Meet Jessica! From Architecture to Construction
Pioneering the front for female site construction managers, Jessica Risdon is Tacoma/Pierce County’s second ever female Site Manager on our construction team. She’s been flourishing in this role since October of 2024!
Jessica grew up in Northeast Ohio, where she went on to get her undergraduate and master’s degree in architecture. She spent three years working in architecture, focusing on designing restaurants, retail spaces, and commercial projects, until she was laid off in 2020 due to the pandemic, which wreaked havoc on the restaurant and retail industries.
Unemployed, Jessica now saw the world as her oyster, choosing the magical fog-laden lure of the Pacific Northwest. So, she began applying for jobs in the PNW to design homes.
“That was always my dream, I wanted to be involved in designing homes.”
Because the pandemic brought about a hiring freeze, Jessica explored the possibilities of AmeriCorps, and building homes instead of designing them. The pandemic served as a perfect time for many to get more involved in their local communities through service work and volunteering. Jessica took the leap and applied for an AmeriCorps position at our very own Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat.
“I came out here and learned how to build and do construction, and it was very empowering. It was really fun, and I really liked it.”
Jessica fell in love with the PNW and decided she wanted to stay in the area. After her six-month AmeriCorps term, she landed a job in Seattle designing furniture. While this new job utilized her original architecture and design skills, she realized she missed working with her hands and the community brought about by working on a Habitat for Humanity construction site.
Turning to her old connections, Jessica reached out to TPC Habitat’s Construction Projects Manager, Nick Jackson. Nick had just launched the Apprentice Construction Manager program, a 2-year program designed to train individuals who have an understanding of Habitat for Humanity’s mission and its volunteer-centric mindset and mentor them into Construction Site Managers.
“I think I’m better at working ‘boots-on-the-ground.’ I think that because I’ve been trained in architecture, it allows me to look at things a bit more cohesively, like a broader sort of view of the whole process.” 
After completing her 2-year apprenticeship, Jessica has grown very comfortable and confident in her construction knowledge and skillset. The percentage of women who work in hands-on construction as an industry is only 14%, making it a very male-dominated space.
“I feel like sometimes as a woman, you are really pushed to be in the office doing like paperwork.”
Striking the balance between being a confident woman and avoiding labels like “bossy” or “controlling” is a challenge many women face in the workplace. However, Jessica found her apprenticeship empowering, helping her flourish in her role as Site Manager.
Her favorite part about her work is working with the regular volunteers and building relationships and a sense of community on-site. Jessica also finds it incredibly rewarding to build relationships with homeowners and witness their journey to achieving homeownership.
“It just makes you happy to be here, happy to help. I think even having relationships with regulars, having relationships with homeowners, it just makes you feel like you are part of a community.”