Carol O’Donnell is a 30-year veteran of the construction and sales industry who serves as chair and president of the Rhode Island Builders Association. She is the owner of Emerald Reconstruction in Johnston and CRM Modular Homes Inc., which builds homes for construction in the Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts markets.
O’Donnell serves on the advisory board for the Center for Women & Enterprise and the board of the National Association of Women in Construction, the Rhode Island Fire Board of Appeals and the Bonnet Shores Fire District Council.
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PBN: What are the greatest challenges facing the construction industry in Rhode Island today?
O’DONNELL: Housing is by far the largest construction-related issue in Rhode Island, but that is a problem for policymakers. We build the plans and if they want to solve the housing problem, they have to change their land use and density policies.
The industry problem, its biggest challenge, is having the talented, skilled workforce to build these units. The aging out of our talented builders and tradesman, coupled with the lack of interest in these occupations, is by far the largest challenge the industry is facing. That said, we are making progress on recruitment and training and are grateful to forward-minded elected leaders, such as the governor, General Assembly leaders and Matt Weldon, director of the [R.I.] Department of Labor and Training, who have provided industries the resources through Real Jobs [Rhode Island] to solve these issues with long-term strategies.
PBN: What is the state of the construction industry in the Ocean State, and how do you see its future unfolding as new technology is deployed?
O’DONNELL: The industry is dealing with a large increase in demand for housing and all of its related services, and complicating that are cost issues, labor issues, material shortages and over-regulations that place large burdens on its ability to meet that demand.
New technologies have helped with design, scheduling and estimating, but they have also made construction more complicated with advanced material specs, energy efficiency-related construction and more-complicated code compliance. However, as the industry begins to more fully embrace technology, the benefits are certainly going to outweigh the related complications.
PBN: What trends are you seeing develop to expedite the challenges that construction workers are facing?
O’DONNELL: We are seeing a new face in construction. Women and minorities are becoming more involved and are making their mark in all the trades and in the role of general contractors and owners. I may have been a bit of a pioneer in the space for ladies, but it’s certainly no longer uncommon to see a female in this industry.
As the Rhode Island Builders Association president, I’m proud of our organization’s commitment to assisting and developing talent in this space. Every day someone benefits and grows from the training we offer, increases their skill sets and takes charge of a project, their own life and the jobs created for the next generation of construction workers.
PBN: You have spent 30 years working in the construction business. What have you learned during that time that aids you in your approach to working on construction projects, and what do you feel are your strengths?
O’DONNELL: If you’re going to be in construction, you’re going to learn to adapt and improvise. There is a certain tenacity that comes with this occupation, as every day has its challenges that must be dealt with and overcome. If it’s not the weather, financing issues, a customer request, or a supplier or scheduling issue, it’s always something you’ll have to learn to overcome.
Even in the face of the pandemic, our industry, and my own company, had to learn, improvise and survive under some very unusual circumstances. So, grit, attitude and perseverance are the life lessons of my 30 years and the example I hope to leave to young women and young men entering this industry.
PBN: What is the most fulfilling aspect of your community volunteerism and being an educator, and why is it important for you to give back in this manner?
O’DONNELL: Everyone has their life issues; things happen that we can’t always control. But how we face that, how we learn from it and how we pass that knowledge and ability on to others is so important. I focus on community service and volunteer to help educate [youths] to provide a positive example, a sense that you can become what you want to be, that barriers can be broken and that you have the ability within you to make it happen.
Becoming the first female president of a major trade association isn’t something I aspired to do. Heck, when I started my construction firm, it was about making a living, helping people and giving back. However, that belief system got me to a place where I can now indeed give back and I’m grateful I can help others find their way.
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
