Check out Mothers In Construction Podcast's Season 2 Finale Episode 30 - We Did That with Cheryl Casatelli and Ilina Ewen. We discuss the Trilogy Apartment Building project completed in Raleigh, NC with a workforce that included 66 women! In an industry where women only make up 10 percent of the workforce, this ratio of women on one project is unique. The women on this project crushed every stereotype and made their stamp on the industry by showcasing their abilities and hopefully making waves for greater representation of women in construction. Cheryl who was a field engineer at the time shares her experience working on the project while Ilina discusses the importance of women in our field. Listen to their stories!
Cheryl Casatelli is an Assistant Superintendent . She began doing small projects in her dad’s workshop where she first fell in love with using power tools. She helped renovate homes alongside her father and spent summers helping in his handyman business. Cheryl parlayed this experience into a career in residential and commercial construction, serving in a variety of roles from sales to flooring to preconstruction. She was her company's first woman in the field engineer role and has extensive experience in multifamily projects. Her most recent project was a concrete tilt up wall building for a global client. Cheryl was even interviewed by ABC for a feature story about the growing number of women entering skilled trades and construction management.
Ilina is a writer, marketing and brand strategist, communicator, advocate, and ally for equity and representation. With over 25 years of marketing and communications experience in the corporate, government, and non-profit sectors, Ilina specializes in translating consumer insights into profitable ideas.
In 2003, Ilina started her own consulting firm helping clients identify their brand and create effective communications and marketing strategies. In addition to her firm, she has worked as a communications and brand strategist, Chief of Staff to the former First Lady of North Carolina, and Communications Director for several organizations. Ilina currently serves as the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for a commercial construction management company in the Southeastern United States.
Working Mother magazine named Ilina one of the top working mom bloggers in America. She uses her voice literally and figuratively as a public speaker and writer and has been known as an “accidental activist” who dedicates her time and talent to advocate for myriad issues. Specifically, she works towards social justice, community building, child and family resources, and women’s rights. Ilina is a doting mom to two teenage sons and has been married for 22 years.
