Women in Construction: Janet Popielski
Janet Popielski
Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Stormwater Program Manager
23 years in the industry
Janet Popielski has been working in the engineering and construction fields for over 20 years and currently is the Stormwater Program Manager for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. In her role, she oversees $20 million annually in design and construction projects for NEORSD’s Regional Stormwater Management Program which addresses problems related to flooding, erosion, and water quality along over 400 miles of natural watercourses and constructed facilities. Ms. Popielski has a Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering, both from the University of Akron, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ohio. Before coming to NEORSD, she spent most of her career with the National Park Service managing all phases of construction projects.
What brought or attracted you to the construction industry?
Seeing first hand how designs come to life.
What do you like most about your work?
Working with a wide variety of people and professions to accomplish a common goal.
What would you like to see change within the construction industry?
More mentoring of young people interested in the construction industry.
What are your long term career goals?
My current long term goal is to continue developing NEORSD's Regional Stormwater Management Program including building relationships to accomplish our goals.
What advice would you give to other women interested in construction?
Take as many opportunities you can to learn from those in the field and welcome new challenges.
Describe the kinds of opportunities in construction available to women?
At NEORSD, we have construction technicians, supervisors, managers, and schedulers on staff.
What can be done to attract more women to construction?
Introduce more girls and women to the field so they understand the type of work involved and how rewarding a career it can be.