Las Vegas woman breaks barriers by working her way up in construction industry
When Kayla Danielson started working in construction as a teenager
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LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — When Kayla Danielson started working in construction as a teenager, she knew she was entering a male-dominated field.
Instead of letting doubt or barriers hold her back, she built a career on persistence and skill.
Danielson, now a project manager for Nigro Construction, got her start at 17, working for her uncle’s framing company in Las Vegas. She spent years on job sites learning the trade, eventually moving into leadership roles.
With women making up just 11% of the construction industry, she has spent the past two decades proving she belongs.
“About 10 years ago, it was really difficult because of how young I was and the fact that I was a woman,” Danielson said. “I know that played a huge part in it.”
Despite the challenges, she remained focused on gaining experience and earning respect in the industry.
Cory Frank, vice president of business development and project management at Nigro Construction, said the company prioritizes qualifications over gender.
“We’re not looking for a man; we’re not looking for a woman. We are looking at experience. We are looking at whether they are going to be a good fit for our team,” Frank said.
Danielson said her work speaks for itself. Since joining Nigro Construction, she has worked on multi-million dollar developments, including Faith Lutheran Middle and High School’s new STEM building.
“As a woman, it’s initially a shock because you don’t really see a lot of women actually on-site,” she said. “At the end of the day, when you have that project that you built, I mean, that speaks for itself.”
She hopes to inspire more women to enter the field, emphasizing that construction is not just a career for men.
“Women are 100% capable of doing anything a man can do,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years now, and I am never going to ever go another direction. I love it.”
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