NEW YORK CITY – Andrea Mancino, the newly appointed executive vice president at energy and water management company Bright Power in New York, is blazing a path in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated and closed off to women laborers and positions up the rungs to the executive suite. Through her testimony of climbing the ranks from an intern to executive, she aims to show professionals coming up behind her that difference is power.

Mancino served as director of new construction at Bright Power prior to the promotion. In that role, she managed ground-up new construction, oversaw long-term strategic planning for the firm's new construction unit and commissioned projects alongside her team that is comprised of 50 percent women.

"I didn't hire women on purpose. Half of my team is women and I wasn't necessarily trying for that, what I have done is make sure people feel comfortable, and I am there to help them navigate and make sure my team knows how important it is to network and have a group of people to look to for a sense of community."

Incorporated in Mancino's role is to act as an energy consultant at ground-up new construction projects and to manage a green buildings program aimed at sustainability and efficiency in line with municipal carbon emission and energy guidelines. In whichever hat she is wearing as a consultant, servicing clients doesn't feel like work, she tells GlobeSt.com.

"I'm passionate about getting out in the industry and making sure what's being offered in the industry is in line with rising construction costs," she said. "It's a big decision to move a building away from fossil fuel and carbon emissions, and electrification can involve very expensive equipment as it relates to upfront construction costs."

Mancino got her start as an intern in the construction sector over seven years ago, and it wasn't an easy ascent having to prove herself in rooms where she was more often than not the only woman. "The way I looked at it, is if you're smart and confident in what you're doing, knowledgeable, and a people person who strikes up relationships, at that point, it doesn't matter if you're a woman," she said. "I've taken being an underdog and let it fuel me to be the best as I can be at my job and surprised people."

While Mancino says the industry has slightly progressed since her introduction into the sector, she said it has a way to go. "We don't see women in the industry actually building things and it goes up to the executive level," she said.

According to a recent report, women make up an estimated  9.1 percent of the construction industry, up from 1.3 percent in 2015. Mancino and others who belong to the National Association of Women in Construction are working to push the needle on representation in the industry.

"I'm huge on mentorship, being a mentor and remaining humble and understanding what I've gone through, and using it to help people is critical," she said.  "There is power in being a woman. When you have a lot to prove, use it to make yourself bigger and better than you ever thought."

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