Lynn Stith Bennett is Awarded CREW DC Woman of Impact

Congratulations, Lynn, for receiving the 2021 CREW DC Woman of Impact Award!

CREW DC announced Lynn Stith Bennett as their 2021 Woman of Impact! “Lynn has broken multiple barriers in the commercial real estate industry on her road to the executive suite. Respected for her accomplishments and leadership style, Lynn has forged a path for the next generation of leaders,” says CREW DC.

Woman in construction, Lynn Stith Bennett, with high visibility vest and hard hat on at a construction site. — Lynn's lessons and experiences as a woman in construction are the driving force behind her passion to mentor women leaders.

Recognizing-challenges-being-woman-construction

Breaking Down Barriers

Lynn Stith Bennett has broken down barriers since the commence of her career as a woman in construction in 1981. Lynn continues to make an impact even 35 years later. She began as a clerk, then moved to the construction field managing projects, and now she is responsible for the strategic direction of Coakley & Williams Construction (CWC). Lynn was promoted from Executive Vice President to Managing Principal & Chief Strategy Officer and is responsible for what our company of 135 is doing and its strategic growth plans.

Recently, Lynn was honored as Washington Business Journal's 2020 Women Who Mean Business and she served as the 2019 CREW DC President.

Women in Construction

Lynn was recognized at the CREW DC 2021 Awards watch party at Vari, embraced by her husband and CWC crew. Left to right: Greg Harraka, Lynn Stith Bennett, Bobby Bennett, Lisa Schlossberg, Sean Coakley and Tracy Camponeschi.

When Lynn began her career in the construction industry, there were virtually no women that she could look to for guidance. At that time, the visibility of women in construction was extremely rare. That's why Lynn does not forget her beginnings in the industry. Now, she is a strong advocate for supporting the professional growth of women in construction. Under her leadership at CWC, she is a firm believer in promoting from within, and the number of women employed at CWC has doubled, increasing it to 21%. This is an impressive statistic, given that even today women only make up 10% of the construction industry (bigrentz). Under her mentorship, the number of women CWC’s Partners has also doubled from two to four in 2020. She also made sure that CWC implemented a maternity and paternity leave policy for employees. In addition, under Lynn's leadership the CWC Women’s Group was formed. It's a safe space for the women of CWC to band and grow together, building relationships, continuing education, and building community through service.

Making an Impact

In a 2019 Women in Construction article while Lynn was serving as President of CREW DC, Jenna Kirkpatrick Howard asked her, “What's your favorite part of your role?” Lynn replied, “My favorite part is that I am making an impact. I'm making things better for everyone within the organization. We are focused on our culture, who we are, and where we are going. I love bringing strong people to the organization and letting them do what they do really well. I am so fortunate to work with so many amazing people. That is the best part of what I do. ”

Congratulations, Lynn, for receiving the 2021 CREW DC Woman of Impact Award!

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