Campus facilities lead shows the impact of women in construction management

When facing Minnesota State University Moorhead’s campus gates, the striking red university logo adorns the new Christianson Alumni Center. Turn the corner on 6th Avenue and you’ll see progress on Weld Hall’s welcoming new entrance. Less visible is the person behind the development of these impressive spaces.

MSUM’s executive director of Facilities Management, Brenda Norris, has brought contemporary beauty, functionality and grandeur to campus structures for over 20 years, helping to overhaul 10 major facilities.

After earning a construction management degree , Fargo-Moorhead native Norris worked for a construction management company in the Twin Cities. While with them, she volunteered to manage the construction of MSUM’s Langseth Hall in 2002. Norris then served as the owner’s representative for the renovation of the university’s Hagen Hall, MacLean Hall, Kise, Lommen Hall, Livingston Lord Library and Comstock Memorial Union. She also guided the construction of the Russell and Anne Gerdin Wellness Center.

BS in Construction Management

While immersed in projects at MSUM, Norris also managed construction projects at M State, the University of North Dakota, and Alexandria Technical & Community College.

Norris became the university’s interim facilities plant manager in 2018 and assumed the permanent role of executive director in 2019.

In an industry where only one in 10 construction managers are women (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), Norris collaborates with three other women on the renovations of MSUM facilities. Design meetings involve Norris, Margaret Follingstad, principals/owner of YHR Partners Architects, Roxane Nelson, principal at HGA, and Terri Olson, design and construction program manager for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The four-woman team is currently immersed in transforming the oldest building on campus.

Weld Hall, last renovated more than 50 years ago, will see a striking transformation on the north side of the building to include a large metal marquee and double-door entrance. It will create a visually welcoming environment that lets in more light and is universally accessible to all.

Weld Hall’s updated Glasrud Auditorium and restored grand balcony will be available for Moorhead town hall meetings, community and performing arts events, and conferences. Innovative, flexible classrooms and collaborative learning spaces will allow for hybrid teaching. Some aspects of the building will be restored to its original splendor, while the latest technology will equip the space for a 21st-century education. 

Norris can’t wait to glimpse the transformation of this foundational part of campus. “I love seeing the before and after of projects like this, knowing you had a hand in making it better,” she says. “It’s a tangible thing that was completed and done well, inspiring you to move on to the next thing.”

Norris’ passion inspires Follingstad; they have worked together on higher education projects for most of their careers.

“Brenda is well-organized, insightful and a pleasure to work with because she can bring diverse groups together to focus on a goal. Brenda allows all voices to be heard,” she says.

Follingstad says that though architecture has traditionally been a male-dominated occupation, more and more women have entered the field over the years. “Our firm of 16 is currently comprised of 50 percent women,” she says.

Norris agrees that there are many opportunities for women in this profession: “Seeing women in both management and educational positions should encourage other women to join the industry.”

The MSUM Foundation's Christianson Alumni Center now rents space for local companies and organizations to host events. Having been so involved in the development of this building, Norris is excited about how the university is connecting with what’s going on in the community.  

Reflecting on her own involvement in both campus and city infrastructure, she encourages women to keep joining the construction field.

“Women can offer fresh perspectives and improved teamwork on community construction projects,” she says.