The Momentum of a Movement

Women of Asphalt Texas leaders empower members beyond the state’s borders

By Cathleen Draper

Growing up, few women have been pointed toward the asphalt industry. There was no “roller operator” or “plant manager” Barbie doll. Paving and construction have long been seen as fields for boys. Girls grow into women who have been steered into other careers. When they enter college or search for their first job, asphalt industry roles as materials scientists or quality control technicians or truck drivers are far from their radar.

That’s exactly what Women of Asphalt is hoping to change.

“A big part of Women of Asphalt is attracting talent in the industry,” said Brittyn Heisler, the national organization’s first full-time executive director. And once people enter the industry, Women of Asphalt’s purpose is to help them continue growing through mentorship, education, professional development, and community.

“Women of Asphalt was built on creating community and helping women feel like they belonged in this industry,” Heisler said. “Those connections will always be at the heart of who we are. As we’ve grown and listened to our national partners and members, we’ve recognized an opportunity to invest even more in leadership development, technical education, and workforce development so our members can continue growing throughout their careers.”

The National Women of Asphalt x Astec Leadership Summit is one example of how the organization is investing in the future of the industry’s workforce. The two-day seminar, now entering its fourth year, provides professional development opportunities to women in the industry and offers a chance for them—whether they’re in the lab, the field, or the office—to learn from CEOs, presidents, and women leaders who have paved the path they now walk.

In its first two years, the event was intentionally capped at 50 attendees as Women of Asphalt and Astec built the program. For 2026, Astec expanded capacity to 100 participants. Every seat was filled.

“When Astec suggested expanding to 100 attendees, we knew it was ambitious,” Heisler said. “Seeing every seat filled this year was a testament to our members’ desire to learn, grow, and invest in their careers. It reinforced just how important opportunities like this are for our members.”

This year, the Women of Asphalt Texas branch offered a scholarship to attend the event, held at the Astec headquarters in Chattanooga, Tenn. It started as a way for the Texas branch to nurture its members while simultaneously supporting the organization’s national initiatives. Three Texas members were awarded the scholarship in 2026: Julia Santana of CRH Americas Materials, Inc., Enjuli Garakani of Austin Bridge & Road, and Lisa Stott of Texas Materials.

“We are constantly looking for how we can give back to the members and also how we can bring more women into the industry and of course, become members of Women of Asphalt,” said Angie Hogan, the 2026 Women of Asphalt Texas chairwoman.

The program is a testament to the branch’s efforts to cultivate its membership, as is Hogan herself. For 22 years, she worked as an educator before embarking on a new career at McCourt Equipment, Inc., in 2023. She immediately joined the Texas Women of Asphalt branch, and after just two meetings, she was asked to lead the Mentorship and Education Steering Committee.

“We were like, look, you might have just gotten here, but we’re going to make sure that you’re coming into this industry full force, and she’s been an exceptional leader,” said Jennifer Long, business operations manager at CSA Materials, Inc., and past chair of the Texas branch. “We knew that she would be.”

Long attended the 2026 leadership summit and shared her wisdom with attendees. The Texas branch is the largest chapter of Women of Asphalt, and the organization’s leaders asked for a Texas representative to speak at the event about the branch’s growth. A nine-year industry veteran and long-time advocate for spotlighting women presently working in asphalt, Long readily agreed. Then they asked her to speak on a different topic: self-worth.

“I have participated in several technical presentations, attended schools and college campuses, really any kind of educational program for students,” Long said. “We’ve led networking events, held seminars, hosted many leadership initiatives within our own branch. But as far as an open and vulnerable presentation on my own self reflection… in front of people, I have never done anything like that before.”

The success stories of presidents, CEOs, board leaders, and others are inspiring to Long. “We all know the road to get there is tough. But to really emphasize and drill down into some of the harder obstacles that we’ve had to overcome in life—the unforeseen, the uncontrollable—it’s difficult to openly discuss times of struggle and hardship. Our lowest points are often our most characterdefining moments, and those reflections are very real and emotional. Not everyone is comfortable being uncomfortable enough to have those conversations, but they are so important for our growth.”

Long stepped onto the stage and opened herself up to the audience. The reaction she received is one she underestimated. As the first speaker, her speech allowed others to tap into their own vulnerabilities.

“Everyone that stood on that stage dug a little bit deeper into the parts of themselves that they really struggle with,” Long said. “Not just setbacks in our careers, but times when we let ourselves down, when we didn’t feel our best and stopped prioritizing our personal health. Every speaker that followed allowed themselves to share, laugh, cry, and recognize the importance of mental health, self-care, and support. It was justso raw and real.”

It made her, and others, feel less alone. Long’s experiences especially resonated with younger women in attendance just starting to build their careers in the industry. One approached Jennifer after she left the stage.

“She came right up to me after the presentation, almost with tears in her eyes, and asked me how to handle a situation with someone who makes her question her self-worth.”

Since the summit, Long has spoken with her. Just one, small comment about a job not working out and having to transition into a new role opened the door for the woman to seek support.

“She knew exactly what I was talking about, and why. Building those relationships and feeling comfortable enough to try to help somebody out of a situation, too, you have no idea the power and influence that you have by doing that. It really was an emotional experience.”

Her speech laid the groundwork for open, heartfelt conversations about the importance of self-care, mental health, and knowing one’s own value. Workshops, activities, a plant tour, and networking unified attendees from all sides of the industry and across the country.

“I really think that everybody in this industry should experience it, because I’ve never been to anything in nine years that even came close to that event,” Long said. “It wasn’t all just sitting there crying, but at the same time, you feel so passionate and so strong, and you really see the strength that has come with people.”

Following the summit, Heisler has spoken with Astec and Women of Asphalt leaders who, across the board, remarked about the power of this year’s event and Long’s speech.

“Her authenticity and leadership truly shone through,” Heisler said. “She was willing to share the challenges she’d faced and how those experiences shaped her into the leader, professional, and mother she is today. That vulnerability resonated with so many members.”

Bringing together 100 women in a male-dominated industry was special in and of itself, too. To see these women—from different states and different sectors—share experiences and build camaraderie and community meant more than Heisler could put into words.

Heisler, Hogan, and Long hope to continue to build on the momentum next year. At TXAPA’s 51st Annual Meeting, September 14–17, Hogan plans to share more about the scholarship.

“That is when we aim to capture the attention of team leaders and decision makers, so they can go back to their companies and [women team members] and say, ‘why don’t you apply for the scholarship?’” she said.

When the Texas branch launched five years ago, its founders never thought they would get to the point they are at now: the largest and most active chapter of Women of Asphalt.

“We wanted to be, and that was one of our goals from the beginning, but we just didn’t think we would get there so soon,” Long said.

“The Texas branch is outstanding,” Heisler said. “The leadership from the top down, from TXAPA to these leaders, everything that they do, it’s a testament to why they’re the most active branch. They walk the walk, and I just really appreciate the collaboration and partnership between National Women of Asphalt, Women of Asphalt Texas branch, and then TXAPA.

“The success of the scholarship, the success of the event, of national is only as strong as our community, and we’re very blessed that we have the community of Angie, Jennifer, [and other leaders.] We see it, we acknowledge it, and we’re so thankful for what they do.”