TCA is celebrating Women all month long, by recognizing all women across the entire construction industry!

Below are profiles of women who have been nominated for a feature.

We thank you all for being leaders in our industry and celebrate your great achievements.

We also want to wish all women a very happy International Women's Week.
Sandra Burnell, Revay and Associates Limited


Sandra is a registered Architect with the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA). She brings over 35 years of varied construction-related experience as a designer, owner, and construction manager to her role as a Senior Consultant with Revay. During her tenure with Revay, she has applied her range of experience to focus extensively on the forensic analysis of troubled projects in the preparation or defence of claims, and successful provision of expert reports and testimony on construction projects valued from $10 to $238 million, with claims ranging anywhere from hundreds of thousands to over $200 million. 

Sandra's 15 years at Lester B Pearson International Airport included the Senior Architect's role for the $4.4 billion Terminal Development Project while working for Transport Canada and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. She also had a Commissioning Manager's role for the $2.1 billion Terminal One while working for PCL/Aecon.

Sandra is a past president of the Ontario Building Envelope Council. Currently, she sits on the Ontario Water Works Construction Committee, the Toronto Construction Association Environmental Committee, and the CDAO (Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario) Ryerson University Study Steering Committee.
Sahar Borodinas, Principal, MCW Consultants Ltd.
Sahar Borodinas, P.Eng., Principal, MCW Consultants Ltd.

Sahar joined MCW's Base Building Department in 2018 as an Electrical Project Manager. With 10 years of progressive experience in the consulting industry, she has provided engineering and project management expertise for a wide range of projects, including mixed-use, residential, hospitality, commercial, and agricultural facilities across Canada and internationally.

Since joining MCW, Sahar has quickly distinguished herself for her enthusiastic approach to project and team management. As a project manager, she excels at efficiently and effectively delivering projects to satisfied clients. As a team leader, she inspires her team members to maintain the quality of our engineering design. Her passion for leadership, attention to detail, and thirst for knowledge are just some of her admired assets that stand out to her clients and colleagues at MCW. Sahar continues to seek new methods of improving not only the daily work of her team but the long-term goals of the firm.

The development and recognition of women in leadership roles in the consulting and construction industry are of paramount importance to Sahar. Being a valued member of the Reina project team, the first all-female-led development in Canada, is a source of incredible pride for her. As Sahar continues to break the glass ceiling within the consulting industry, she promotes and mentors young women to follow in her footsteps. MCW congratulates and recognizes Sahar for her evolutionary contributions towards cultivating a diverse workforce!
Vicki Grys, FIA Plumbing and Heating Ltd.


Vicki has worked as the Director of Administration for FIA Plumbing and Heating for over 39 years. Her role encompasses many back-of-house duties, including Accounting, HR, and Payroll.

FIA Plumbing and Heating Ltd. was founded by Mark Grys, Vicki's husband, in 1982. As with many married couples, a new business becomes a family business venture. For Vicki, the construction industry was unfamiliar, but accounting was not. She jumped in to help while learning all she could about this new business. They were determined to make it successful. Accounting and administration of all the office work became her focus and planning for the company's growth.

Four children later and almost 40 years in business, FIA Plumbing and Heating has grown into a successful mechanical business with over 35 employees providing outstanding service to many clients. Vicki takes pride in the fact that most of the employees have been with the company for many years and have become an important part of their FIA family.

Innovation, communication, and collaboration are keys to success in the ever-changing construction industry.
Marla Cosburn, President, DRE Industries Inc.


Marla Cosburn is President of DRE Industries Inc., a manufacturer, distributor, and manufactures' representative of waterproofing products by CETCO, Evonik, Koster, Neogard, Stego Underslab Vapour Barrier, Willseal Expansion Joints, and Domus Terrazzo.  

After attending McMaster University, Marla earned a Post-Graduate Management Marketing Diploma at Humber College. She was among the first to receive the Certified Technical Representative (CTR) designation in Ontario. Marla began working for DRE in 1993, and eventually took over the company in 1999.

Passionate about providing excellent service to her clients and customers, Marla loves working on projects from the earliest design stages through to installation and beyond. Marla's many accomplishments include being the first female president of both the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Ontario Chapter, and the Sealant and Waterproofing Association, for whom she still sits on the Board of Directors. She has also served on the executive committee of the CSC Toronto Chapter and various committees at the Toronto Construction Association including, the Membership Committee, the Entertainment Committee, and the Young Construction Executives Club (now YCL).

In the early days of her career, Marla believes being one of the very few women in construction waterproofing sales gave her an advantage by making her more memorable. "Construction is such a great industry full of interesting opportunities. It is great to see more women getting involved in all aspects of the business. There was a time when I may have been the only woman in a sales meeting or at an industry function - that just isn't the case anymore."
Denise Neutel, Associate, MCW Consultants Ltd.


Denise Neutel, P.Eng., Associate, MCW Consultants Ltd.

Denise joined MCW Consultants Ltd. in 2017 as an Electrical Designer, having gained most of her experience up to that point designing and managing tenant fit-out projects. MCW was quick to realize that her natural energy, drive, and enthusiasm to take on new challenges would be an asset to the company. As she gained experience and knowledge, she expanded her role to that of Project Engineer and then Project Manager for new construction and renovation projects.

In 2020 Denise was recognized as an Associate of the MCW Group of Companies and took on the role of managing MCW's Toronto Office Tenant Group. Her new responsibilities include project development, quality control to ensure top-notch design and production work, and leading a dedicated team of mechanical and electrical engineers. Denise loves to share her knowledge with those around her and is always willing to take the time to ensure that those working with her fully understand the 'why?' behind what they are doing.

Denise's knowledge and experience, combined with her energy and positive personality, are not only valued and admired but provide the ability for her to connect so easily with colleagues and clients. She continuously strives to bring awareness to unconscious gender bias to those she works with by changing the language in which we use to describe some of the most common items discussed, such as 'manhole' to 'personhole.' As Denise moves forward in her career, all of these steps, however, small will undeniably create lasting change in the industry. MCW looks forward to continuing to provide Denise with rewarding and challenging roles to ensure continued growth in what will undoubtedly be a very successful career.
Erica Carroll, Project Manager, Walsh Canada

Erica Carroll, Project Manager – Walsh Canada
 
Over a 24-year career in construction, Erica Carroll has been a long-time leader, mentoring and supporting women in the field, while also blazing a trail and relocating from her roots in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to aid in leading the Walsh Group's venture into Canadian territory.
 
Erica is a Gold Seal Certified (GSC) Electrical Engineer, an Accredited Tier Specialist in Data Centre Management, and a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction (LEED AP BD+C).
 
Erica's long list of accomplishments with the Walsh Group and Walsh Canada has cultivated her professional development with a strong work ethic and dedication to best practices, further driving her passion for ethical, safe and quality-based construction. As Mechanical and Electrical Project Manager at Walsh Canada, Erica has taken on several high-profile projects, including the Women's College Hospital Redevelopment project, Etobicoke General Hospital's new Patient Tower, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden's Enterprise Data Centre, and most recently, Greater Toronto Airports Authority's (GTAA) Terminal 1 Redevelopment and Expansion Program. With a deep knowledge of the Institutional-Commercial-Industrial (ICI) and civil construction industries, Erica's experience spans across numerous sectors, including airport/aviation, healthcare, mission critical projects, wastewater treatment, high-rise developments, commercial developments, Long Term Care (LTC) facilities, and athletic centres.
 
Striking a great work-life balance with a supportive husband and raising two young children, Erica has also been committed to outreach and support for local neighbourhoods, most notably helping those who came into need through the recent pandemic, as well as the supporting of local emergency community residences.
 
It's impossible to imagine a Walsh Canada today without Erica's past accomplishments and current endeavours.
 
Happy International Women's Day to Erica Carroll, and all women in construction, from Walsh Canada.


We celebrate you today and every day!
Happy International Women's Week to all women.