Pahiatua resident Jordan Taylor is a finalist in the National Association of Women in Construction excellence awards.
By Leanne Warr
When Jordan Taylor first joined Tararua Alliance, she more or less had a “baptism by fire”.
Her first day was the day before Cyclone Gabrielle struck the east coast of the North Island, bringing with it extensive flooding and devastating impacts.
Now Jordan has been chosen as a finalist in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Excellence Awards.
She was nominated in the category Rising Star – Office.
An asset manager at Tararua Alliance, Jordan is responsible for managing data about road network assets as well as long-term planning for the Tararua District’s roads and bridges.
A spokesperson from Tararua Alliance says the data Jordan’s team captures goes into an asset database that is used by New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi to assess funding applications.
“Asset management is closely tied to financial decision-making for local government. Having the right asset data helps the [Tararua District] Council calculate depreciation on roading assets and smooth the impact on rates.”
Jordan, who lives on a lifestyle block in Pahīatua, says the nomination was done as part of awards entries Tararua Alliance has been looking into this year.
“It’s more to show the district, and then nationally, what we’re about and what we’re good at.”
The NAWIC started in the United States several decades ago to give women a voice in what was seen to be male-oriented roles and there are now chapters all over the world.
Jordan says the awards are for women who work in the construction or infrastructure industry to showcase all that they do to “keep putting it out there and support other women, let other women know that there’s a place for you”.
There are several categories in the awards including truck or grader drivers through to business support.
Jordan says she “found her way” into engineering.
“I was just following things I was interested in doing.”
Originally studying for a Bachelor of Science in genetics and microbiology, it’s about as far from roading as one can get.
But she says in science she has to do experiments, see if there’s a problem and how she might fix it or test it and that same kind of thinking works just as well in her role as an asset manager.
Jordan initially worked at Massey University as a technician for six years.
“The academics were always joking about ‘technician brain’,” she says.
She feels she has always been like a technician, learning how to problem-solve.
“Putting all the pieces together – that sort of thinking.”
Jordan says when she was doing her science degree, the next logical step was to go on to Masters or PhD.
“I sort of realised I didn’t want to necessarily figure out all these small details.”
She says the longer she worked at the university, the more she realised she enjoyed helping students.
But when an opportunity arose to work for Horizons Regional Council she realised it would fulfill her desire to solve problems.
“I want to make things better for my community. Being able to use those skills I had learnt, that I liked to use, I could actually do something for my community.”
Jordan grew up in Southland. She finds Pahīatua very similar to where she grew up, with the wide streets and farming community.
The awards night is on July 19.
The 25th of November is marked as White Ribbon Day around the world.