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Michelle Hardy had zero experience in construction when she first entered the doors of Turner Industries some 13 years ago. Today, she’s on track to become the first female chair of Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pelican Chapter, which boasts the largest compilation of industrial contractors in the state.
Initially hired as a one-person team to run Turner’s United Way campaign, Hardy is now a vice president overseeing a team of eight employees across 20 states that also manages the contractor’s internship program, sustainability and diversity initiatives, and disaster response efforts.
“We’re kind of a catch-all team,” she says. “When someone needs something and they don’t know where to go, they come to us first. I always tell people that we’re the customer service of Turner.”
Hardy’s rapid rise can be chalked up to a leadership style grounded in “continuous learning, curiosity and kindness,” in addition to a solid work ethic influenced at an early age by her mother and grandmother.
“My mother began her career as a receptionist in an ophthalmology clinic and finished as a CEO of a large medical practice and ambulatory surgery center,” she says. “Just watching her succeed instilled a deep appreciation for the value of perseverance.”
In equal measure, Hardy’s grandmother shared her own life lessons. “As a cafeteria worker, she was always smiling and was so kind that it showed me that it doesn’t matter what you do … you do your job to the best of your ability.”
Hardy says success in life boils down to attitude. In that vein, she has never considered being a woman in the industrial sector a challenge. “The one thing I’ve learned, especially in heavy industrial construction, is that a lot of what we achieve in our career is based on merit,” she says. “It has nothing to do with gender.”
So, it was no different when ABC’s Pelican Chapter offered Hardy a seat as “the only woman at the table.” In January 2026, she’ll officially become chair and begin overseeing the chapter’s strategic goals. “It has never been about being a woman or a man,” she adds. “It’s about proving that I have the values and skill sets to be someone respected at the table.”
Not surprisingly, Hardy has developed a passion for mentoring both women and men about the vast number of opportunities in the industrial construction space, a task made increasingly important by a persistent labor shortage.
She currently chairs ABC’s Women in Construction Committee, which spreads the word about job opportunities, and last fall participated on a speakers’ panel during the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance’s inaugural Women in Industry Forum in Gonzales.
She also journeyed to Galveston, Texas, in April to attend a similar event sponsored by Galveston College.
“I’m constantly out doing that … that’s part of my job and I love it,” Hardy says. “I don’t think women are aware of the opportunities in this industry. Sometimes I feel I have to jump up and down and wave my arms to get their attention.”
These days, you’re likely to find Hardy at Turner jobsites in Pittsburgh; St. Paul, Minnesota; Salt Lake City or a host of other locations. “You name it, and I go there,” she adds. “If you want to get to know Turner, you have to go out in the field. Those men and women, working day in and day out, that’s who we are.”
Hardy is easy to spot, because she’s the only Turner employee wearing flame-resistant clothing with pearls.
“My grandmother would always wear pearls,” she says, “and the one thing I’ve learned is that when you go out into the field you must be exactly who you are. If you pretend to be something you’re not, they’ll eat you up and spit you out.”
