who is actually a district engir
at the Department of Transporta.
Also Elise Greenberg,
who is a supervising transportan
planner at the Connecticut
Department of Transportation.
So happy to have you both.
Happy women's month like
it is the end of the month,
but we have been highlighting
beautiful women all across our state.
Now, Eileen,
I want to start with you becaus.
This is such a neat industry tht
is very much so male dominated.
So talk about your role and how
important it is to you and how much it
means to you to be the first het
the Connecticut go to be in this role.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you. So I'm a district engineer
in our district to construction
office which is out in Norwich.
We oversee construction and inspection
on all of the big bridge and Hw.
projects. In eastern Connecticu,
and I've been there 36 years,
I am still excited to go
to work in the morning.
It's the best job ever.
Now, like you said, you have ben
in this industry for 36 years.
How have you seen the industry shift?
Because I can only imagine
when you started 36 years ago,
it looked night and day of a difference
from how it does today. Yeah,
very few women when I first sta,
there's still not a lot of women
in construction, but you know,
we're the state is a.
Is a great employer in terms of
diversity and trying to encourae
more female participation. So
now at least you are going on almost 10
years, you're at 9 years with the dot.
What got you inspired to want to
join the dot and and really get
into the transportation industr?
Well, it's transportation
is not something I knew
I always wanted to do.
I actually have my college degre
in finance and I worked in a coe
of different business settings.
And then went abroad for a litte
while and realized that, you kn,
there's all these decisions made
behind how people interact with
their environment around them.
So went back to school for plang
and then came into this really
great opportunity at the dot.
You know, I get to work with
a great team of people and
transportation is really exciti.
It touches.
Everything
we do and something that's realy
neat is that I feel like every
time I'm with people from the d,
whether it is Josh or other peoe
from the Department of Transportation,
there's a lot of people who have
been there for a long time.
And and everyone says how great of an
opportunity and how great of a k
environment is now something for you,
Eileen, that I really love and I saw as
a neat tidbit because I went to school
at Eastern Connecticut in Willimantic.
You were one of the people that worked
on the Frog Bridge in Willimantc
that opened in the year 2000.
Is that? Correct.
What was that process like and
really working on that project
because that has become like a
landmark here in Connecticut.
It was really, it was very cool
working with the with the city.
It was a big project for them like you
say a sort of the gateway to the city.
I think it was probably the
most unique project that I've
worked on just because of this,
the structure and the design
of the of the bridge and.
You know, my kids still get a
kick out of we go up to U Conn
to see basketball games and we
drive over the bridge and they
still get a kick out of sale.
This is Mommy's bridge.
Oh, and that's so special
because that bridge like I said,
is really a landmark, especialln
that Willimantic in Windham Cou.
Now lastly, for anyone that is looking,
any ladies out there that are looking
to get into the transportation industry,
what is some advice that
you have for them Elise?
And I guess my biggest recommendation
would be anything that you know
you are curious about or if youe
interested in it, read about.
Explore, learn, you know,
talk to people that are in
transportation and you know,
that's what you really want to .
Don't let anything used to stop.
I have a daughter who's almost e
years old, and you know, I woul.
Give those same messages
to her as she gets older.
That is really special.
Ladies, thank you so much for
everything that you do with the
Department of Transportation.
Thank you for building the Frog Bridge.
That was in one of my first
history classes at Eastern.
Very important stuff that you guys are doing.
And the dot is currently
hiring Tim and Erica.
So that is some good news for
anyone that is looking out ther,
especially all of the women.
Endless opportunities and like Elise said,
the sky is the limit.