Women are seeking careers in construction industry firms in record numbers, but they remain a rare sight at top-firm jobsites, executive suites and boardrooms. Research suggests, however, that women at the top can add to the bottom line. This sentiment was echoed by more than 130 attendees at a Nov. 3 industry networking conference in Washington, D.C.

Noting the historical dearth of women as field or office professionals, Kay Lantrip, vice president and head of federal projects at engineer-contractor URS Corp., noted the “double take” from men when a woman engineer walked on a jobsite in the 1970s and 1980s. While women are no longer such complete rarities, she and other attendees at the conference, sponsored by construction litigation firm Howrey LLP, Washington, D.C., say their potential for advancement and influence still trails that of their male cohorts.