Our Mission
We prepare, train, and place women in careers in the skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping them achieve economic independence and a secure future for themselves and their families. We provide a pipeline of qualified workers to industries that build, move, power, green, and maintain New York.
Our Vision
Since 1978, NEW has been a groundbreaking model that works for women and for New York City. NEW places and supports low-income women in trades careers through advanced training programs, an expanded employer base, and a growing number of opportunities available to women through those employers. NEW’s goal is to increase the number of women employed in trade careers, specifically those that offer strong wages, benefits, training and potential for advancement. These career paths have been historically less accessible to women but offer the opportunity to fundamentally transform one’s income and wealth. NEW focuses on placing and retaining graduates with New York City trade unions, public utilities, transportation authorities, and building operations companies. NEW’s objective is to continue to deepen efforts to train and prepare women for careers that provide sustainable financial support and stability for themselves and their families.
Our Impact
NEW helps women achieve economic independence, with a focus on women in underserved communities as well as individuals with underrepresented backgrounds including low-income girls, women, transgender, and non-binary individuals entering the building and construction trades in the New York City metropolitan area. For over 40 years of hard work and commitment, NEW has increased the number of women represented in trade careers in New York City from two to seven percent, with many apprenticeships approaching or exceeding 15 percent women. In the last ten years alone, NEW has placed women in over 3,000 industry careers. NEW graduates are working as carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, laborers, plumbers, and operating engineers as a result of unique partnerships between NEW, its Board of Directors, its Ambassador Council, the construction unions, and New York’s real estate industry. NEW is dedicated to changing the way society views the role of women in the workforce.
RECENT GRADUATE PLACEMENTS
HIGHLIGHTS
3,500+ tradeswomen placed in industry careers since 2005
350+ students served through core programs annually
275+ graduates placed in careers annually
150+ employer partners connected to NEW,
36 of which are unions and apprenticeships$19+ average starting hourly wages of NEW graduates
Staff
Candace Anderson
Training Coordinator
Christopher Brossman
Partnership & Outreach Coordinator
Julie Chan
Director of Institutional Giving
Tee Connell
Administrative Program Associate
Divine Kandolo
Finance & Operations Manager
Jasmelyn Cuello
Training Coordinator
Cindi Ditren
Finance Manager
Leondria Gordon-Godfrey
Enrollment Manager
Pavan Makhija
Vice President of Finance & Operations
Candice McKiver
Training Coordinator
Leah Rambo
President
Noorjahan Wells
Director of Workforce Development
Brianna Miles
Employment Coordinator
Tia Richards
Director of Training
Linda Young
Director of Supportive Services
Kim Nichols
Training Coordinator
Nadira Saban
Child Welfare Project Manager
Adam Ortega
Development & Communications Coordinator
Katrice Thomas
Vice President of Programs
Board of Directors
TREASURER
Anthony Mann | E-J Electric Installation Co.
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Pat A. Di Filippo | Turner Construction Company
CO-CHAIRS
Maureen Henegan | Henegan Construction Co., Inc.
Steve Sommer | Lendlease
VICE CHAIR
Aislinn McGuire | Kauff McGuire & Margolis LLP
BOARD MEMBERS
Joanne Minieri | RXR Realty
Catherine Moss | ADCO Electrical Corp.
John Murphy | United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the US and Canada
Kathy O'Sullivan | Ernst & Young
Tamara Rivera | New York City District Council of Carpenters
Ann Rolland | FXCollaborative Architects
Christopher Shaw | LF Driscoll Healthcare
Benjamin Shore | Minus Works
Elizabeth Velez | The Velez Organization
Wendy Webb | Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79
Ellen Albert | ViacomCBS
Anne Clark | Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.
Elizabeth Crowley | Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA)
Kathleen DeRose | NYU Stern School of Business
Ralph Esposito | Suffolk Construction
Maxine Finkelstein | Interactive Elements
Nicola Heryet | Avison Young
William Hill | BAC Local 7 of NY and NJ, Tile, Marble and Terrazzo
Joseph A. Ienuso | New York Presbyterian
Patricia Lancaster | The Lancaster Group
Leonard Legotte | International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local One
Cheryl McKissack Daniel | McKissack & McKissack
Christopher Mills | Electra USA
Ambassador Council
CO-CHAIRS
Katie Nilsen | E-J Electric Installation Co.
Andis Woodlief | Turner Surety & Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Kim Marie Neuscheler | Turner Construction Company
Lizzie Olsen | The Frick
Marilyn C. Ordonez | Envoie Projects
Kasey Pace | Zubatkin
Jennifer Papatonio | Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt
Sonia Podkameni-Brown | Turner Construction Company
Gabriela Puno | Structure Tone
Stephanie Rudman | Talisen Construction Corporation
Nelly Vasquez | Turner Construction Company
Sinade Wadsworth | Council Representative, New York City District Council of Carpenters
Christine Barshtak | Finaly GC
Sarah Berman | The Berman Group, Inc.
Sheri Best | OnCentive
Antonina Caruso | JRM Construction Management
Susan Clamage | Vocon
Raquel Diaz | Gilbane Building Company
Raffaela Dunne | Vanasse Hangen Brustlin
Julie Gaughan | RXR
Liana Grandinetti | Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Meredith Lovejoy | Lehrer Cumming
Nayada Lugji | Lendlease
Mary Mahany | Shawmut
Maria Martinson | Delta
Christine McHugh | White Strand Development, LLC
Jessica Moreno | DIRTT NY
Careers, Not Jobs
“I know that each day I’m out in the field, I am earning my success. I know that no matter the obstacles I may face, I have a group of people behind me, pushing me forward, without judgement.”
— Corrine Case, NEW Graduate, Electrician, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 3