Staff & Board

Bricklayers

BAC represents an array of skilled workers who practice the crafts of bricklaying, plastering, tile setting, stone, marble and cement masonry, and terrazzo and mosaic work. These craftsmen also conduct pointing/cleaning/caulking, restoration and refractory work. Their designs can be seen on many buildings, homes stadiums, statutes and landmarks throughout the United States and Canada.

Produced in collaboration by Tradeswomen Inc. and the California State Building Trades

Carpenters

General carpenters provide the crucial foundation for concrete, exteriors, roofs, infrastructure, and scaffolding while also crafting fine trim and finish work. These professionals work with a variety of materials in every kind of structure; they are responsible for bringing blueprints to life. UBC carpenters are skilled in laying out, measuring, cutting, erecting, and joining materials together. They are highly trained to work quickly, accurately, and safely, while delivering the quality of work contractors and their customers have come to expect.

Produced in collaboration by Tradeswomen Inc. and the California State Building Trades

Teamsters

The Teamsters Union has several divisions, including a building material and construction trades Division. Members in this division are truck drivers who transport and haul material, merchandise, equipment or personnel between various locations-including construction sites, manufacturing plants, freight depots, warehouses and wholesale and retail facilities. They may also load and unload, make minor mechanical repairs and keep truck in good working order.

Teamsters 117

Meg Vasey
Executive Director

Meg Vasey is the Executive Director of Tradeswomen, Inc. (TWI). Meg Vasey has been a construction electrician since 1979 and has served as TWI’s Executive Director since 2009. She served her apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 302, Martinez, California and represented Local 302’s members as a retirement plan trustee for 30 years. Ms. Vasey worked with the tools as a journey-level electrician until 1998 when she enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, graduating and passing the California State Bar in 2001.

Since graduation, Ms. Vasey has used her legal and construction knowledge to increase the participation of women and other underserved populations and to promote apprenticeship and sustainable job opportunities in construction and related skilled trades. Ms. Vasey has worked with dynamic coalitions of local contractors, community groups, trade unions, apprenticeship professionals and public agency staff.  These include coalitions to increase women mechanics and machinists in the Bay Area through Pre-apprenticeship. At TWI, Meg has revitalized the organization’s programs in direct services, technical assistance, and advocacy for women in the trades while expanding TWI’s staff and overall capacity.

Meg Vasey serves on several state and community boards as well as the National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues. She has been recognized as a Labor Visionary by the California AFL-CIO.  In addition to her Juris Doctorate, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Philosophy.  As TWI’s Executive Director and as a woman who fed her family working on construction sites, Meg is committed to furthering women’s economic opportunities through careers in the skilled trades.

EMAIL: MVasey@Tradeswomen.org

Esther Polk
Administrative Manager

Esther Polk, Administrative Manager, provides administrative support to the Executive Director and Program staff. She maintains the Tradeswomen, Inc., website, and assists in event and conference planning. Ms. Polk comes to Tradeswomen Inc. with more than 25 years of experience working in both the nonprofit and public sectors.

EMAIL: EPolk@Tradeswomen.org

Susie Suafai
Program Manager

Salafai ‘Susie’ Suafa’i, Program Manager, has been an advocate for women in the trades since 1974 at Women in Apprenticeship in San Francisco where she served as Director from 1976 -1986. From 1988-1993 she served as Women’s Program Coordinator for the Century Freeway Project in Los Angeles and from 1997-2009 she worked on construction sector workforce initiatives across the country for the National Economic Development and Law Center. Susie joined Tradeswomen Inc. in 2012 as Program Manager.

EMAIL: SJSuafai@Tradeswomen.org

Ester Sandoval
Program Coordinator

Ester Sandoval is a Native of Chile, there she ran her first backyard clean-up crew with her 7 & 8 year old neighborhood friends. By the age of 9 she was running her own “handy” crew but it wasn’t until the age of 29 that she decided to pursuit her dreams, Carpentry. Ester is a Journey level Carpenter who has a passion for educating women in pursuing a career in construction. Ester loves riding her bike as well as tinkering with minor repairs, you will see her throughout the Bay Area cheerfully getting to places. 

EMAIL: ESandoval@Tradeswomen.org

Jessica Fontenot
Program Coordinator

Jessica Fontenot, is the Program Coordinator with Tradeswomen, Inc where she facilitates community engagement, coordinating workforce development opportunities, Outreach, Recruitment, Advocacy and frame work for women working in the non-traditional trades and blue collar careers.
Jessica has more than a decade of experience in leveraging public private partnerships through Community Outreach, Implementation of Public Relations Strategies, Stakeholder Engagement, Labor and contract compliance support and strengthen relationships between the community and public/private agencies.
Via a model that fosters public private Partnerships, Jessica has dedicated her career to advocating for resources and opportunities to remove barriers to gainful, sustainable employment for the residents of Southeast sector of San Francisco with a strong focus on the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhoods and West Bay communities.

EMAIL: JFontenot@Tradeswomen.org

Salena Durrell
Central Valley Program Coordinator

Salena Durrell, Central Valley Program Coordinator, joined Tradeswomen Inc. in June 2019 to cover the Fresno, Sacramento and Stockton areas. Originally from San Francisco has lived in Stockton for over 15 years where she attended Delta College. She got into the construction Trades in 2016 where she indentured as an apprentice with the Carpenters Local 152 and eventually the IUEC Local 8. In her time as an apprentice, she organized a successful meetup group event for Central Valley Tradeswomen, that was sponsored by the San Joaquin County Construction and Building Trades Council. She has always been an active member in her union, by attending meetings at her local and participating in city and state PLA hearings. In 2018 she testified in support of AB2358 that now is a law that prohibits harassment and discrimination of apprentices. She works closely with apprenticeship coordinators as she continues her passion of outreach and solidarity. In May of 2021, she became certified by North America's Building Trades Union as an MC3 Program Coordinator, and concurrently works with the North Valley Building Trades. In her free time she loves to listen to 80s/90s music with her daughter and go fishing.

EMAIL: SDurrell@Tradeswomen.org

Sharon Golden
Communications Project Coordinator

Sharon Golden is the internal and external communications project coordinator for TWI. She earned an AA in Labor Studies, and a certificate in Construction Project Management from Laney College, as well as a BA in American Studies with a focus on Public Policy from University of California, Berkeley. Coupled with her 18 years of campaign organization and social media campaigns, Sharon has both helped working families on the grassroots level, and help advocate policy advancements that families can feel.

EMAIL: SGolden@Tradeswomen.org

Madison Hull
President

Madison graduated her 5 year Apprenticeship program from District Council 16 Northern California Architectural Metal & Glass Workers program. During her 13 years in the field Madison ran work as a Superintendent, Foreman & Leadman. Over the last six years Madison has continued her path in her career as a Union member, a Community Leader and advocate for careers in non-traditional employment. In this time, Madison has served as Business Representative, Glaziers LU718 San Francisco, Communications & Political Director and currently Director of Service, District Council 16 International Union of Painters & Allied Trades.

Barbara Dees
Vice President

Barbara Dees started her career in IBEW 595 in 1984. As a single mother and foster mom for the majority of her sons’ childhood, she has long understood the rewards of having a career as an electrician. After her sons became adults and started their careers in plumbing and the military, Barbara became a full time volunteer in her local. She was appointed to the 595 executive board in 2013, where she currently holds a position still. She chairs the Women’s Committee in Local 595, she is the President of the Northern California Electrical Workers Minority Caucus and is currently the Vice President of Tradeswomen Inc.

John Brauer
Secretary

Since 2012, John Brauer has served California’s working men and women as the Workforce and Economic Development (WED) Program Director at the California Labor Federation.  WED acts as a workforce intermediary on behalf of its 2,000 affiliated labor unions and 2 million workers throughout the state. For the past seven years, Mr. Brauer has served on the California Workforce Development Board and its Executive Committee.  He has also served for 3 years as an appointee of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff to the Oakland Workforce Development Board. In addition, Mr. Brauer serves on the board of the California EDGE Coalition whose mission is to advance state policy and investments that create and sustain pathways into the middle class for all Californians, including individuals facing barriers to economic and social mobility.  Mr. Brauer is part of a blended-household, with 6 children that make him proud every day for their contributions to making the world a better place.

LaNelle Bergen
Treasurer

LaNelle joined McGuire and Hester in 2000 and is responsible for all our company’s human resources activities. She has extensive knowledge of all aspects of human resources including employee recruitment, retention, and compliance. LaNelle’s previous experience as a small business owner gives her a balanced perspective that encompasses both employee and employer viewpoints. She is committed to maintaining McGuire and Hester’s longstanding tradition of employee excellence by inspiring the next generation of employees with the many career opportunities in the construction industry – particularly at McGuire and Hester.

Julina Bonilla
Board Member

Julina Bonilla has a rich background in workforce initiatives. As Director for the Department of Labor - Job Corps, she managed recruitment strategies for young adults in low income communities. She began her career in education as a school teacher and eventually moved into workforce development. Ms. Bonilla serves as the board president for the Peralta College District Board of Trustees and is the former Executive Director of the West Oakland Job Resource Center, established by the City of Oakland Jobs Policy in 2013. Today, Ms. Bonilla is the Workforce Development Manager at the Port of Oakland.

Olwyn Brown
Board Member

Coming soon.

Kristi Tuemmler
Board Member

Coming soon.