When Phonsavanh Sullins was a pre-med student at the University of Iowa, she never could have imagined the turns her professional life would take — and how familiar she would end up becoming with bids, blueprints, and beams.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
As we close out National Women in Construction Week, Phonsavanh, project coordinator for WesleyLife, talks about what she thought her professional life would look like, how it actually does look, and how construction and development figure prominently into the way it impacts the WesleyLife mission.
"I grew up in Marshalltown and went to the University of Iowa. I started out in pre-med, then realized my freshman year while at the library with my friends — many who are now doctors — that I couldn't live that life. I couldn't stay in the library for more than five hours. I needed to get up and stretch. I needed to eat. So I decided to switch my major.
"I really enjoyed the religion and philosophy courses I was taking, so I decided to study those areas while trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I was involved in a lot of extracurricular activities in college and worked a lot with non-profits, and I know that ideally, I would want to work in that world.
The benefit of relational skills
"My first job out of college was at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge with adult cancer patients; in 2012, I found myself moving here to the Des Moines area, and I began working at Children’s Cancer Connection with pediatric cancer patients and their families. I loved it, but I was also working two other jobs, and I didn't love that so much. So I took a ‘for profit’ job, and it was there that I learned how my relational skills could benefit me in a corporate environment.
"It was also there, at Businessolver, a benefits administration company, that I fell in love with project management. I had always known my brain worked in such a way that project management would come naturally to me, and I had opportunities there to grow that passion. When I eventually was ready to leave that organization, I felt confident enough to look for a job in project management, even though my degree was not in that area.
"I knew the WesleyLife role would be a good one for me; not only was I getting back into the nonprofit world, I would be learning new skills and a new industry. Leaders were willing to morph this role a little to include not only project management for construction, but for other areas of the organizations as well. I knew I would be able to stretch my skills.
Project management in construction
"One particular project — Neighborhood 19 at Brio, a single-family and townhome development — reminded me how much I truly do enjoy project management and how rewarding it is. I have learned so much about development and construction. I've learned how relational it is and how truly critical a confident project manager is to constructing buildings.
"In construction, all the bits and pieces go together in a way that makes a lot of sense, the process is actually quite simple. But if one ball drops, it's like dominoes. My job is to help keep those balls from dropping, to keep everything on track, and to communicate with the people we are serving about how the decisions we are making are affecting them. I enjoy my job and feel it makes an impact.
"As a woman and a mother in this role, I also feel strongly about putting my family first and appreciate the trust and flexibility I have here. Construction and development are largely male-dominated areas, and I appreciate the opportunity to grow professionally while remaining committed to my life outside the office and perhaps shedding light on what it's like to balance work and home as the primary parent in my family.
"I learn and grow daily, and I love that. If you keep doing what you are doing, you don't grow. But if you are committed to growth, you can change. I believe change is the key to progress and truly making meaningful impact.”
