The 2018 National Women’s History theme "Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women" presents the opportunity to honor women who have shaped America’s history.

According to the National Women’s History Project, which recognizes and celebrates the diverse and historic accomplishments of women, the theme embodies women working together with strength, tenacity, and courage to overcome obstacles and achieve joyful accomplishments.

Women of Color online has honored women's history all month long. March is almost over, but women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers will keep making waves throughout the year.

For the last week of celebrations, WOC is honored to present the women of Russell, who are at the table and behind the scenes, helping shape a male-dominated industry while being role models to other women.

According to a January 2018 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report, approximately 939,000 women were employed in various occupations in the construction industry, making up a total of 9.1 percent in the United States.

However, the share of African American women in the construction industry is only about 1.3 percent.

Even though the small numbers have increased over the years, in an industry where women are rarely at the head of the table and sometimes not at the table at all, Russell has elevated women to key roles of influence and power.

Although these women aren’t laying bricks and mortar or raising steel beams hundreds of feet in the air, they are doing the heavy lifting for one of the most iconic, privately-held, black-owned construction companies in the country, H.J. Russell & Company (Russell).

L-R Delilah, Yasmine, Elaine, Lonoia, and Tiffanie in Russel Lobby

Delilah Wynn-Brown is a Senior Program Manager with Russell where she provides key leadership in planning and market-rate development, as well as program management. Her responsibilities bridge these broad areas of service from concept and visioning through financing, design and construction, and marketing and leasing. She also provides leadership in planning, closing and executing a variety of development projects. Delilah is currently responsible for more than $85 million in various social equity, P3, transit-oriented development (TOD), and complex urban development projects, including retail, mixed-use, as well as multifamily workforce and market-rate housing.

Yasmine Murray is Russell’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel and serves as a key resource for CEO Michael Russell, ensuring the company’s vision and goals are successfully executed. Working directly with the operations and corporate team, she is responsible for all of the company’s legal functions including corporate transactions and partnerships, regulatory compliance, litigation, dispute resolution, risk management and mitigation, employment, real estate development, property management, and acquisitions.

Elaine Ubakanma is Russell’s Vice President of Human Resources where she provides leadership as a strategic business partner, change agent and champion, coach, as well as training, and development counselor for the company's senior leaders, managers and supervisors. She works closely with the CEO on culture transformation, ensuring Russell is one of the best places to work in the industry.

Lonoia Brooks is Russell’s Director of Marketing. In her role, she provides marketing support to the construction and program management divisions, including but not limited to proposal development, general promotion, public relations, social media, as well as overall corporate brand reputation management. She also manages the Russell website, corporate marketing strategy and overall brand.

Tiffanie Sanders Lewis, who started her career at Russell 25 years ago as a high school student working in the mail room, is now Russell’s Vice President – Compliance and Information Technology, reporting directly to the CEO. She manages the company’s IT, office management and compliance departments, and leads the efforts to develop, execute, and maintain regulatory compliance monitoring and reporting programs, spanning highly technical subject matter areas concerning information technology and code of ethics. Tiffanie also assists with the remediation of compliance-related issues that arise, file audits and other related areas.

Donata Russell Ross (not pictured), the daughter of the late Herman J. Russell, who is CEO of Concessions International, also serves as a member of Russell’s Board of Directors.