Since joining the firm in 2015, she has advanced from project engineer to a senior corporate leadership role. Simone brings field-tested experience to her work from complex projects—including NASA Langley’s Measurements Research Lab and the Children’s Behavioral Health Pavilion at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk—improving collaboration, predictability and workflow efficiency. She helped migrate W.M. Jordan’s pull planning process from sticky-note sessions to a digital platform, accelerating adoption among project teams and trade partners.

Simone also is a statewide industry educator on lean construction principles. Her community impact is equally substantial. She co-founded Club Blue of Hampton Roads, Va., raising $300,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs, and served on boards for EdMarc Children’s Hospice and Norfolk Academy.

 

How did you break into the industry?

I started college in civil engineering because I knew I wanted a strong technical foundation, but I also knew I wanted more than calculations on paper. I was drawn to the built environment and the energy of actually making something real. Building construction checked every box for me. I still describe it as if engineering and architecture had a baby. You get the technical rigor, but you are also immersed in planning, coordination and the human side of building. That balance is what hooked me and ultimately set the direction for my career.

After graduating from Virginia Tech, I made a decision that gave me perspective early on. I moved to New Zealand for a year and later backpacked through Southeast Asia, figuring that was the one time in life I could do it. I had already committed to working for a contractor, Homeland Contracting, and instead of closing the door, the owner encouraged me to go and promised the job would be there when I was ready. Nearly a year later, she called me while I was in New Zealand to tell me the firm had landed a large project with W. M. Jordan and that if I wanted it, the job was mine. I hung up, bought a one way ticket to Southeast Asia, traveled for a few more months, then came home and went straight to work. That experience reinforced exactly why construction was the right industry for me. It is built on trust, relationships and timing, and it rewards people who show up ready to build something meaningful together.

 

What is one challenge that you’ve overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges in my career has been learning how to lead and influence before I had a title or years of experience to fall back on. Early on, I was often the youngest person in the room and frequently the only woman, working with seasoned field leaders and trade partners who had decades in the industry. I quickly learned that credibility isn’t given, it’s built. I focused on preparation—listening first, understanding the work at a deep level and consistently showing up for my teams. Over time, trust grew not because I had the loudest voice, but because I followed through and helped teams solve real problems.

As my career evolved, that challenge shifted from proving myself to leading change. Moving into lean construction and later learning and development required influencing without direct authority and helping people rethink how they plan and work together. The biggest lesson for me was realizing that change only sticks when people feel respected and included in the process. I leaned into relationships, transparency and teaching rather than telling. That approach not only helped me grow as a leader, but it also reinforced why I love this industry. Construction rewards those who are willing to learn, adapt and invest in people, and that challenge continues to push me in the best way.

 

What is your favorite project and what challenges did you overcome on it?

One of my favorite projects was the NASA Langley Research Center Measurement Systems Laboratory. It was complex in every sense, from clean rooms and advanced instrumentation to extremely high expectations for quality, coordination, and precision. There was very little margin for error, and success depended on getting a lot of smart people aligned around a shared plan. Toward the end of the project, COVID-19 hit, which added an entirely new layer of complexity. Overnight, we were navigating safety protocols, supply chain disruptions and uncertainty, all while trying to maintain momentum on a highly technical facility.

That project was where lean construction truly came to life for me. Using pull planning, reliable commitments and open communication helped the team surface issues early and adapt quickly as conditions changed. COVID-19 reinforced a lesson that has stayed with me ever since. Even the most technically advanced projects succeed or fail based on how well people are equipped to plan, communicate and work together when things do not go as expected. That experience shaped how I lead today and ultimately influenced my passion for developing systems, processes and people that help construction teams perform at their best.

 

What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is developing people and watching them grow. I love helping individuals and teams build confidence, gain new skills, and see possibilities in their careers that they may not have seen before. Whether it’s a superintendent refining how they plan work, a young professional finding their voice, or a project team learning to collaborate more effectively, seeing those moments of growth is incredibly rewarding.

Construction is a people-driven industry, and the work only gets better when we invest in the people doing it. Leading learning and development and lean Construction allows me to connect continuous improvement with real human impact. I get to help create environments where people feel supported, challenged and equipped to do their best work, and that is what motivates me every day.

 

How do you maintain a work life balance?

I don’t believe in a perfect version of work life balance, especially in construction. For me, it’s more about awareness and timing. One thing that helps a lot is that my husband is also in construction, so we live very similar lives at work. We understand the long days, the pressure and the seasons where things get intense. That shared perspective makes it easier to remind each other when it’s time to slow down and when it’s okay to disconnect.

Sometimes you’re so busy being busy that you don’t realize you’re running on empty, and my husband is good at checking me when that happens. As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve also learned the importance of stepping back, trusting others and not feeling like I have to be everywhere all the time. Construction is demanding, but it’s also a long game—and staying grounded outside of work makes me better for my teams and the work we’re building together.

 

What’s your career advice for other young professionals in the industry?

Be curious, be reliable and don’t be afraid to raise your hand before you feel completely ready. One thing I tell every intern and young professional I work with is this: it is your job to ask questions. You don’t know what you don’t know, you’re not supposed to know what you don’t know, and if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. The two most important things early in your career are not pretending you know something you don’t and asking questions constantly. People respect honesty and effort far more than guessing your way through something.

I’d also encourage young professionals to stay open to different paths. Your career doesn’t have to be linear to be successful. Some of my best opportunities came from saying yes to something unfamiliar and trusting that I would figure it out along the way. Invest in relationships, listen to the people with experience and remember that how you work with others matters just as much as what you know.

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years, and what goals have you set for yourself to get there?

In 10 years, I want to be helping push the construction industry forward in a real, tangible way. I see myself leading at the intersection of building, learning, and people, making construction a place where teams are better prepared, more adaptable, and genuinely excited about the work they do. I’m passionate about shaping how we develop talent, how we lead teams and how we rethink the way work gets planned and executed. The industry is changing fast, and I want to be part of the group driving that change, not reacting to it.

To get there, I’ve been intentional about saying yes to opportunities that stretch me and refusing to stay in one lane for too long. I’ve built my career by staying close to the field, staying curious and surrounding myself with people who challenge my thinking. My goal is to keep learning, keep experimenting and keep investing in people and systems that make construction better. 

At the end of the day, I want to leave the industry stronger than I found it, with teams who work smarter, lead better and are proud of what they build together.