Board of Directors

Carissa started her career in the insurance industry in 2003 and is a Senior Account Executive with True & Associates based in Westfield, NJ. She specializes in design and implementation of comprehensive, cost effective insurance and risk management solutions for businesses of all sizes and surety program development.

In addition to being a member of PWCNJ since the chapter’s inception, she is also an active member of the New Jersey Subcontractors Association, the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association and The Girls Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Carissa graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. She resides in Yardley, PA with her two daughters.

Liza Pope has over 22 years of experience in the construction industry, focused on heavy civil sector such as underground utilities, sitework and concrete.

Liza she earned her degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawaii. Throughout her career has served in all facets of construction such as in the role of Project Engineer, Estimator, Project Manager, Director of Operations and Vice President – Estimating. In her current role as Executive Vice President of Preconstruction at HC Constructors, Liza is responsible for project estimating, contract negotiations, and client relations.

​Liza is in involved in several industry organizations such as the Professional Women in Construction – NJ Chapter, Utility and Transportation Contractors Association and the Association Construction Contractors of NJ.  With the PWCNJ, she was instrumental in creating and running the PWCNJ Scholarship program.  Liza is the PWCNJ Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chairperson, and participates in the PWCNJ Mentor Program. She is also the Co-Chairperson of the UTCA Scholarship Committee and participates with the ACCNJ Construction Industry Advancement Program.

Amy Benbrook is a founding Member of the PWCNJ Chapter.  Amy is a partner with CohnReznick and a member of the Firm’s Construction and Commercial Real Estate Industry Practices. With more than 25 years of diversified public accounting experience, she provides audit, review, compilation, consulting, and tax planning services to clients in the construction and real estate industries. Her experience includes breakeven analyses, compensation programs, corporate restructuring, and estate and succession planning.

Ms. Benbrook graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Monmouth University and is an active member of a number of industry associations, including the Utility Transportation and Contractors Association (UTCA), the Associated General Contractors of New Jersey (AGC), and the Surety Association of New Jersey (SANJ). She is a member in good standing with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey State Society of Certified Public Accountants. In 2017, Amy was awarded the PWCNJ Women of Achievement award.

Julia Brown began in the construction industry as a teenager, assisting with clerical tasks at Vericon Construction Company.  More than a decade later in her current role as Business Development and Marketing Manager for Vericon, she is responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships in the private commercial sector in addition to overseeing the marketing department.

Since 2016, Julia has been an active member of the New Jersey Chapter of PWC, assisting the organization’s Marketing and Events Committee over the years.

Julia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from the University of Miami (FL).   She resides in Scotch Plains, NJ with her husband, Ryan, and rescue pup, Jet.

Christine Rufolo, P.E. – Mentorship Co-Chair.  For over 25 years, Christine has been a valued, key member of the Jingoli-DCO Organization.  She started out as an intern during college when Jingoli was under 50 employees and has been integral as the Right-Hand Person to Upper Level Management ever since then.  Her main goal on any project she manages or participates in is to be Forthright, Direct, Hardworking and Exceed Owner’s Expectations.  Her astute Attention to Detail, Jack of all Trades background, and ability to take on any type of project or task makes her a key Go-To Person at the company.  She is also responsible for managing the designs for Jingoli-DCO’s Design/Build projects.

Christine’s well-rounded experiences throughout her career is not matched by her willingness and passion to take the time to share her knowledge with young interns, engineers and managers.  Her most important role in Jingoli-DCO is as Mentor to many.  Christine leveraged this passion for mentorship in creating PWC-NJ’s Mentorship Program.  Through Jingoli-DCO’s Outreach Program, Christine also teaches her own Construction Math curriculum to High School students and young adults in the Boys and Girls Club of Newark and Camden, as well as in other programs to help inspire younger generations towards a career in construction or engineering.

Christine earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Trenton State College, Trenton, New Jersey and is a Licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey.  Christine was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey in 2019 to be the resident Professional Engineer on a legislative NJ Advanced Autonomous Vehicles Task Force.  Christine was a recipient of Forty Under 40 Award for 2013, presented by NJBIZ which selected 40 of the top business men and woman under the age of 40 in New Jersey. Christine will also be receiving the 2020 Women of Achievement Award presented by the Professional Women in Construction-NJ Chapter.

Catherine Bick is a partner and shareholder with Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, PC, a multi-specialty law firm with offices in New Jersey and New York City.  Cathy devotes her practice to complex commercial and business litigation matters.   She is a principal member of the Construction Law & Litigation practice group.  Her practice includes representing and counseling developers, contractors and other members of the construction and real estate communities in strategies and business-minded solutions for dispute resolution, arbitration claims and in litigation.  Cathy’s full range of services includes negotiation of construction contracts, representation relating to construction defect claims, contract and delay claims, payment disputes, transition disputes, liens and pursuit of insurance benefits, as well as the defense of developers and sponsors in litigation brought by community associations.

After graduating from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Lisa spent the first 10 years of her professional career working as an Account Executive throughout New Jersey for the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. During that time, Lisa was the recipient of the Johnson & Johnson Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the company. In 1997, Lisa left the corporate world to pursue the growth and development of H.C. Constructors, Inc., a union civil construction company based in Whitehouse, NJ. For almost 20 years, Lisa has been leading HC Constructors, Inc. as President and Owner. H.C. Constructors, Inc. is a General Contractor specializing in Sitework, Underground Utilities, and Concrete.

In 2017, Lisa was awarded the PWC-NJ Woman of Achievement Award for her contributions to the Construction industry.  In 2018, Lisa was included in the class of Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs by LWE, a networking organization that recognizes outstanding women in business and strives for their overall advancement. In 2019, she was recognized among NJBIZ’s Best 50 Women in Business.  In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the NJPWC, Lisa is a board member for the NJ Chamber of Commerce and the NJBPU Supplier Diversity Development Council as well as an active member of the NJ Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) and the Associated Construction Contractors of NJ (ACCNJ).

Lisa resides in Long Valley NJ with her husband Harry and their four amazing daughters.

Marianna Fleming earned her degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. She works in waterfront structural engineering, primarily completing underwater inspections, reporting, analysis, and design. She is certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and WEDG Associate.

Marianna is involved in several industry organizations such as the Professional Women in Construction – NJ Chapter and The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC).

Anne Marie Almasi started working for John Almasi Trucking Co. at the age of twenty.   She helped the company grow from a material hauling company into a full-service underground utility contractor. Under her leadership, the company expanded their client base to include commercial sites, pharmaceutical companies, oil and gas providers, government and educational institutions, and sports facilities. In 2002, she created her own site work company that provides earthwork, utility installation, electrical and mechanical trenching services, soil remediation, and the trucking of stone, sand, certified fill and clay.  As President and CEO of Almasi Companies, a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), she has achieved great success in generating opportunity for the firm.  In addition to overseeing all financial decisions and negotiating bonding she is active in many aspects of the day-to-day business operations.  Her responsibilities include marketing, customer service, sales, purchasing equipment and supplies, and managing employee relations.

As an advocate for women in a non-traditional workforce, Anne Marie is a Past President and Membership Chair for The Professional Women in Construction – New Jersey Chapter, Board Member and Women’s Leadership Connection chair for the Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce, President for New Jersey Subcontractors Association, past chair of the St. James Pastoral Council, and member of the LWE Advisory Board.  She received the distinguished honor of being named one of the NJBIZ 50 Best Women in Business, Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs and proud recipient of the PWC Women of Achievement Award.

Anne Marie is married to Bill for over 44 years and together are the parents of Maura and William III.  They have three grandchildren, William IV, Avery and Jackson.  Her business mantra is one of, “Built on Integrity” and her personal philosophy is a quote from Aesop, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.

Director of Business Development, Jill Nappi brings 30 years of sales and relationship-building expertise, where she acts as a liaison between the client and Rizco’s internal team and specializes in providing high-touch support. Throughout her print and creative careers, she has maintained close relationships with her client leads and key decision makers which makes her a respected partner when value-added input and solutions are necessary.

While Rizco’s clients are represented by a variety of industries, Jill has managed to grow Rizco’s client base within higher education over the past three years to include Drew University, Rutgers University, The Cooper Union School of Art & Design, and Monmouth University. Additionally, she has also built strong partnerships with several member associations, including the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), New York Podiatric Medical Association, and New Jersey Asphalt Pavement Association. Prior to Rizco, Jill worked for Ricoh, Pearl Pressman, and Capital Printing where she was instrumental in securing a comprehensive book of business with J&J, Bayer, and Otsuka.

As the mother of 4 children, 2 of which are still in college, (and 2 that pursued engineering), she has first-hand knowledge of the college admissions/
recruitment process, course requirements, and the overall collegiate storytelling process which enhances her ability to support collegiate
marketing efforts.  Jill received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Rutgers University.

Anna L Krizin is a senior leader with over twenty-three years within in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry and is Torcon’s Engineering Manager.   “Building meaningful projects that make a fundamental difference” has been a major part of her career, specializing in biotech & pharmaceutical plants, hospitals and healthcare facilities to mention a few.

Anna has been a PWCNJ Mentorship Program committee member for two years and, recently, became the Chairperson for the Mentorship Program.  Anna is also part of Torcon’s Mentorship Program and a NAWIC Princeton, NJ Board Member and Educational Committee Chairperson.

One of Anna’s passions is helping the future generation of women and all persons navigate their way through the industry.   Being a part of PWCNJ has enhanced Anna’s career by introducing her to a plethora of, wonderful, women who are riddled about the construction industry.

Laura is the Vice President and Director of Projects for Almasi Contractors, a multigenerational construction company specializing in site work, utility installation and soil remediation Over the past two decades she has been instrumental in the growth and success of the firm. Her areas of expertise include supervision, estimating, marketing, sales, and training. As an active member of the PWCNJ, Ms. Bianchini has helped the organization to gain professional recognition through her efforts and was instrumental in establishing the chapters scholarship program. Breaking into the world of construction as a young graduate of Rutgers University she has helped pave the way for many women in the field.

In 2016, Laura was named one of Leading Women Intrapreneurs Top 25 in NJ and received the Women of Achievement award from the PWCNJ Chapter. Laura is an active board member the Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation, National Association of Female Executives, National Association of Safety Professionals, and member of several industry organizations.  She is an OSHA Outreach and Hazardous Waste Operations trainer.  Laura also holds the Homeland Security-Terrorism Authorization Certificate.

Ms. Lynn Manzella Decker is a Senior Sales Account Manager with Dewalt Industrial Tool Company. She has worked strategically to develop and maintain partner relationships and grow Dewalt’s New York Metro presence in the Commercial and Industrial construction space and has over two decades fulfilling the needs of clients. She also plays a key role in promoting women’s personal and professional development at Stanley Black and Decker’s Remote Women’s Network. Lynn has been a member of PWC since 2015, served on the marketing committee and now on the Board of Directors as Sponsorship Chair.

Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from The American University, attended Dale Carnegie School for Effective Public Speaking and Human Relations where she was awarded “Most Accomplished Speaker”, a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer, and most recently obtained her Management and Leadership Certificate from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

She resides in Warren County, NJ with her husband Dave and three children.

Linda Corso is a Senior Project Manager for Turner Construction Company. In this role, Linda is the central point of contact for all aspects of work. She is responsible for day-to-day project administration, assuring efficient, timely and complete communication among all project team members while ensuring that contract deliverables and services are performed at or above expectations.

After graduating from Lehigh University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Linda began her career at Turner as an Estimating Assistant. Linda progressed through various field engineering positions until joining the Cost and Scheduling Department in 1998. In less than a year, Linda assumed the position of Senior Cost and Scheduling Engineer and was responsible for overseeing the development of costing information for all New Jersey projects. After her time in the Cost and Scheduling Department, Linda was assigned to a large project as the Curtain Wall Engineer. Linda’s time on this complex, 42-story office tower proved to be a pivotal point in her career and her knowledge and expertise became invaluable over the course of the project as she finished her assignment managing the engineering responsibilities for the entire project, as Project Engineer.

In 2005, Linda joined the Procurement Department as a Procurement Agent and was promoted to Procurement Manager for the New Jersey Office of Turner Construction Company in 2012. Linda continued as Procurement Manager and next assumed the additional responsibilities of the Regional Procurement Manager for the PANJ Region. In 2019, Linda was appointed to her current role as Senior Project Manager.

Linda champions the use of MWBE firms and enforces the commitment to providing a diverse workforce. Linda also supports and promotes women in construction and is involved in the women’s professional group (NJ WEST) in the New Jersey Office and is also a Board Member of the New Jersey Chapter of Professional Women in Construction (PWC). Linda is also a LEED Accredited Professional.

Linda resides in Budd Lake, New Jersey with her husband Gregory and their two children, Marissa (16) and Matthew (11).

For over 14 years, Ms. Jessica Vail has been successful in providing marketing, communications and business development solutions within the construction, engineering and real estate industries. Her passion for marketing and helping others led her to create Vail Marketing Solutions in 2020.  She is a published writer and an active member of many networking organizations and committees.  Ms. Vail holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Marketing from Ramapo College.  She resides in Toms River, NJ with her dog, Stella.