Jennifer Pinck started her career from the ground up – literally.
In the late 1970s, after studying classics at UMass Amherst, she broke into the male-dominated construction industry as a commercial painter. After landing a job as a field engineer for George B.H. Macomber Co., she did “line and grade” work on 40 floors of the Devonshire Apartments in Boston, the tallest cast-in-place building in New England.
In 1986, after Pinck acquired her Boston ABC building license – the first woman to do so – she was promoted to construction superintendent.
There was little attempt at the time to disguise male animosity toward the few women working in construction.
“It was brutal,” Pinck recalled. “On many occasions, I was totally ostracized.”
But Pinck was determined to learn as much about the industry as she could and gain on-the-job experience.
“I had two things – thick skin and round shoulders. I just let it roll off,” she said.
Pinck also had a “good role model,” she said. Her mother, Joan Pinck, had a successful career as an educator, assistant secretary of education for Gov. Michael Dukakis and healthcare consultant.
In 1988, after earning an MBA from Simmons College, Pinck went to work for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority on the Boston Harbor project. The experience not only honed her professional project management skills, Pinck said, but also gave her a first-hand view of the economic effects of infrastructure investments, especially those with environmental benefits.
In 1992, Pinck was named mitigation manager for the Big Dig, managing the interface between the impacted communities and the project.
A Firm Of Her Own
Pinck managed the interface between the impacted communities and the project. With a staff of 23 urban planners, architects, and community liaisons, she designed and implemented programs to take into account city and neighborhood concerns. She worked closely with the Artery Business Committee on major initiatives, including emergency planning related to the downtown utility relocation effort.
In 1998, Pinck founded her own firm, Pinck & Co. The 13-employee company focuses on owner/project management, overseeing all aspects of commercial construction – from planning and design to construction and regulatory relations.
With an emphasis on the nonprofit, institutional and public sector, Roxbury-based Pinck & Co. has managed projects for some of the region’s premier organizations, including: City Year’s headquarters and Boston office; Third Sector New England’s Nonprofit Center; National Consumer Law Center’s offices; Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital’s Needham campus expansion; The Fay School’s master plan implementation; and Boston Collegiate Charter School’s new middle school.
In addition, the firm has been project manager for thousands of affordable housing units for numerous local, nonprofit developers.
A pioneer in sustainable development, Pinck & Co. is currently engaged in the $115 million redevelopment of the Castle Square apartments in Boston’s South End. A partnership between resident-owners and Winn Development, the project will reduce energy usage by 72 percent.
Emilie Marks, Pinck & Co.’s head of business development and marketing, described Pinck as “multidimensional,” citing her ability to combine her professional experience with a personal approach to solving problems.
“Jennifer has an uncanny capacity to very quickly understand the issues – and then come up with a solution that is ‘win-win,’” Marks said.
Pinck is a committed contributor to numerous civic and philanthropic endeavors, and a frequent speaker and mentor at local schools and universities.
“You will not find a greater unsung hero who has worked as smart, as long and as tirelessly to not only build better buildings, but also to create healthy communities and a better environment for all,” Marks said.
