About Us

Taskforce Leadership

Mission

The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues mission is to unite local, regional and national expertise and action to support tradeswomen and women in achieving access, opportunity, and equity in the construction industry, and other skilled trades occupations. The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen Issues does this through promoting a federal public policy platform and advocacy initiatives which includes efforts at the national level to improve, enforce, fund, and promote best practices in apprenticeship, training, workforce development, career tech, nontraditional employment, and job site equity.

Foundation of the Taskforce

In 2011, tradeswomen, allies, and advocates came together to form a coalition of organizations and individual members, including tradeswomen themselves, called The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues, to address the lack of access, opportunity, and equity in the construction industry, and other skilled trades occupations. National women’s organizations, Legal Momentum and Wider Opportunities for Women co-chaired the coalition in its inception in 2011 through 2014,then Legal Rights Advocates replaced Legal Momentum as co-chair. Chicago Women in Trades replaced Wider Opportunities for Women as co-chair in 2015. Oregon Tradeswomen replaced Legal Rights Advocates in 2016.

TWTF Steering Committee Members

We are governed by an eleven-member volunteer Steering Committee, most with a lived experience of working in the trades. We are:

  • Overall Co-Chairs
    • Janelle DeJan, electrician and teacher from Women in New Orleans/Louisiana Skilled Trades and Manufacturing Careers
    • Connie Ashbrook from Portland Oregon, founder and former Director of Oregon Tradeswomen and a former elevator constructor.
  • Policy Committee Co-Chairs
    • Meg Vasey, former Executive Director of Tradeswomen, Inc. in California and a former electrician
    • Jessica Ramey Stender, Policy Director and Deputy Legal Director of Equal Rights Advocates in California.
  • Tradeswomen Action Committee Co-Chairs
    • Kelly McClellen, operating engineer from Kansas, active in Heartland Women in Trades and Tradeswomen Building Bridges
    • Kristine Azzoli, restoration mason from New York, 
    • Crystal Herrera, electrician from Los Angeles
    • Celena Barron, electrician from Los Angeles
  • Communications Committee Co-Chair
    • Jessenia Rivera, stationary engineer from New York
  • At-large Steering Committee members
    • Latisa Kindred, IBEW electrician from Chicago who is currently teaching electricity to high school students
    • Nichole Foster, organizer  with Jobs With Justice and a former Boilermaker. 

Join us!

Our coalition is always looking to grow and engage more tradeswomen, allies, advocates, and industry partners! To learn more, send an email to: [email protected]

Taskforce members are encouraged to join one of our working committees below:

  • Bi-Monthly Membership Meeting is held via Zoom on the third Monday of every odd month, starting at 3 pm PT/6pm ET.
  • Monthly Policy Committee Meeting is held via Zoom on the second Thursday of each month at 2pm PT/5pm ET.
  • Action Committee meets monthly via conference call.
  • Communications Committee is not currently meeting.

Taskforce Members & Partners

The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen Issues is a coalition of tradeswomen organizations, tradeswomen, and industry partners that strive to achieve access, opportunity, and equity for women in blue-collar careers.

Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW) | Building Pathways (Boston) | BC Centre for Women in the Trades | BC Tradeswomen Society | Carpenters | Chicago Women in Trades | DMV Tradeswomen | Equal Rights Advocates | Hard Hatted Women | Heartland Women in Trades | Institute for Women’s Policy Research | Ironworkers | Minnesota Tradeswomen | Missouri Women in Trades | National Center for Women’s Equity in Apprenticeship and Employment | National Women’s Law Center | Nevada Women in Trades | New York City Coalition for Women in Construction | NOLA Women in Skilled Trades and Manufacturing Careers | Northeast Center for Tradeswomen’s Equity | Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) | Oregon Tradeswomen | Policy Group on Tradeswomen Issues | Rhode Island Women in Trades | Sheet Metal Workers | Shriver Center on Poverty Law | Sisters in the Building Trades | Sisters in the Brotherhood | Texas Women in Trades | Tradeswomen, Inc. | Tradeswomen Building Bridges | Vermont Works for Women | West Virginia Women Work | Women in Construction | Women in Non Traditional Careers (WINC) | Women in Non-Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER)