September 30, 2025

Lauren Sugerman Retires After Four Decades Building the Tradeswomen Movement

Lauren Sugerman (photo credit: Mariah Karson)

Chicago Women in Trades co-founder and longtime advocate steps down as strategic advisor

Lauren began her career in the trades as an elevator mechanic with Westinghouse Elevator Company, working in the Chicago area as a member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. As one of the very few women working in the trades, Lauren sought connection with other tradeswomen. Together, they founded Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) in 1981 to fight for equitable access and fair treatment for women in these high-wage careers.

In 1986, Lauren became CWIT’s first executive director, expanding it from an all-volunteer group of advocates to a multi-program institution that offers women the training and support they need to succeed in the construction workforce, while leading the charge for change in policies and practices that have historically limited women’s participation in these fields.

Her leadership, mentorship and dogged advocacy had a profound impact on the growth of the tradeswomen’s movement both locally and nationally. She organized national conferences, published ground-breaking research, co-founded a national tradeswomen’s organization, won federal, state, and city legislation, fought for safer working conditions for women, trained hundreds of industry stakeholders, and founded CWIT’s National Center for Women’s Equity in Apprenticeship and Employment, now known as the Equity Resource Center. In addition to her achievements in opening doors for women in nontraditional occupations, Lauren’s legacy is in the very fabric of Chicago Women in Trades. After 45 years, CWIT remains a tradeswoman-led organization, with its community as its most important and defining asset.

Most recently, Lauren served as a strategic advisor to CWIT, continuing to share the vision, perseverance, and commitment that have defined her work throughout the years. Earlier this year, Lauren contributed a powerful response to the rollback of Executive Order 11246, drawing on decades of experience to articulate what’s at stake when we abandon commitments to equity in the trades. Her voice remains essential to these conversations.

We’re excited to see what Lauren builds in her next chapter. The movement she helped launch continues, strengthened by the foundation she has laid for Chicago Women in Trades and the tradeswomen’s movement.