"My dad taught me a lot about carpentry, which he learned from his grandfather," she recalls. "I was always helping him. We’ve built retaining walls, arbors, decks, culverts, you name it. Starting in high school, I started showing interest in the “how” behind these projects. I learned a lot growing up, but it never dawned on me that I could use what I learned in a construction career."
Also, the thought of spending her career indoors, buried in calculations, didn't appeal to her. It wasn't until she interned with Webcor in 2018 at Block 33 (UCSF Valley Center for Vision) that everything changed.
"Before that internship, I didn't think this was even a career path for me," Madison recalls. "After that, I absolutely loved it. I couldn't see myself doing anything else."
Now an assistant superintendent with Webcor Concrete, Madison has made a name for herself in an industry where women remain underrepresented -- especially in concrete. She has worked on projects like Genesis Marina, Oakland Waterfront Parcel J, BDFP Buildings 600 and 610, and concrete estimating. Currently, she's leading site work at UC Santa Barbara in a rotation with the Core and Shell team before transitioning back to concrete this summer when pours begin on the project.
Despite the industry's gender gap, Madison has found unwavering support within Webcor Concrete.
"The division is small enough that everyone knows each other," she says. "I've always felt respected and never questioned because of my gender. I've always had a seat at the table."
That support has helped her grow both personally and professionally. Mentorship has played a crucial role in her development—Madison credits her mentors, Dan Rinaldi and Owen Brizgys, for providing her with opportunities to grow professionally and personally—and she's committed to paying it forward.
"I've mentored someone younger than me and want to ensure the same opportunities are available to future new hires. I saw Cat Joslin make a seat at the table for me, and now I have the opportunity to do it for someone else."
For Madison, the excitement of being a superintendent lies in the daily problem-solving and teamwork that construction demands.
"I love the technical challenges that come up every day and working through solutions with different types of people," she explains. "I try to embrace the mindset that no problem is unsolvable."
One of her proudest problem-solving moments came on the PUC Building 600 project, where she and her team tackled a particularly complex formwork challenge.
"We had to pour a thick beam deck spanning 30 feet, all while avoiding touching the valuable mechanical equipment underneath," she says. "We worked with the formwork designer to build a truss system, did load testing, and figured out exactly how much the deck would deflect. We knew it was safe when we poured, and the equipment below stayed untouched. That was really cool."
Outside of work, Madison finds camaraderie and support through sports. A lifelong athlete, she plays in the San Francisco Australian Rules Football League and has joined a women's rugby team in Santa Barbara.
"Being on women's sports teams has been a huge part of my life," she shares. "It's how I connect with other women. Team sports are really empowering. I'm around so many different professionals in different stages of their lives, and for me, that's the support I look for."
She also enjoys biking, printmaking, and sewing, which are creative outlets that balance the technical rigor of her career.
Madison is on the fast track to becoming a superintendent, and she credits her previous managers—like Pat Haley—with helping shape her approach to leadership.
"Pat was great about checking in and setting aside time for me to ask questions," she says. "He ensured I had exposure to different aspects of the field side job that interest me. He was also the first person to remind me to have self-confidence, and I never forgot that.
Now, she's carrying that forward, embracing new challenges, and setting an example for the next generation of women in construction. As she sees it, there's no limit to what she—and others like her—can achieve in the industry.
"When you see something you helped plan get lifted by a crane and put into place, it's an incredible feeling," she says. "This is where I'm meant to be."
