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As a white woman and daughter of one of Perlo鈥檚 founders, Elissa Looney recognizes that she has great privilege and understands that with that comes great responsibility. Her involvement in the COBID community ranges from advocacy for women in construction as past president of CREW Portland to membership with the Associated General Contractors Diversity and Inclusion Committee, philanthropic work and internal DEI initiatives.

One of her strategies is to raise awareness of unconscious bias. Looney compiled extensive research and created a DEI presentation for Perlo鈥檚 executives and directors that focuses on unconscious bias and how to recognize them in daily interactions with team members.

Looney started a Women in Construction blog series that interviews Perlo female employees about their experiences working in a predominately white, male industry. She also has pushed for a stronger emphasis on NAWIC鈥檚 Women in Construction Week, reaching out to Perlo鈥檚 male employees to talk about the value women bring to the industry.

At the age of 23, Looney was the only female project manager at Perlo and created its Special Projects Group, a department that surpasses $21 million in annual revenue. She pushed to hire and supervise two more female project managers, and ensured they were getting the same opportunities for growth that she was afforded.

鈥淓lissa took me under her wing as a new project manager with no experience in the construction industry,鈥� said Whitney Peterson. 鈥淗er guidance and mentorship have helped me to grow and excel in this industry. Elissa goes over and beyond to make women feel valued and ensure that their voice is heard.鈥�

Looney is pursuing a more robust COBID subcontractor recruitment program by creating a tracking system, checking for licensing, making sure qualified subcontractors are added to the bid list, and building Perlo鈥檚 mentorship program for COBID companies.