ATHENA Finalist: Lorraine Bergman, Caliente Construction

Lorraine Bergman is proud of running one of only three women-owned general contractors in Phoenix, but doesn’t want to stay in that select group forever. The president and CEO of Caliente Construction in Mesa strives to change how women are perceived and treated in the male-dominated construction industry so others may soon join her.

Bergman proved her business mettle when Caliente, which she and her husband Tom founded in 1991, struggled after his death in 2005. She led it back from the brink to its standing today as one of the top 50 privately-held firms in Arizona and a growing, award-winning enterprise.

“While we did grieve, we also bonded and it created a stronger family,” Bergman recalls. “That challenge established a passion that drove us to prove we were going to be successful and thrive.”

Bergman helped develop the plan for a mentorship and scholarship program at Arizona
State University through the Advancing Women in Construction organization, mentors women inside and outside her company and serves as a role model for women entrepreneurs. She also supports causes like the Sojourner Center, the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, the American Cancer Society and many others.