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There is much talk these days about women in construction. How about a woman who’s name is synonymous with thought leadership in construction?  Iris Tommelein describes herself as a secular humanist. She balks at being called the high priestess but she surely is a Grand Dame of lean construction. She leads, and founded with Glenn Ballard in 2005, the Project Production Systems Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley.  At Berkeley, she has guided, mentored and presided over the PhD journeys of some of the Lean Community’s most well-known academicians and luminaries.  

She was one of four founders of the Lean Construction Institute in 1997. She is among the leaders of the International Group for Lean Construction. The Project Production Institute recently recognized her with their 2022 Technical Achievement Award.  LCI recognized her with their prestigious Pioneer’s Award in 2015. She has been a member of the National Academy of Construction since 2019.  Join Dick Bayer as he spends an hour with the legendary Dr. Tommelein.