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October 2026
NAWIC Austin # 7 Newsletter
A Message from Our President
Hello, NAWIC Austin!
It's an honor to step into the role of President for our 2026–2027 term, and I'm grateful to Amy Rico for the strong foundation she's left us as she moves into her new role as Immediate Past President. Her leadership over the past year shaped so much of where we stand today.
Our board hit the ground running, spending a Saturday together in strategic planning to map out our priorities for the year ahead. I'm excited about what we've built and even more excited about what's ahead for this chapter.
NAWIC Austin is strong because of all of you: your involvement, your energy, and your commitment to supporting women in construction. I'm looking forward to another year of building connections, creating opportunities, and growing together.
Thank you for trusting me with this role. Here's to a great year ahead!
Erika Dumas
President, NAWIC Austin Chapter #7
Please Join Us in Welcoming Our New Members!
Kathy Henson — Brycomm, LLC
Emily Sinclair — JMEG, LLC
Kim Holland — Skillpoint Alliance
Carol Balcezak — Capital Industries, LLC
We’re excited to have your talents, experience, and enthusiasm as part of our chapter!
Stay Connected
Please add [email protected] to your safe senders list so you can continue receiving chapter emails, important updates, and event information.
Thank you for being part of NAWIC Austin Chapter #7!
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Chapter Events
Register for events HERE
October 7th | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 77 Degrees – The Domain Northside
11500 Rock Rose Ave.
Austin, TX 78758
Register for events HERE
Volunteer Opportunities
🌟 Get Involved: Committees & Volunteer Opportunities
Our chapter thrives because of YOU!
💪 Why Volunteer?
• Expand your professional network
• Build leadership & project skills
• Give back to your community & industry
• Shape the future of women in construction
🛠️ Committees and Contact Information No experience needed — just enthusiasm! Help for a term or a single event — every contribution matters.
👉 Contact a board member or committee chair to get started.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected future for women in construction!
Safety Moment
NAWIC NATIONAL & REGIONAL UPDATES
Built Better Webinar: Amplifying Neurodivergent Strengths with AI
The Built Better Webinar, brought to you by the PD&E Committee, is a monthly professional development series created for construction industry professionals.
Construction rewards people who can see a finished building in an empty lot, hold a three-dimensional problem in their head, and spot the conflict in a set of drawings before it becomes a change order. That is spatial intelligence—and neurodivergent individuals often have it in abundance.
So why does the industry continue to filter these minds out? Because the parts of the job that may create barriers—dense documentation, administrative overhead, and communication formatted for someone else’s brain—have too often been treated as the price of admission.
AI changes that equation. Tools now exist to help manage paperwork, translate between communication styles, process information, and reduce administrative clutter. This allows the spatial thinking, visual problem-solving, and pattern recognition that neurodivergent professionals do best to take the lead.
As part of this month’s Built Better Webinar, we will explore which tools are available today, how to put them to work immediately, and what it looks like when we stop asking people to mask their strengths and start amplifying them instead.
Members: $0 | Non-Members: $35
In Case You Missed It
Celebrating Leadership, Membership & the Strength of Our Chapter!
On Sept. 2, NAWIC Austin Chapter #7 came together for our 2026–2027 Board Installation & Membership Celebration — an evening filled with fun, laughter, a few tears and plenty of special moments.
It was a bittersweet evening as we celebrated the passing of the gavel from Immediate Past President Amy Rico to our new chapter President, Erika Dumas. There were tears of sadness as one term came to a close but also tears of joy and pride for all that was accomplished and excitement for what lies ahead.
A heartfelt thank you to Immediate Past President Amy Rico and this past board for your leadership, dedication and service this year. Your commitment has helped strengthen NAWIC Austin and created a strong foundation for our incoming board , and we're grateful you'll continue guiding us in this new role.
As we welcome President Erika Dumas and our new leadership, we're excited to begin another chapter together, continuing to build connections, create opportunities, and support women in construction.
Here's to honoring where we've been, celebrating where we are, and looking forward to where we're going!
THANK YOU to our NAWIC Austin SPONSORS!
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