Eva Cantu, General Superintendent at Drake Tappe

Eva Cantu, who works as a general superintendent for Drake Tappe, was inspired to go into the construction sector when she realized she was not suited to work in an office where she was employed in the estimating department.

“I wanted to be in the field and see how everything was being built in action, and then it started to transition on how to start making things better,” she said. “Now I am very excited to train teams and build up people to move toward better systems and processes to make construction better for everybody.”

In February 2024, Cantu completed a course offered by Procore Technologies to earn her superintendent certification.

Cantu said both of the construction companies for which she has worked — Yates Construction and now Drake Tappe — have played a pivotal role in helping her advance her career and understanding the construction sequencing of different type of projects, from multifamily buildings to hotels to industrial plants in alignment with construction management.

She also learned about organization and time management skills, to see opportunities to be more efficient, and how to deal with tough conversations either with trade partners, co-workers and/or owners. 

There continues to be barriers for women in the industry, Cantu noted. She sometimes encounters men who express doubts that she knows what she is doing, and they try to pivot to talk with another superintendent or her boss.

“However, they realize pretty quickly that I do know what I am talking about and that the other team members tell them to talk to me,” she said.

Cantu said that if there’s a misconception about women in construction, it is that women are scared and cannot have tough conversations and deal with men who are angry or unpleasant people.

“They mistake being kind with being soft,” she pointed out.

Cantu also dislikes when women’s construction gear is colored pink. “I love pink and have nothing against the color, but it makes me feel like some people almost want to be able to spot the women, like we need to stand out,” she said.

“Also, when I see vests for women that are tighter at the waist — again, nothing against clothing being more flattering for the body — but I just don’t see how that makes it more useful or better for us. If anything, it makes the pockets smaller and harder to reach.” 

When it comes to better supporting and retaining women in the construction sector, Cantu advises industry leaders: “Believe in them. Give them the tough jobs and let them prove that they can do it. We are not weak.”

If she could give her younger self one piece of advice about succeeding in this industry, it would be: “Keep going. It is very difficult now, but it will definitely get better. One of the main things that was a real challenge was being usually the youngest in the group — not so much a woman. It’s not to say that it is not a factor, but in my experience, it was more the age part.”

When her supervisors at Yates saw that she was eager to learn and to actually put in action what she was learning, they gave her the opportunity to carry an increasing number of responsibilities, which in time turned her into being the one coordinating and indicating the next steps in the construction. 

“In the moment, it was very hard to see it this way, because I was dealing with trade partners who would just see my age instead of seeing what I was capable of and would make it really hard to work,” she said.“But I kept pushing and now looking back, I think it has been an incredible journey, one that I am extremely proud of.” 

Cantu enjoys helping to foster the next generation. “I definitely get excited when I see another woman in the field, especially when I see interns come in,” she said. “I definitely make it a point to encourage them to keep going.”

In the past couple of years, she has noticed a significant change in the numbers of women working in construction, which makes her “very happy.” Cantu said, “We are more than capable of performing the same activities a male superintendent does, and I will continue helping women in construction get farther.”

When Cantu is not working, she enjoys traveling. This year, she has traveled to Denmark, Norway, Mexico and several U.S. states.

“I love my family and my friends and I love my church,” she added.