Save that treacherous framewalk, the start of her career in construction was marked by working with the Construction Documents Team, supporting marketing coordination and developing rendering strategy. As her tenure grew, she was promoted to Designer, a role in which she was supporting all of the divisions. Here, she managed Custom Study Requests and cross-functional design efforts, which led her to her current position as Architecture Design Manager.

As she reflects on her decades-long career, Foss said some of her most meaningful experiences have come from finding her voice and sharing her perspective. 

“Having women in the industry raises the bar … for me, leadership isn’t about making a point, it’s about doing the work well, asking better questions and helping set a tone that others want to be part of. And honestly, good design doesn’t care who’s holding the hard hat, it just knows when it’s been done right.” 

Foss detailed her career experiences as part of Women in Construction Week, a week that celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. This WIC Week, Drees Homes honors the women we interviewed for this piece - Foss, Builder Jennifer Lopez and Customer Care Representatives Tierra Whaley and Mammie Rust - and all our female employees for their exceptional work in the field, in the office and everywhere in between. 

Since its inception in 1998, Women in Construction Week, in part, draws attention to the disparity of women vs. men who work in the construction field. Nationwide, women make up just 11% of the construction workforce, according to 2024 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But, as someone who has been in the industry for decades, Foss believes construction benefits when the people shaping it reflect the people who are using what is built. Women bring different perspectives, priorities and problem-solving styles, and that brings strength to projects. 

“There’s also the occasional assumption that women in construction are there to decorate rather than to solve problems, which is always interesting given how much of my day involves code requirements, spreadsheets and construction details. I’m proud to work alongside incredibly talented designers, and I’ve learned that the best response is simply doing the work,” Foss said.

And Foss sees the tide turning. She’s starting to hear more diverse voices at the table, more collaboration across disciplines, and for her - it’s an exciting time to be part of construction.

For Jennifer Lopez, a Drees Builder in Austin, Texas, working in a field that is traditionally male dominated allows her to offer a different approach and contribute a distinct communication style when it comes to building homes.  

Lopez, a five-year veteran with Drees, started her career as an Estimator. But she was passionate about the front end of home building, so she jumped at the opportunity to work in the field as a Builder Trainee. 

Lopez said she had to push herself harder to be recognized and respected as a woman Builder. But her attributes - organizational skills, attention to detail and the fact that she’s bilingual in Spanish - made her a natural fit for the position. 

As a Builder, Jennifer oversees the entire home building process - from the time the home site gets cleared to when the homeowners get the keys. This includes managing all trade partners, including scheduling and quality control, as well as constantly communicating the home’s progress with the homebuyers.

But on a deeper level, Jennifer said her job gives her the opportunity to be part of a significant milestone in a family's life. Because she’s not just building homes, she’s building meaningful relationships along the way. 

Her most memorable experience as a Builder came when she helped build a Grantley, a spacious, single-level floor plan, for a family with a child who had disabilities. Witnessing the family’s excitement throughout the build was incredibly rewarding, especially as the independent living suite came together. 

“It reinforced for me that we don't just build houses, we build homes,” she said. 

Having women working on the tail end of the construction process is beneficial in unique ways too. Jacksonville Customer Care Representative Tierra Whaley said her job allows her to improve the customer’s experience from both an aesthetic and functional standpoint. 

“While men’s biological strengths often lend themselves to the heavy lifting and physical demands of building a home, women’s biological strengths often show up in detail, design and fine-tuning,” Whaley said. “When men and women work together in construction, their complementary strengths can truly create something spectacular.” 

Whaley assists the Production Team by completing Home Quality Inspections and New Home Presentations. She also conducts 90-Day Follow-Ups to further assure homeowners’ satisfaction with their new Drees Home, and she coordinates workdays with trade partners to repair any warrantable concerns. 

Tierra’s manager, Michael Kimberling, said her strong work ethic, reliability and professionalism has a positive impact on the team. 

“Having Tierra as part of Customer Care makes the team better because she brings strong communication skills and a positive attitude that helps create a welcoming environment for both homeowners and teammates. She contributes to team morale, is approachable, and is often someone customers feel comfortable speaking with,” Kimberling said. 

Whaley lives out the Drees Way of always doing the right thing, and this transcends what is expected of her in her 9 to 5. When she was in high school, Whaley struggled to find reliable transportation and vowed that once she had it, she would offer someone a ride whenever she could. This led her to give a Drees homeowner, a recent Florida transplant, a lift to the airport. 

“He was stressed about how he’d get to the Jacksonville International Airport from Middleburg in time for his flight. He shared that with me, and since I live near the airport, I was able to give him a ride after work — a very gratifying moment for me,” Tierra said. 

In her day-to-day, the New Home Presentations are Whaley’s favorite part of the job. 

“Seeing the excitement on homeowners’ faces, hearing about their journey and listening to their plans for making their house a home is unmatched. Then, seeing those plans come to life at the 90-Day Follow-Up is incredibly rewarding. I count myself blessed to play even a small part in that,” she said. 

Mammie Rust, a Customer Care Representative in Northern Kentucky, agrees the 90-Day Follow-Up is one of the best parts of the job. It’s gratifying to walk through a beautiful, finished home and see how each homeowner has put their finishing touches on everything. 

Rust has a non-traditional path into this field of work. She started her Drees career as a Corporate Receptionist. Since she took calls from homeowners, she sought to better understand what a Customer Care Representative does in their role. She didn’t expect to fall in love with the position, but that’s exactly what happened when she shadowed Customer Care Representative John Nabor. 

“I came back into the office and applied the same day,” Rust said. 

As rewarding as the job is, it’s equally as challenging. For Rust, the hardest adjustment has been learning the ins and outs of the construction process. Luckily, the reciprocal relationship she has with her team has allowed her to succeed in Customer Care. 

“I think being inquisitive truly helps to succeed. The more questions I ask, the better I am able to understand the situation and help find a solution. Everyday is new, and I learn things constantly,” she said.

Customer Care Manager Kevin Knochelmann said Rust succeeds in her role because she takes the time to understand what homeowners are experiencing; her personality is empathetic and her work style is professional, and people instantly feel comfortable around her.

“She’s one of those people who naturally lifts the team around her,” Knochelmann said. “She has an extremely positive attitude which always brightens up the room. Mammie jumps in wherever she’s needed, shares what she knows, and helps create a positive, supportive environment. Her attitude sets a strong example and makes our entire team stronger.”

Rust’s success has also come from betting on herself and meeting every task head on. 

“You never know what you might learn, or find what you are great at,” she said. 

And that’s precisely the advice that Foss would give herself as she started her career, as a young woman in the industry.

She would tell herself to speak up sooner, to trust that curiosity and preparation go a long way. To know that you don’t have to have every answer to add value, and that asking good questions is often just as important.

“I’d also say that careers don’t have to follow a perfectly efficient timeline to be successful … I worked toward my architectural license while raising a family, which may not have been the most efficient path, but it was the right one for me and shaped how I lead today. 

“Experience compounds in unexpected ways, and the things that feel like detours often end up being strengths. And finally, don’t wait for permission to take a seat at the table. If you’ve done the work, you’ve earned the chair.”