On November 10, 2020, EPIC President Karen Starr was one of several panelists for a remarkable webinar held by the Business Development Association of the Inland Empire (BDA/IE) discussing Women Trailblazers in Leadership. Speakers included leaders from San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), Caltrans, business owners, and other Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) firm representatives. Each panelist discussed her experiences as a woman in this industry, sharing stories of mentors, their best practices, unique challenges women face in the workplace, and overall how all of that lead to the strength and confidence they possess today. One of the key things important to Karen is the value of prioritizing scheduling and focusing on the importance of client and staff interaction. These values have helped her to become a beloved leader and advisor throughout all regions of EPIC. EPIC is immensely proud to be led by such a powerful woman leader in the industry, with many strong women right behind her; 58% of our entire firm’s executive/management team are female, which includes three out of our five regional managers being women. Here at EPIC, we pride ourselves on participation in organizations emphasizing women’s advancement in the A/E/C industry, such as BDA/IE and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS).

With permission from BDA/IE, we have an abridged video of the webinar available for both staff and the public alike to see provided below!