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Working Twice As Hard
Women at the Helm of
New York City Agencies
by Amy S. Choi
Women at the top New York City agencies may have to work
harder the men. But that only adds to their strength.
"Sometimes I feel like I have to work twice as hard
as man to prove that I'm worthy of my position, that I have
as much credence as a man," said Patricia Lancaster,
commissioner of the New York City department of buildings.
"It's frustrating, yes. But on the other hand, because
I've had to work so hard, I probably know more and add more
value than men my age do."
Her sentiments are echoed by Amanda Burden, chair of the
New York City planning commission and director of the department
of city planning. "I've never directly faced issues because
I was a woman, but you always have to work a little bit harder
and be a little bit stronger," said Burden, who was the
only woman on the senior staff in charge of redeveloping Battery
Park City from 1980-1990. "But that may be to my benefit."
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And, perhaps, it may be to the benefit of the city. One of
the hidden secrets of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration
may be the extent to which powerful women administer the city's
construction and development needs, from Lancaster and Burden
to Gretchen Dykstra, commissioner of consumer affairs, who
is responsible for writing the project agreements for the
developments in Lower Manhattan. Martha Hirst, commissioner
of the department of citywide administrative services, is
responsible for procuring services for the city's real estate
and courts and Anne Papageorge, first deputy commissioner
of design and construction, oversees $1 billion a year in
construction. The city is also led by Martha Stark, commissioner
of finance, and formerly of affordable housing; and Iris Weinshall,
commissioner of the department of transportation. Of the 34
major industry heads in the city agencies, 12 of them are
women, including the deputy mayor.
Women do not only participate at the very top tier of leadership.
In the department of city planning alone, two of the five
borough directors are women and the four deputy directors
are women.
"I think the untold story of City Hall is how much he
counts on very strong women," said Burden. "And
I believe that women are going to become much more of a norm
in the public arena, especially as women find more role models
in these professional roles."
Mayor Bloomberg hand selected both Lancaster and Burden,
who both have extensive backgrounds as leaders in the industry.
Lancaster - who started out as a professional potter and moved
on to become deputy commissioner of the now-defunct department
of general services and then assistant vice president for
planning, design and construction at Columbia University -
was appointed commissioner on April 3, 2002. It is a day,
she jokes, that is forever etched in her memory.
"The mayor told me to fix the buildings department,"
she laughs. "It was slow, and nobody knew how to get
their business done. The mayor sees it as an economic development
engine, and we need to make it so that the buildings department
is not an impediment to that. There are some major inefficiencies
in the system now, so right now we are streamlining, restructuring
and re-engineering our entire process."
Burden, who had been involved in the planning commission
since 1990, had a slightly different experience-when Bloomberg
announced his campaign for office, he asked her to detail
the major urban planning initiatives in the city. After guiding
him through issues and opportunities involved in revitalizing
the derelict Williamsburg waterfront, West Chelsea, and downtown
Brooklyn, he asked her to chair the commission.
Now, as major influences on the New York City's vitality
and streetscapes, both women are trying to celebrate women
in the industry and encourage more women to enter the field.
"To be leaders, women can't be afraid to be bold and
innovative," said Burden. "You must be visible.
You can't just try to be one of the pack. You have to get
out there and build something, advocate something and make
a unique name for yourself."
Burden and Lancaster both mentor younger development and
construction professionals, and believe it is their duty as
successful leaders. As part of the Architecture Construction
Management and Engineering board, for example, Lancaster mentors
high school students as they learn about the building industry,
hoping to spark the interest of young women early in their
lives and show them the potential of being involved in the
building environment and what impact it can have on the cities
they live in.
Still, it is not just female leadership that is difficult
to find in the building industry-it is people, period. In
New York City alone, there is currently $20 billion allotted
for construction in Lower Manhattan, $16 billion for other
commercial construction projects in the city, and $3 billion
in housing. In the last boom of construction in the mid-1990s,
New York City officials found themselves importing workers
from Pennsylvania and Connecticut-now, a closer look at the
consciousness of the industry, particularly when it comes
to recruiting women into the predominantly man's world of
construction, is critical to help the city employ its own.
And once the women get involved, they may find that they
are surprised by the acceptance they find in the building
world.
"There are certainly challenges in this industry. I
think most women have had the experience where they suggest
an idea and it's overlooked, and then a man suggests the same
idea and everyone goes on about how brilliant he is,"
said Lancaster. "And that's frustrating. But the development
world is hardnosed, cutthroat and expensive-if you add value,
you'll have a place here."
"There is increasingly less of a gender barrier in construction
and development and planning," said Burden. "These
are going to be great times for women in this industry."
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