For Regine Cooper ’19, “This is just the beginning.”
At 23 years old, she’s learning on the job with Suffolk Construction — and getting noticed in an industry that’s traditionally dominated by white males.
After graduating from Colgate with a political science degree, Cooper returned to her hometown of Fort Myers, Fla., to prepare for her future. She joined Suffolk Construction’s two-year Career Start program at the suggestion of a friend’s father.
Learn more about Cooper:
On Site
“I thought that, no matter if I wanted to stay in construction forever, or if it was a short-term thing, I would be able to apply those skills in whatever job I chose as a career,” she says.
Cooper has found fulfillment in completing large projects from start to finish.
A year into the program, she’s gaining proficiency in many facets of the construction industry. Every eight months, she pivots to a different area of the company, mastering cost estimation, project management, and the role of superintendent. For Cooper, the most satisfying part of the job is seeing the process: “To go from just a site with dirt, to [having] all the buildings up, and [then it’s] rented.”
People are the most important part of the building process, Cooper says. She believes it’s valuable to maintain relationships in her current role, as well as to preserve them for further on in her career. “Not only is Re’ incredibly intelligent, she has the ability to interact with people. All kinds of people,” Pete Tuffo, Suffolk Construction’s southeast regional president, told the News-Press in a recent profile of Cooper. “She’s really beyond her years. You can see what a great, genuine person she is.”
Championing Diversity
According to the National Association of Women in Construction, women make up about 10% of the construction industry in the United States. Cooper is one of them, but as a young Black woman, she’s even more of a minority in the field. “I’ve had to really find confidence in my ability to perform, and I am glad to have a support system at Suffolk that helps me develop my own career,” she says.
At the same time, Cooper has pushed Suffolk to be more inclusive with trade partners and within the team itself. That doesn’t end with hiring more women and people of color — it’s also about offering them support and ensuring they have a positive experience at work. As a member of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Cooper often sparks these conversations, even continuing a dialogue with Suffolk’s CEO. “I don’t want them to be complacent and miss out on so many opportunities to be an even better company than it already is.”
In Her Community
“Any way I can serve my community, enrich my community, I’m all about it,” Cooper says. Outside of work, she uses her educational studies minor, tutoring children in partnership with Valerie’s House, an organization that provides peer support groups and activities for kids grieving a significant loss. Cooper draws on her own experiences to help these children. She had a difficult childhood, living with friends and family members after her grandmother (and primary caregiver) suffered a stroke.
Additionally, Cooper hosts financial literacy events for kids and young adults, and she volunteers in group homes. “It keeps me going to know I’m doing something impactful,” she says.
After only one year back in Fort Myers, Cooper is not only paving the way for her own future, but also for others’.