Yvonne Waterman
Director of HR Garney Construction
Yvonne Waterman is the Human Resources Director at Garney Construction, where she oversees recruiting, payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR information systems. She joined Garney in 2019 as an employee-owner, bringing over 25 years of HR consulting experience, particularly in health and welfare programs. Yvonne plays a key leadership role as Co-Chair of Garney’s Advancing People Council, promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She also serves as Vice President of the Women Construction Owners & Executives Kansas City Chapter and is active in NAWIC and SHRM. Based in Kansas City, Yvonne is passionate about mission work and spending time with her family.
Seminars
- Emphasizing talent mobility in construction: how to grow the skills your workforce needs from within, rather than relying on external hires
- Practical approaches to upskilling new or entry-level workers who may not meet traditional experience benchmarks
- Encouraging site and project leaders to adopt a development-first mindset when it comes to talent
- Building structured career pathways with clear role expectations, required competencies, and training plans to support retention and progression
Question & Answer Session Facilitated by the Chair
- What are some effective strategies for gaining buy-in from site leaders to prioritize workforce development?
- How can we create career pathways that balance immediate project needs with long-term employee growth?
- What metrics or indicators best measure the success of upskilling programs in construction?
