(Washington, DC) – Today, the Bowser Administration and District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) highlighted women in infrastructure during a DC Infrastructure Academy (DCIA) panel of esteemed and diverse professionals across various sectors within the industry. Professionals in the energy, construction and information technology shared key insights from their career trajectory, the importance of mentorship, and the power of leveraging connections.

“This week, the Bowser Administration is highlighting the District’s commitment to infrastructure and jobs. Infrastructure creates better roads, better ways to connect our city, and opportunities for those that want to see our city grow – and who better to fill those jobs than Washingtonians,” said DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. “The DC Infrastructure Academy is an example of our determination to connect residents to exciting and life-changing employment opportunities, and establish a pipeline of trained and certified talent for businesses to transform our city and change the trajectory of communities, careers and lives.”

Mayor Bowser opened DCIA in 2018 to create a pipeline to in-demand jobs in the rapidly growing infrastructure sector. Since then, DCIA has connected more than 2,000 residents and has a 90% graduation rate. Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget invested $5.2 million to expand DCIA programming to an additional 200 residents, and in March, she held an event at DCIA to highlight her Fiscal Year 2023 budget investments for expansion of the Infrastructure Academy.
 
Participating infrastructure industry professionals included:
    •    Michelle Pourciau, President, MPSynergy LLC
    •    Sandra R. Fisher, Vice President, Transmission & Substation, Pepco Holdings
    •    Jacquelyn Glover “Jacqi”, Vice President, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Delon Hampton & Associates
    •    Shannon Reed, Account Manager, U.S. Public Sector
    •    Steve Himmelfarb, Director, Technical Training and Education Technology, Washington Gas
    •    Steven Boney, Talent Acquisition Manager, WMATA

The Department of Employment Services (DOES) is the District’s lead labor, workforce development agency, and is responsible for providing District residents with critical employment readiness and job training services. To learn more about apprenticeships, programs and services offered at DOES, and for more information on DCIA, visit does.dc.gov or es.does.dc.gov.