In the past two years, three pivotal events have defined the professional and personal life of Infrastructure Ontario project services manager Kate Lorriman.
The first was the birth of her son. The second was the death of her father this past February, and the third was being acclaimed president of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) in May.
CAWIC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the success of women in construction. Lorriman had previously served as a board member and secretary.
In a sense, her acceptance of the voluntary position and her rise in both the private and public sectors of the construction field can be traced to her father who operated a small handyman business in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.
“As a teenager, I worked with him on a few of his projects such as basement renovations, refurbishing porch stairs, and replacing chimneys where I used a bucket and pulley to lift the bricks up to him on the roof. It was hard work, but it was better than working in retail and that was my introduction to construction.”
In her early 20s, in a spirit of adventure, she moved to New York City and later to Montreal where she worked in basically administrative roles. A few years later she returned to Toronto and obtained a position as admin/coordinator in the development/construction division of PenEquity Realty Corporation. That experience deepened her interest in construction.
“I was fascinated and two senior executives responded to my interest by including me in their project team meetings. During this time I learned about contracts, drawings, and construction draw documents.
“As we reviewed the working drawings, I was hooked. It was like the drawings had come to life and I could envision the outcome. I realized I wanted to be involved in a meaningful way in the building of future projects.”
Afterwards, Lorriman obtained a position in the major projects division of Infrastructure Ontario. She then enrolled in the construction project management program at George Brown College, attending evening classes.
“The courses were invaluable and directly relevant to my job function. I learned about Canadian Construction Documents Committee contracts, the Construction Lien Act, budgeting, scheduling and so much more. I was immediately able to enhance my participation in and contribution to the project delivery procedures for which I was employed.”
Later she transferred to the private sector, working first as manager of capital improvement projects at the Great West Life Realty Advisors’ Commerce Court complex.
“My admiration for the design and construction of Toronto’s core office complexes grew while I was in this role.”
Subsequently, she began working at Dream Office REIT and managed the delivery of various large-scale renovation projects for some of the most prominent property portfolios in downtown Toronto, including the lobby renewals at 18 King Street East, 438 Dundas Street West, and 330 Bay Street. “As a proud Torontonian, I take great pleasure in adding value and integrity to the city’s real estate assets.”
Two years ago, Lorriman returned to Infrastructure Ontario, this time as project services manager in the contract and realty project management department. In that multi-faceted role, she is responsible for various provincially-funded projects. She oversees numerous capital projects outsourced to various third-party private sector companies, and also supports governance initiatives regarding contract adherence, quality assurance, scheduling, and budgeting.
In addition, she also provides support on planning for capital repairs, leasing improvements and ministry projects.
Asked about the long transition from being an administrative assistant to becoming an official who manages multi-million-dollar projects, Lorriman points to her time at PenEquity when she was fortunate to meet mentors who encouraged her interest in construction.
Being a Project Management Institute member and subsequently obtaining Project Management Professional accreditation were also critical steps in that progression, she says.
“I’ve worked in the industry for fifteen years and I’m pleased to say that while at times progression has been slow, I have experienced progression. I’ve had a whole range of reactions from initial acceptance to hearing ‘Oh look, she’s a girl and she can climb a ladder’! I have also earned the respect of the majority of my peers. They acknowledge my capabilities and experience and I believe they have recognized my journey was not an easy one.”
As for her decision to accept the presidency of CAWIC, she says the association has given her the opportunity to create “valuable and meaningful” industry relationships. She wants to make a further contribution to its mission of advancing the role of women in construction.
Since joining the association, she has had the “privilege” of connecting with numerous young professional women interested in advancing their careers in the construction industry. Last year, she attended George Brown College’s annual Associations Fair. “I saw myself in the faces of the students when they asked me ‘I’m almost done my program…what do I do now’?
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