MMC Corp's Jones on the rise to inspire women in AEC

As vice president of marketing for MMC Corp, a construction services company with offices nationwide, Erica Jones oversees the planning and execution of rebranding, brand identity, training, communications and design initiatives for eight subsidiaries spanning more than ten offices from coast to coast.

Since joining the MMC Corp team nearly eleven years ago, Jones has held various roles, and her promotion to VP of Marketing in 2014 made her the youngest person on MMC Corp’s Officers’ Committee, a leadership team made up of the company's corporate executive team as well as subsidiary presidents.

Jones has utilized her communications and strategic thinking skills to showcase her value and be recognized as not only a leader but an asset in a male-dominated industry. This passion for building credibility among females in this industry has transferred over to her predominantly female marketing team as she has prioritized familiarizing them with the industry, acclimating them with challenges the people in the field experience every day and understanding the services they market. Through building meaningful relationships and truly taking the time to learn, her team crafts brand messages and marketing materials that feel authentic to who MMC Corp is at the core.

“When I joined the construction industry, I absolutely fell in love with it,” said Jones. “I think we are all better as an industry when we have diversity of thought at the leadership table, on project teams and in the office, so I have made it my personal charge to encourage more women to choose the A/E/C industry and to find ways to empower them once they’re here.”

Women make up about 10 percent of the construction industry and 57 percent of the workforce in America. Although the industry remains male-dominated, it’s working towards improvement, and some of the ways to create a more inclusive industry are to recruit more females for industry jobs and educate women on the opportunities for them in this field.

Erica encourages the women at her organization, both in the field and the office, to involve themselves in industry-related organizations. She has led the charge in promoting MMC Corp’s involvement in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) where multiple employees now hold board positions, and heavily promotes Women in Construction Week (WIC Week) internally and externally to honor females in construction and inform others about the vast opportunities and potential of a career path in construction.

"Our Talent and Development team has specific goals and objectives to promote, attract, retain and educate more females about our company and industry," said Craig Woodson, chief people officer at MMC Corp.

"We have to continue to expose this industry to young women earlier in their schooling, and as we continue to do so, I'm confident we'll see more women in construction and key leadership roles, diversifying our industry for the better,” Woodson said.

Five years ago, Jones advocated for creating a Women’s Professional Network (WPN) at MMC Corp. This program offers mentorship, education, camaraderie and professional development through trainings, guest speakers, and communication.

From this new initiative and a more focused recruiting and development program led by the company’s Talent and Development team, the company has seen a significant increase in females hired and promoted in professional positions. It also provides learning opportunities for activities that are traditionally more male-dominated, such as golf and shooting lessons, so that the women can feel more comfortable in industry events that involve these types of activities.

“Women in supporting or office-based roles in construction typically don’t frequent the jobsites, but WPN has made it a priority to make sure we have the opportunity to get our boots on the ground and learn about what our project teams do in the field, which has been an invaluable experience,” said Natalya Steinke, estimator at MW Builders.

“Other WPN events have also allowed us to get to know the women who are in the field better and learn from each other about our respective roles,” Steinke said.

Since the inception of the WPN, the organization has seen a large increase in its gender diversity across all of its subsidiaries. This year, Jones will be expanding the WPN through a committee made up of employees from across the entire organization and will work closely with MMC Corp’s talent team to ensure its goals align with the organization’s diversity goals.

In 2020, Jones drove the creation of On the Rise, a women’s leadership summit for female rising stars and leaders in the built environment. She successfully garnered support from leading companies in Kansas City – JE Dunn, BRR, McCownGordon, PCI, KCADC, Henderson Engineers and Lockton – to partner with her on the half-day summit that included two panels aimed at helping women elevate themselves, roundtable discussions and a keynote from Sally Helgeson, the author of “How Women Rise.”

Between the females from the partner companies that attended and general admission tickets sold, 150 females in the built environment from Kanas City participated in this event, and many said that it was the most inspiring event like this they’d ever been to.

KCADC highlights impressive 2020 scorecard at annual meeting

The Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) shined light on some impressive numbers this week during its annual meeting; including attracting 13 manufacturing, eCommerce and professional services companies in the last 12 months that will invest more than $1 billion and create 3,789 jobs in the Kansas City region.

The event was streamed digitally and broadcast on TV with over 2,000 business leaders, civic partners, national site location consultants, corporate executives and individuals across the country who have an affinity to KC.

“KC placed a strategic investment several years ago in our market’s inherent strengths for manufacturing, logistics and e-commerce. This investment led to the creation of KC SmartPort, which elevates KC’s competitive advantage through consistent messaging to companies in these industries, and is paying dividends today,” said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of KCADC.

“With more than 231 million square feet of existing industrial space, ample land for new buildings, a skilled logistics workforce and robust power and fiber infrastructure, Kansas City is primed for additional growth in the industrial sector,” Cowden said.

In 2020, KCADC helped attract prominent companies, including an 880,000-square-foot distribution center for Urban Outfitters, Inc., a 1,200-person e-commerce center for Chewy, Inc., and manufacturing facilities for Dot’s Pretzels and Tuthill Corporation, among others.

“Our priorities in identifying the home for our new omni-channel distribution center focused on people, and it was the quality of the local workforce that convinced us this is the right place to be,” said Dave Ziel, chief development officer of Urban Outfitters, which plans to open its $350 million facility in 2022.

The Kansas City region ranks No. 3 in the U.S. for industrial construction activity in cities with populations between one and four million, outpacing larger markets including Denver and Seattle. KC has seen 14.8 million square feet of industrial construction in 2020.

With a stronghold for financial, shared services and tech operations, KCADC also celebrated national recognition for Kansas City for professionals and future investment, including its ranking by Business Insider as the nation’s best “work from home” city, and its status as a Top Mid-Size City for Future Projects by the Site Selectors Guild.

“With a lower cost of living, free Wi-Fi downtown, access to diverse housing options and an abundance of lifestyle amenities, Kansas City is an ideal spot for remote workers leaving larger urban areas due to the pandemic,” said Jill McCarthy, senior executive of corporate attraction, KCADC.

“And there are plenty of new jobs for skilled professionals that relocate here, McCarthy said.

There are currently 49,000 open jobs in KC, and more than 15,000 jobs are created each year. Tech and highly-skilled jobs are growing faster in KC than in Seattle, Austin, Chicago and NYC, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“During such an uncertain time, KCADC’s success this year speaks to the highest level of professionalism, customer service and emphasis on regional collaboration that continues to move KC forward,” said Lisa Ginter, CEO of CommunityAmerica Credit Union and senior co-chair of the 2021 KCADC Board of Directors.

“This community has tremendous heart, and I look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on the KC region by supporting and amplifying the ongoing efforts of KCADC,” Ginter said.

In 2021, Lisa Ginter succeeds Dave Hall, executive vice chairman at Hallmark Cards, Inc., as senior-co chair of the KCADC Board of Directors. Brett Gordon, chairman of the board at McCownGordon Construction, will join KCADC’s volunteer leadership team serving as incoming co-chair, and Brian Roberts, chief diversity officer at Lockton Companies, will serve as treasurer.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside Lisa Ginter and Brett Gordon as KCADC actively positions the KC region as a top destination for business and talent in the year ahead,” said Roberts. “I can’t wait to see what 2021 brings for KCADC and the KC region.”