There are some careers that progress quietly, without spectacle, yet leave an indelible mark on everyone they touch. Patricia Kruswicki-Foti’s is one such story, and this Women in Construction Week, it deserves to be told in full.
When Pat first stepped into the world of construction and technical services nearly five decades ago, it was a landscape where women were scarcely seen, let alone heard. She began modestly, as a dispatching co-op student at Black Box in 1992, learning the rhythms of a demanding industry from the ground up. What followed was not a pursuit of titles, but a steady deepening of capability, moving through programming, working in the field, and eventually guiding technicians and overseeing critical infrastructure operations.
Her defining moments came not from recognition, but from responsibility. Leading large, male-dominated teams across Chicago and DeKalb required more than authority; it required credibility earned through understanding the work at its core and the people behind it. Pat met that moment with quiet resolve, building trust one decision, one conversation, and one example at a time.
Today, as a Client Delivery Manager, Pat’s days remain as dynamic and unpredictable as ever. Yet, her compass has never changed. She measures success not in milestones, but in people: in the confidence of her team and the assurance of her customers. Her instinct to put people first has fostered an environment where others can grow, contribute, and belong.
Her most meaningful legacy is the path she is helping widen for those who follow. Where once she stood among very few women, she now welcomes many more. Increasingly, the apprentices joining her teams reflect a shift she helped make possible, not through grand gestures, but through consistency, fairness, and example.
Patricia is the first to acknowledge that her journey was shaped by those who believed in her along the way. In turn, she carries forward that same spirit of mentorship, encouraging others to stay open, to learn from every experience, to take ownership, and to lift one another.
Her story is not simply about longevity, nor about being one of the first. It is about endurance, stewardship, and the quiet courage to remain and to make it easier for others to arrive.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Patricia Kruswicki-Foti, not only for the work she has done, but for the doors she has held open, and the future she continues to help build.
Sometimes, a life’s work begins not with a plan, but with an unexpected turning point. For Bridget Ribsam, it began with an ending.
More than two decades ago, when the doors of the computer company she worked for closed without warning, Bridget found herself at a crossroads. What came next was not part of any blueprint. A former colleague invited her to assist with setting up technology labs for a global company’s relocation to Austin. It was hands-on, unfamiliar, and demanding, and it ignited something that would shape the next 23 years of her career at Black Box.
Bridget immersed herself in the work, learning networking, phone systems, and infrastructure not from a distance, but from within. Each cable run, each system configured, each challenge solved added to a foundation she was building piece by piece. Over time, her responsibilities grew, not because she sought recognition, but because she had come to understand every layer of the work. She rose to lead projects of immense scale and complexity, guiding efforts that spanned hundreds of sites and brought together technicians, subcontractors, and customers under a shared goal.
For Bridget, the greatest satisfaction has never been in the scale alone, but in the successful conclusion of something difficult; the quiet moment when a complex rollout comes together exactly as it should.
Her leadership is defined not by authority, but by attentiveness. She understands that behind every project are people whose contributions make success possible. She listens, she advocates, and she ensures that every voice is given its due respect. In environments often defined by urgency and pressure, she remains guided by empathy.
That empathy extends beyond the work itself. Bridget has been a steady advocate for balance, reminding those around her that rest is not a luxury, but a necessity, and that family must always remain at the centre of one’s life. She leads with the understanding that sustainable careers are built not only on effort, but on care.
Today, her journey stands as a quiet testament to what is possible when curiosity meets perseverance. She did not simply find her place in the trades; she grew with them, helped shape them, and continues to make space for others to do the same.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Bridget Ribsam, for her resilience, her leadership, and the example she continues to set for all who follow.
Careers do not always announce themselves in advance. Sometimes, they reveal themselves quietly, in moments of curiosity, when someone simply decides to try.
For Karen Clark, the first chapter of her professional life unfolded far from construction sites and technical infrastructure. She spent 25 years as a professional dog trainer, building a reputation in a field that demanded patience, intuition, and trust. Technical trades were not part of her plan, until a friend asked for help at a site in Philadelphia. What began as a favour became a fascination. She watched closely, asked questions, and absorbed everything she could.
What followed was a swift and well-earned progression. Within two years, Karen stepped into leadership, first as a supervisor and then as a manager; not because she pursued authority, but because she had earned the confidence of those around her.
Karen never believed leadership was about hierarchy. She believed it was about unity. She made it clear to her teams that she was not separate from them. In environments where women were still an exception, this philosophy helped dissolve barriers and build genuine trust.
Her resilience was tested in ways few could imagine. In the aftermath of September 11, Karen spent nearly three months in Lower Manhattan, working exhausting days to help restore critical communications infrastructure. It was a time defined by uncertainty, urgency, and emotional weight. She coordinated teams arriving from across the country, many of whom had never worked with a woman in a leadership role before. Through steadiness, empathy, and unwavering commitment, she brought people together around a shared purpose. The experience became a defining marker in her life – proof that strength often reveals itself in the moments that demand the most.
Karen’s perspective today extends beyond her own journey. She believes one of the greatest obstacles facing women is not capability, but awareness. Too often, these careers remain invisible to those who might thrive in them. She speaks openly about the need to reach schools, training programs, and communities, to ensure that the next generation knows these opportunities exist and are within reach.
Her story is a reminder that there is no single path into this industry. Sometimes, the most extraordinary contributions come from those who arrive unexpectedly and stay to make a lasting difference.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Karen Clark, for her courage to begin again, her strength in moments that mattered most, and the example she continues to set for others who may one day follow her lead.
Some journeys are carefully mapped. Others unfold through experience, shaped by every role, every lesson, and every moment that quietly prepares someone for where they are meant to be.
For Tiffany Tagle, the path into Environmental Health and Safety was not defined by a single decision, but by a series of roles that steadily built her perspective and strength. Her early work in the military, security, and intrusion detection brought her close to the realities of operational environments: places where awareness, discipline, and responsibility were not optional, but essential. Long before she formally stepped into EHS, she had already begun to understand what it means to protect people in spaces where risks are real and constant.
Since joining Black Box in 2026, Tiffany has embraced a role that demands both vigilance and empathy. Construction sites are living environments, changing by the hour, shaped by countless moving parts. In that complexity, she has learned that communication is not merely a function of the job, it is its foundation. The ability to speak clearly, to listen carefully, and to adapt quickly can make the difference between uncertainty and assurance.
What gives her work its deepest meaning, however, is not the process, but the purpose. She takes pride in being proactive, in noticing what others might overlook, in guiding teams toward safer practices, and in helping create an environment where every individual can return home safely at the end of the day. It is a quiet responsibility, but one that carries profound importance.
Like many who enter this field, Tiffany understands that trust is something earned over time. Early on, there were moments when her presence was misunderstood; when safety was seen as oversight rather than support. Those perceptions changed through consistency, respect, and her genuine commitment to the well-being of others. What grew in their place was partnership.
She is quick to acknowledge that she has not walked this path alone. The support of her colleagues and the culture surrounding her have helped her find confidence in a role that continues to challenge and shape her. With every passing day, she is not only strengthening her own capabilities, but contributing to a safer environment for everyone around her.
Tiffany’s story is still being written. Yet already, it reflects something deeply important: that there is no single mould for those who choose this work. What matters most is the willingness to learn, the courage to step forward, and the commitment to care for others.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Tiffany Tagle, for the vigilance she brings, the trust she builds, and the future she is helping make safer for all.
Some careers begin with intention. Others begin with curiosity: a willingness to step briefly into the unfamiliar, only to discover something that feels unexpectedly like home.
For Tanya Maggard, construction was never meant to be permanent. After building a successful career in corporate telecom and IT project management, she accepted a one-year assignment on a construction site, simply to broaden her experience. It was, at the time, a practical decision. However, that single year revealed something she had not anticipated: an environment alive with energy, urgency, and shared purpose. What was meant to be temporary became the work she would dedicate herself to for the next 26 years at Black Box.
She found meaning not only in the pace of construction, but in its humanity; the camaraderie that forms when people come together to solve problems in real time, and the tangible satisfaction of seeing effort transformed into something lasting. For Tanya, leadership was never about having all the answers. It was about having the humility to ask questions, the courage to admit uncertainty, and the intention to create space where others could do the same.
Her approach has shaped teams grounded in trust. She believes that when people feel safe to speak openly, to learn, and to grow, they become stronger, not just as professionals, but as individuals. One of her greatest sources of pride has been witnessing that growth in others, knowing she played a small part in helping them recognize their own potential.
The most meaningful moments in her career have often arrived quietly, after the most difficult days. Following periods of intense pressure – long hours, tight timelines, and immense responsibility – there comes a moment when the team pauses. They reflect, they laugh, and they recognize what they have accomplished together. In those moments, Tanya finds affirmation, not only in the work itself, but in the shared journey behind it.
Her presence in the industry carries a message for those who will follow. That success does not require becoming someone else. That individuality is not a limitation, but a strength. Growth, while often uncomfortable, begins with the bravery to step forward.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Tanya Maggard, for her openness, her quiet strength, and the example she continues to set for those discovering their own place in this remarkable field.
Some leaders are shaped by the environments they work in. Others are shaped long before, in places where responsibility carries consequences far beyond the task at hand.
For Elizabeth Foott, the foundations of her career were forged in military service. More than two decades ago, as an Environmental Health Technician, and later as a Preventive Medicine Officer and EHS Program Manager in the National Guard, she stepped into roles that demanded precision, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of others. She worked closely on remediation and demolition efforts, supported construction-related operations, and served as a trusted resource on complex programs where there was no margin for complacency.
When Elizabeth transitioned into the civilian construction sector, bringing her experience to large-scale hyperscale environments and, most recently, to Black Box in 2025 as Safety Director, she carried with her a rare depth of understanding; one shaped by both strategy and lived experience. She knows the realities of the job site because she has lived them: the early walks through active projects, the constant evaluation of risk, the conversations that build alignment, and the decisions that protect lives.
Her work today extends far beyond oversight. She serves as a steady presence for her teams – coaching, guiding, and strengthening safety programs while fostering relationships built on mutual respect and shared accountability. She understands that safety is not enforced through authority alone, but through trust, consistency, and example.
Yet, Elizabeth’s vision reaches beyond the present. She believes deeply in the importance of making this field more visible and accessible to those who may never have considered it. She speaks of early exposure, mentorship, and the power of showing what is possible, as careers like hers often begin with a single moment of awareness.
She is the first to credit those who helped shape her along the way. Mentors who challenged her, peers who stood beside her, and teams who broadened her perspective. Their influence reinforced something she now carries forward: that guidance and support are not extras, but essentials.
Elizabeth’s story is one of stewardship; of carrying forward the lessons of experience and using them to create safer environments and stronger futures.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Elizabeth Foott, for her service, her leadership, and the example she continues to set for those who will one day follow her path.
Some careers begin with ambition. Others begin with necessity, and grow into something far more meaningful than originally imagined.
For Traci Knash, the construction and technical trades entered her life at a time when stability was not simply desirable, but essential. Facing one of life’s more difficult chapters and determined to provide for her family, she accepted a position with a low-voltage company in East Michigan. It was, at first, a practical decision. Yet somewhere between the early mornings, the hands-on problem solving, and the camaraderie of the field, she discovered something unexpected – a genuine passion for the work.
When Traci joined Black Box in 2002, she brought with her that same determination. Over the past 23 years, she has built a reputation defined not by words, but by trust. Customers who have worked with her once often ask for her again, confident in her ability to deliver with precision and care. That kind of trust cannot be assigned; it is earned – project by project, conversation by conversation.
Along the way, she also discovered a strength she had not initially set out to develop: leadership. In environments where she was often one of the few women present, she learned how to unify teams, navigate challenges, and maintain focus under pressure. She did not seek to stand apart, but her consistency and competence naturally set her apart.
Her journey has not been without obstacles. There were moments when she found herself needing to prove, again and again, what she was capable of. Yet rather than allowing those moments to diminish her, she allowed them to refine her, strengthening both her confidence and her resolve.
Through it all, she has drawn strength from a deeply personal source of guidance, grounding herself in faith as she navigated both professional and personal challenges. It has given her a sense of perspective: a reminder to persevere, to remain steady, and to continue forward.
Today, Traci hopes her story encourages others to take that same first step, even when the path feels uncertain. She believes there is space here for those willing to learn, to contribute, and to grow, and that the strengths women bring to this work are not only valuable, but essential.
This Women in Construction Week, we celebrate Traci Knash, for her resilience, her dedication, and the example she continues to set through a career built on courage, trust, and quiet determination.
