Maureen Rystrom, Vice President of Marketing | Partner at J. Calnan & Associates, Inc. has been in the AEC industry for over fifteen years.  Although she has been able to build a successful career in this male-dominated industry, the road to get there was not always easy.  Knowing that there was a need to make networking easier for women and genuinely wanting to help other women succeed, Maureen sought advice from her mentor Jay Calnan, CEO of J. Calnan & Associates. After numerous discussions with Jay, he encouraged Maureen to take action. 

 

She reached out to her close friend and colleague, Kristina Esposito, Business Development expert.  The two met through working together and quickly became close friends as they attended many of the same industry events. They would often discuss how great it would be to find more women like themselves - women trying to succeed in their careers while also balancing marriage and kids; women who want to help fellow colleagues and mentor the young professionals just starting their careers; women who simply love to get together and discuss anything from real estate to the latest fashion trends!

 

With the full support of Jay Calnan and the team at J. Calnan & Associates, Maureen and Kristina officially launched PLA! in April of 2011.