Women Leaders in the Industry Share Career-Building Insights
As Careers in Construction Month wraps up, Builders Mutual is excited to share the latest episode of its Building Progress podcast. The episode includes a live recording from the North Carolina HBA’s Women in Construction panel.
“Breaking the Concrete Ceiling” took place on the final day of the HBA’s 21st Century Building Expo and Conference and featured a celebration of women in the industry.
The panel was moderated by Andi Dirkschneider Bliss, president of Brookline Homes, and featured three leading women in building:
- Alicia Huey, NAHB chairman, and a custom home builder and developer from Birmingham, Ala.
- Mollie Elkman, author of The House That She Built
- Nora El-Khouri Spencer, CEO and founder of Hope Renovations, and the 2022 NAHB Woman of the Year
The panelists discussed how they each got started the industry, what needs to happen to get more women involved in building, who inspires them, and much more.
Latest from NAHBNow
Jan 02, 2026
Trump Delays Higher Tariffs on Furniture, Kitchen Cabinets for One YearPresident Trump has announced he will be rolling back higher tariffs on furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities that were set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, until Jan. 1, 2027.
Jan 02, 2026
FHA’s MMI Fund Capital Ratio Remained Solid in Fiscal Year 2025The capital reserve ratio for the Federal Housing Administration’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund ended the fiscal year at 11.47% — unchanged from the capital ratio for fiscal year 2024 and well above the congressionally mandated 2% capital ratio.
Latest Economic News
Dec 22, 2025
State-Level Employment Situation: September 2025In September 2025, nonfarm payroll employment was largely unchanged across states on a monthly basis, with a limited number of states seeing statistically significant increases or decreases. This reflects generally stable job counts across states despite broader labor market fluctuations. The data were impacted by collection delays due to the federal government shutdown.
Dec 19, 2025
Existing Home Sales Edge Higher in NovemberExisting home sales rose for the third consecutive month in November as lower mortgage rates continued to boost home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). However, the increase remained modest as mortgage rates still stayed above 6% while down from recent highs. The weakening job market also weighed on buyer activity.
Dec 18, 2025
Lumber Capacity Lower Midway Through 2025Sawmill production has remained essentially flat over the past two years, according to the Federal Reserve G.17 Industrial Production report. This most recent data release contained an annual revision, which resulted in higher estimates for both production and capacity in U.S. sawmills.