Alicia Dupies Treads Boldly Where Few Have Gone Before

If you’ve been to Milwaukee, you’ve probably seen, or even been inside, a building Alicia Dupies has helped build. 

After graduating from UW-Madison, Dupies took on her first construction gig: building a school in Kenya as a volunteer. She’s since worked her way up to leadership roles in the male-dominated field – ​​women leaders are rare in construction – including her tenure as director of project development at Mortenson Construction, where she worked with Froedtert on building its Center for Advanced Care.

Now, the mom of three serves as vice president and business leader of Gilbane Building Co.’s Milwaukee office. Currently, she is the project principal on Northwestern Mutual’s North Office Building Modernization, designed to complement the company’s signature tower across the street and better connect workers to Downtown. She also was project principal on the game-changing expansion of the Baird Center, Downtown’s sparkling convention facility. 

Dupies sees working in the construction industry as a concrete way to invest in the city she loves, from improving life for Cream City residents to inspiring more visitors. “It’s much more than the bricks and mortar,” she says. “We get to bring these companies’ vision to life so they can revolutionize their industry and create a fantastic environment for employees.” 

She relishes the commitments to diversity and inclusion that are built into much of her work, expanding opportunities for people to establish long-term careers in the construction field. The Baird Center and Northwestern Mutual projects, she says, have major inclusion goals – and they’ve become some of the most diverse teams she’s worked on, with a high rate of minority- and women-owned trade partners. 

Dupies is also passionate about mentorship. She’s co-founder of TechTerns, a partnership with MPS Bradley Tech High School that introduces students to career opportunities in construction on job sites and through mentorships. “In construction, there’s a clear career path and so much opportunity for growth, and people don’t have to go into debt,” says Dupies. In 2022, she was recognized for her mentorship efforts with an award through the TEMPO Foundation, a local organization advancing women leaders.   

Sometimes Dupies wonders how she ended up in a male-dominated industry – but she says she’s glad she did. “I take it as both a responsibility and a privilege to raise awareness that women can do whatever they want to do.” 

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