different each day. In addition to working in the field, she has also been involved in attending career fairs to help recruit new talent in the trade workforce.

"In my degree program, I was one of three women. While it can be intimidating working in a male-dominated field, if you love it and it's what you want to do, I encourage women to explore and stick to a career in construction. We bring a completely different perspective and unique skills to the industry," said Colpitts.

With more than 20 years' experience in the construction industry, Las Vegas Superintendent Tracey Ponder has worked for several homebuilders and built more than 3,000 homes throughout her career. As a woman in construction, she has found her job to be an extremely rewarding experience with purpose and loves helping families build homes.

"I was the only woman superintendent in Las Vegas when I started out and had to earn my respect," said Ponder. "Working for Taylor Morrison, I don't face those early career challenges anymore. The culture is completely different from anywhere else I've worked—I love it here."

About Taylor Morrison

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison is the nation's fifth largest homebuilder and developer. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury and 55-plus active lifestyle homebuyers under our family of brands—including Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison and Christopher Todd Communities built by Taylor Morrison. From 2016-2022, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's Most Trusted® Builder by Lifestory Research. Our strong commitment to sustainability, our communities and our team is highlighted in our latest annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.

For more information about Taylor Morrison, please visit www.taylormorrison.com.

CONTACT: Alice Giedraitis
(480) 840-8137
[email protected]

SOURCE Taylor Morrison