Speakers

Peggy Newquist is the Learning & Development Director VP for Clune Construction, a Chicago based General Contractor. She is also the Principal of Constructing Opportunity, LLC a talent development firm focused on the AEC industries.

Prior to founding her company, Peggy held the position of Construction Planning Lead for The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. She has the distinction of being the first woman engineer hired by Walsh Construction Company and the first woman project manager to be hired by Matocha Associates.

Before joining the Federal Reserve Bank in September 2014 Peggy had a 20+ year career with McDonald’s Corporation. She began in 1992 as a Construction Project Manager and was promoted over the years eventually becoming the Sr. Director, Worldwide Training, Construction and Strategic Sourcing.                                                                                       While at McDonald’s Peggy is most proud of creating the Development Leadership Program, which was designed to accelerate the careers of high potential development staff through a year- long program of workshops and business case assignments. She is a 2011 graduate of the prestigious LAMP (Leadership at McDonald’s Program) program. Peggy is the recipient of the McDonald’s Women’s Leadership Award and the Directors Award of Excellence.

Peggy is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Construction Engineering and Management. She also holds a master’s degree in Construction Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Peggy has been a member of NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) for more than 25 years and was awarded their Woman of the Year award in 1998. She is the past NAWIC national Professional Education and Development Chair and has served as a Trustee and the Secretary for the NAWIC Education Foundation. She sits on the Purdue University Construction Engineering School Industry Advisory Board and leads a mentoring program for women students in the PU Construction Engineering program.

Peggy’s speaking engagements on Gender Diversity, Negotiation and Building Professional Alliances have included: BD&C Women in Design & Construction, Purdue University Construction Council, CFMA Annual Convention, NAWIC Midwest Regional Forum and NAWIC Annual Conference. She has also been published in Commercial Construction and Renovation magazine, Chicagoland AGC Blueprint and the NAWIC Image.