Over 30 women from Team Hancock came together in early May for the 11th Annual Women in Construction & Project Development event, hosted by Bernstein Shur—and what an incredible night it was!
Representing different locations, roles, and teams across the company, the women of Hancock Lumber showed up in full force for an evening centered around connection, leadership, and growth within the industry.
A standout moment of the evening was hearing from Team Hancock’s own Rebecca Hatfield, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, who served as the opening keynote speaker. Sharing her journey of “being in the room” and insisting on fully belonging, Rebecca’s message resonated across the packed Falmouth Country Club in a powerful and meaningful way. Her story reflects not only her own leadership, but also the kind of culture the team is building together at Hancock Lumber.
Rebecca was joined by two other incredible panel speakers, Cordelia Pitman, Vice President of Project Development with Wright-Ryan Construction and Jennifer Packard, President + Principal of PK Realty Management, LLC. The event was moderated by Mary Costigan, Municipal + Land Use Shareholder with Bernstein Shur.
Throughout the evening, conversations with team members and other attendees reinforced that showing up as your authentic self and real connection is what matters most. Feeling safe and a sense of belonging allows everyone to grow both professionally and personally.
And, what fun it was to have Executive Chairman, Kevin Hancock, attend the event and cheer Rebecca on! Kevin had this to say about the memorable experience in an email afterward to all members of the company:
“An amazing event happened yesterday in the form of the annual Women in Construction event facilitated by our own law firm, Bernstein Shur. Over 30 amazing Hancock Lumber women representing all parts of the company were present. In addition, our own Rebecca Hatfield was the opening keynote speaker. You could have heard a pin drop as Rebecca shared her journey of “being in the room” and insisting on fully belonging across her career in traditionally male dominated industries.
I attended this event and had the chance to speak with just about every Hancock Lumber female employee that was there and each conversation was inspiring to me. Each woman referenced the culture of our company and its importance in them feeling trusted, respected, valued, and heard. I left wanting to “double down” on what we already have and keep building it up. One of the biggest competitive advantages we have is our culture as a safe platform for everyone. We are, can, and should use our culture to keep onboarding more women into more roles across our entire organization. This is and can be one of our biggest competitive advantages AND one of the best things we can do together to uplift humanity.
We want every corner of our company – every day – to be a safe and encouraging space for women and men. Let’s keep prioritizing our inclusiveness in all settings for all people! It’s a winning business formula AND, more importantly, and winning path for humanity!
I was inspired to be with so many amazing women who love our company and are thriving here as employees and humans. It made me proud and it made me want more!
Thank you for what we are building together! It’s special and there is so much more we can become!”
Everyone left the event inspired, proud, and energized by what we are building together!