Celebrating Women in STEM: A Glimpse into the Lives of CS Engineers

The percentage of women in all STEM occupations has been steadily increasing for decades. However, women still remain underrepresented in STEM careers, making up 48% of the total U.S. workforce but only 34% of the STEM workforce¹. The greatest disparities can actually be seen in the engineering field, which historically has the lowest percentage of women employed of any STEM profession. In 1980, women made up about 5% of the architecture and engineering workforce. As of 2022, that number has only increased to 16.1%².

One of the largest barriers for women in engineering is the lack of representation. With limited role models to look up to in the field, many young women are discouraged from seeking out education or career opportunities.

At Chastain-Skillman, we’re proud to have strong female role models on our team of experienced engineers. Lisa Lassi, PE, and Jennifer Schroyer, EI are just two of the talented women working at CS, both based in our Lakeland office.

Lisa, a Senior Engineer in our Water/Wastewater department, first started working at Chastain-Skillman in 1979. She has since been involved in the development of countless communities— providing permitting services and specifications, as well as water/wastewater and construction engineering services for projects across the state of Florida.

Lisa has both contributed to and managed the design of wastewater treatment facilities, lift station improvements, pump stations, sanitary sewer rehabilitation, and more. She has assisted clients with the preparation of plans and manuals for projects, and provided construction management assistance for wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, force mains, water main construction, and sports complexes.

Lisa also spent a large portion of her career deeply involved with Girls Incorporated of Lakeland (Girls Inc.), a program dedicated to empowering girls in West Polk County to reach their full potential. She was encouraged to join the organization by Kay Fields, the now President & CEO of Girls Inc. Lakeland, in the early 90s at a Leadership Lakeland Class. Lisa went on to serve on the organization’s Board several different times— accumulating over 20 years in various roles, including chairperson, secretary, co-chairperson, and member of the She Knows luncheon committee. Although she officially left the Girls Inc. Lakeland Board a few years ago, Lisa is still a big supporter of the organization and their goals.

Jennifer is an Engineer IV in our Civil Engineering department, specializing specifically in design engineering for land development and water resources. She began her career shortly after graduating from Florida State University with her BSCE in 2010 and will be celebrating her 7th year at Chastain-Skillman this May.

As a design engineer, Jennifer is responsible for the compliance and permitting of many projects. She acts as a key collaborator in the design-concept, planning, permitting, detailed design, and record drawing for commercial development— as well as a contributing designer for residential development. Jennifer also works closely with many municipalities, consultants, clients, and companies to facilitate the design process of projects. In addition to her design skills, she specializes in conducting handwritten and computer calculations for water utilities and preparing permitting application packages necessary for development.

Jennifer is a strong proponent of increasing female representation in STEM. This year, she is slated to join the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Women in STEM Panel at the organization’s annual STEMapalooza, where she’ll share her insights and advice as a woman in engineering with eager young girls who may one day follow in her footsteps.

Learn about Jennifer and Lisa’s stories and experiences as women in engineering in our new featurette created in collaboration with The Collection Media LLC (link above).

CS is a leading engineering firm headquartered in Lakeland, FL, with satellite offices in Orlando, FL, and Nashville, TN. Established in Lakeland in 1950, our company provides Civil Engineering, Water/Wastewater Engineering, Land Surveying, Geology/Hydrogeology, and Construction Management/Inspection services.

At CS, we treasure our role in creating thriving communities, always respecting the impact our work has on their foundations and their futures. For more information, visit chastainskillman.com.