A new Canadian branch offers benefits to your organization
By Jill Harris
Engineering, science and construction have historically been male-dominated industries – and while that continues to be true today, change is happening.
The asphalt industry is no exception; men comprise the majority of the workforce, and women working in the industry saw a need to support one another.
Amy Miller, P.E., MBA, is the president of the Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida. In 2017, she discussed the idea of forming Women of Asphalt, a platform to help recruit, educate and promote women in the asphalt community.
“For me, I’ve often found myself being the only woman in the room or the only woman on a team,” said Miller. “I have a great appreciation of working with men but was missing the collaboration and opportunity to bounce ideas and thoughts off of other women.”
Miller connected with a group of ladies who believed the asphalt industry needed an established group to support women. The group hosted a couple of events during World of Asphalt in 2017 – a roundtable and an expo mixer – which sparked a lot of interest.
“We knew we needed to move forward,” said Miller. “[Today,] Women of Asphalt is an established 501c-6 organization that focuses on empowering women in asphalt careers.”
Miller says that the challenges women face in the asphalt industry pivot around working in a male-dominated field.
“Women tend to think differently than men and often have personal responsibilities different than men,” she said. “Women of Asphalt provides support through our ‘Lead and Inspire’ webinar series, mentoring program and through state branches that give women opportunities to create relationships and friendships with other women facing the same challenges.”
Local branches
Miller says the state branches of Women of Asphalt are the organization’s greatest achievement.
“After starting the national organization, we quickly realized we needed [local presence],” said Miller. “At the national level, we bring a host of resources, but we felt people needed face-to-face interaction. The branches provide opportunities for relationship growth and career enhancement, and many of these branches are hosting philanthropic activities to help their communities.”
Currently, there are 22 state branches, representing 26 states, with the organization’s goal being to reach all 50 states. And eyes are on Canada.
Canadian women have been involved in Women of Asphalt since the organization’s inception, and over the years, interest has continued to grow.
Ania Anthony, M.Sc., P.Eng., is the director, Materials and Surfacing for the Ministry of Highways in Saskatchewan. She, too, knows how challenging it can be to be the only woman on a crew, on a project, in a meeting or in an office.
“It’s especially hard when you are new to the industry,” she said. “Even when you’re made to feel welcome, it’s a different dynamic than when there are more women present.”
Anthony met a U.S. colleague during a technical conference in 2022, who, after hearing about her background in asphalt pavements and materials, suggested that she connect with Women of Asphalt.
Anthony reached out to Miller, and with more than 50 Canadian members of Women of Asphalt at the time, the pair agreed it would be beneficial to form an official Canadian chapter.
“As an active and long-time member of the Canadian Technical Asphalt Association [CTAA], I immediately saw the opportunity to partner – with mutual benefits to both organizations – to create a Canadian chapter of Women of Asphalt under the CTAA umbrella,” said Anthony. “After pitching the idea to several CTAA board members – four of whom are women – we put forward a written proposal for the CTAA board’s consideration.”
The board approved the proposal and is currently in the process of finalizing the branch’s structure.
“We are so excited to be starting the Canadian chapter,” said Anthony.
Their first official event took place during the CTAA 2023 conference in Charlottetown, P.E.I., in November 2023.
CTAA plans to hold a Women of Asphalt event annually during CTAA’s conferences.
“CTAA conferences are known for quality technical content and excellent networking opportunities,” said Anthony. “The conferences are held in a different province each year. The 2024 conference is in Edmonton – consider sending your staff and spread the word!”
Women of Asphalt will also host its first “Women of Asphalt Day” in conjunction with the 2024 World of Asphalt event in Nashville, Tenn., which takes place March 25–27.
“It’s getting more and more challenging to attract and retain skilled workers, and competition for good people is high. The trick is not only to hire [women], but to create an environment where women want to come and work, where they feel like they belong, feel valued, want to stay, and can grow and thrive.”
– Ania Anthony, M.Sc., P.Eng., Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways
Benefits to industry
It’s not only women who benefit from groups like Women of Asphalt.
“Supporting women in the Canadian asphalt industry promotes diversity of our workplaces,” said Anthony. “Countless studies confirm that diversity – at all levels, including in senior leadership roles – is good for business.”
She points out that women are an untapped well of capable workers in the asphalt industry.
“It’s getting more and more challenging to attract and retain skilled workers, and competition for good people is high,” said Anthony. “The trick is not only to hire [women], but to create an environment where women want to come and work, where they feel like they belong, feel valued, want to stay, and can grow and thrive.”
Miller agrees, adding that Women of Asphalt aims not only to increase the workforce, but also to improve it.
“We network and create stronger relationships between people and companies, and we provide resources that enhance the industry’s employees through career and personal growth,” she said.
“Knowing you are not alone, sharing interests and ideas, mentoring and learning from each other – these are all important supports to help women stay and thrive in the asphalt industry,” said Anthony.
“I have a great appreciation of working with men but was missing the collaboration and opportunity to bounce ideas and thoughts off of other women.”
– Amy Miller, P.E., MBA
Get involved
Women of Asphalt does not charge for membership – to join, simply visit
womenofasphalt.org and click “Join Now!” Membership is open to women as well as men.
“Our model is different than other organizations,” said Miller. “We have generous partners who provide funding to support our efforts, allowing us to extend membership to more than 3,000 people. We’re so appreciative of the financial support offered by our partners – we couldn’t exist without them.”
Anthony agrees, adding that the Canadian branch will need support.
“We want to provide opportunities for interaction between our Canadian members, in person and online, and are already planning our activities for 2024 and beyond,” she said. “We welcome industry support and participation, and in fact, without it, I cannot imagine a successful and thriving branch.”
Anthony says that the biggest form of support is to promote the organization internally within the workplace, and to support women and allies who want to become members and participate in Women of Asphalt activities.
Miller also asks for current and future Women of Asphalt members to consider committee participation.
“We will be sending out a solicitation to our members asking for assistance in some of our committees,” she said. “The participation will be solely through online meetings. We would love to have some of our Canadian members participate. This will give us the opportunity to get help and input from our members and offer them the chance to meet other women. Keep your eyes open!”