Spivey of Shawmut Design and Construction named a “Woman to Watch”

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Providence, RI Senior superintendent Jessica Spivey of Shawmut Design and Construction was named a “Woman to Watch” as part of Providence Business News’ 2020 Business Women Awards.

A 12-year veteran of the firm, Spivey began her career within Shawmut’s Construction Management Skills Training program, a three-year rotation for recent college graduates, and now, as senior superintendent, works alongside project managers and engineers in the field to implement schedules, manage field staff and operations, and ensure quality control for some of the firm’s most prestigious partners.

“We are proud that Jessica has been recognized for her outstanding leadership, client service excellence, and overall impact on the industry,” said Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president of New England at Shawmut. “She has been a rising star since she joined the firm in 2008, and her extraordinary skillset combined with her commitment to driving the industry forward is inspiring.”

Spivey has worked on some of the most high-profile institutional projects in Shawmut’s New England region, including historic renovations to the Newport Marriott and countless projects at Brown University. 

In fact, as part of Shawmut’s longstanding partnership with the institution, Spivey helped establish a Brown/Shawmut Strategic Sourcing Program with the institution — a multi-year, multi-project collaboration to maximum technical expertise and project execution. Spivey was also nominated to implement innovative project delivery approaches across campus — including design/build and integrated project delivery.

Alongside a talented team, Spivey is currently overseeing project execution at Brown University’s under-construction wellness center and residence hall, which marks the first new building in the university’s housing portfolio in 30 years. Once complete, it will bring together Brown services and programs instrumental to students’ physical and emotional well-being and include a 162-bed residence hall on the upper floors — creating a unique, student-centric community. Additionally, the project is designed to LEED v4 Silver standards, using FitWel and Well certification systems as guidelines for the overall approach, and features an innovative hybrid system of steel framing and cross-laminated timber (CLT), a carbon-negative material that promotes the use of renewable and environmentally sensitive resources.

A graduate of the program herself, Spivey is a regional mentor for the firm’s Construction Management Skills Training, providing Shawmut’s next generation of talent with valuable, real-life experience and guidance. As a trailblazer within the industry, Spivey also sits on Shawmut’s Diversity Leadership Council, supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies across the firm. 

Spivey earned a B.S. in Construction Management from Roger Williams University and a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology. She was also a member and president of the Sigma Lambda Chi CM Honors Society, which recognizes students who are in the top 20th percentile of their class. At Shawmut, she has earned a company-wide safety award and was named the Emerging Leader of the Year by the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts in 2019.