Women in Construction: Jill Van Auken

Jill Van Auken AIA
Van Auken Akins Architects LLC
Principal
35+ years in the industry

Jill Van Auken AIA is the principal and majority owner of Van Auken Akins Architects LLC, an award-winning architecture, interior design, and construction management firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. With over 35 years of professional experience, Jill has facilitated projects in nearly every sector. Jill was recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners as a Top Ten Business Owner, is a member of Smart Business’ Smart 50 Class of 2019, and was recently regarded as one of Greater Cleveland’s Most Influential Women by Cleveland.com. Jill is a member of the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Air Service Demand Task Force, the former Treasurer of American Institute of Architects Cleveland, a current Cuyahoga County Harvest For Hunger Campaign Cabinet Member, and the former Vice-Chair of Beaumont School’s Board of Directors. 

What brought or attracted you to the construction industry?

My father, Richard A. Van Auken AIA, was an architect whom I admired greatly. I decided early on to follow in his path and ventured out on my own. I was only one of only a few women in my graduating class at Notre Dame’s School of Architecture and, against many odds, I successfully grew our firm from a staff of 1 to an experienced team of 25, with over $8 billion in construction value.

What do you like most about your work?

Working with my amazing team at VAA to create successful projects for hundreds of clients brings me great joy. In each of our projects, we work closely to understand their goals, sustainability standards, and evaluate solutions to reducing long-term operating costs while optimizing the impact the facility will have on its occupants. Our team’s communication with our clients sets the tone for the success of their project and I am very proud of our ability to respond to their needs. 

What advice would you give to other women interested in construction?

I’m a firm believer in finding protection from the glass ceiling and one of the best ways to do that is through support systems that offer professional development and mentorship. There are many valuable groups full of supporting women. Having a dynamic group of industry professionals available helps to elevate the visibility of women in the architecture, engineering and construction field and to share their unique perspectives. 
Progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Sharing experiences and bearing witness to women is critical for closing the gender and pay gap in STEM fields, and professional A/E/C networks have been a great advocate in that regard.

What can be done to attract more women to construction?

We need to get more young women and girls interested in STEM fields and one of the ways to do that is by having representation. Generations have grown up learning that men and women do not have equal accomplishments, which has empowered this idea that men are leaders and women are not.

Having women in leadership positions breaks that cycle of bias and answers the question, “what does a leader look like?” Future generations need to be inundated with examples of successful women leaders; that leadership roles are not defined by gender, but by character. We need to continue to be advocates for women by encouraging education, addressing media biases, creating economic opportunities, and by setting the example of leadership.