Meet Jessica English, the capital construction project manager overseeing the $4.9 million Detroit People Mover’s rail replacement project, who’s on a mission to increase gender diversity in construction.
Before this project, English made her mark as a Facilities Construction Manager for the City of Detroit. She was naturally drawn to the male-dominated construction and infrastructure industry, having grown up watching her father work in the field.
“Growing up, instead of being in after-school care, my dad was taking me to job sites with him, and from there, I would be in trailers on jobs and
reading blueprints with him,” English told the Michigan Chronicle. “So, this field was super interesting. I thought growing up that I would just be an architect.”English entered college with a strong determination to make the industry more inclusive for women. She attended Bowling Green State University, where she founded Purple Hard Hats, a student organization dedicated to supporting women in construction.
”I was the only African American and the only woman in my graduating class of about 40 people,” English recalled.
“I started a community of girls who would get together and help each
other with tutoring. From there, I got an idea from the program I was in, the President’s Leadership Academy. I’m actually very proud of it. They are still active to this day, and I have been out of college for about 10 years.”Now, English is leveraging her six years of experience, master’s degree, and passion to lead her consultancy, Building a Better Detroit. Through her work, she is committed to improving local lives with smarter, community-driven construction management.
English, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Detroit Young Professionals, and the National Association
of Women in Construction (NAWIC), plays a key role in the Detroit People Mover project. As a Black woman leader, her presence stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when women are included in construction and infrastructure development.“The element that I’m bringing to the People Mover is standardization,” English said. “Moving forward, I will bring some standardization that makes it easier for clients to find and ride. I’m looking forward to doing minor touch-ups. Nothing is official yet, but I am excited for 2025.”
Her success in keeping this vital project on schedule and
within the budget highlights the value of diverse perspectives in tackling complex challenges. It also helps that she has allies.“I don’t have my set projects yet, but I will say I’m excited that my GM, Robert Kramer, is open-minded,” English said.
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