Leadership
WCOE is focused on helping our members' businesses grow and prosper. Dedicated to creating a level playing field for women-owned firms in the construction industry, WCOE is proud to represent large and small woman-owned firms as well as executive women in policy making positions with some of the largest corporations in the country.
WCOE has a prestigious reputation on Capitol Hill and use that influence to advocate for issues important to women who have entered the construction industry. Whether it is equal access to federal contracting opportunities, opposition to onerous federal regulatory burdens, support for expanding access to business financing, or participation in Congressional hearings, WCOE represents our members' business interests.
2024 WCOE Officers
Elisabeth DeCoursey (President)
President
Kansas City Testing and Engineering, LLC
Elisabeth DeCoursey is the managing member and president of Kansas City Testing and Engineering LLC. This D/WBE-certified firm specializes in civil and geotechnical engineering, drilling, construction materials testing and inspection, and environmental consulting. Founded in 1894, KC Testing has a long tradition of expert problemsolving, excellent communication, and quality service.
Under DeCoursey's leadership, the company has tripled in size and contributed to multiple iconic development projects throughout the region. KC Testing has Engineers licensed in KS, MO, IA, NE, and IL. In addition to her work with WCOE, Elisabeth is a leader in Kansas City for fairness in construction and small businesses.
Deborah Bradley (President-Elect)
Founder & CEO
Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services, Inc. (DBC)
Deborah Bradley is the founder and CEO of Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services, Inc. (DBC), celebrating 30 years as a 100% woman-owned and operated business. DBC is a full-service general contractor, electrical contractor, and construction management consulting firm specializing in site and civil contracting, electrical power, and building interiors in the New York/Tri-State region.
A former president of the Women Builders Council, Inc. Very active in the New York region, Bradley is a member of the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors and serves on the NYC Department of Design & Construction Diversity Board and the NYC School Construction Authority Diversity Advisory Board. Bradley is dedicated to mentoring young women entering the construction industry and helping small M/WBE firms grow and prosper and is also a mentor in the NYC Small Business Services Mentor Program.
Lynette Thompson (Secretary)
Senior Risk Manager
Gresham Smith
Lynette works for Gresham Smith in their Risk Management Corporate Services Group. She assists the team in contract reviews, insurance placements, claims management and risk mitigations practices for the firm. She brings a wealth of knowledge from her years as a Risk Manager and Insurance Broker to internal and external clients.
She has spent half of her career in Risk Manager in the Engineering and Construction industry and the other years as an Insurance Broker. Lynette's experience is not solely for work within the United States but includes working with companies that were operating in various countries around the world. She has 30+ years of knowledge and experience in the construction industry.
Ines Rivas-Hutchins (Treasurer)
President & Owner
Intec Group, LLC
Ines Rivas-Hutchins is the president and owner of INTEC Group, LLC., a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), HUBZone, and an 8(a)-program participant in Kentucky. Rivas-Hutchins founded INTEC Group in 2014, determined to apply the leadership and project management skills instilled by her mentors throughout her construction career. Since then, Rivas-Hutchins and her team have successfully managed over $500 million in federal projects nationwide.
In 2020, the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce recognized her as Entrepreneur of the Year. She was recently nominated for the SBA Kentucky Small Businessperson of the Year Award in 2022 and just awarded the SBA Kentucky Small Businessperson of the Year for 2024. Rivas- Hutchins serves on the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority board, the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, and Sprocket, a nonprofit digital economic development organization focused on entrepreneurship in West Kentucky.
Lorraine D'Angelo (Past President)
President
LDA Compliance Consulting, Inc.
Lorraine D'Angelo is the President of LDA Compliance Consulting (LDACC) Inc., which promotes principled contracting in the construction industry and provides consulting services on all aspects of contractor compliance, monitoring, and reporting. D'Angelo is a leading expert on issues, programs, and policy implementation related to SBE, M/WBE, and DBE and frequently lectures and conducts training on regulatory and ethics compliance best practices.
D'Angelo is an accredited ethics and compliance professional with over 30 years of experience in commercial and construction law litigation. In 2022, she was elected national president of WCOE and is widely recognized as a dynamic, forwardlooking executive and thought leader on ethics and compliance issues facing the construction industry. She serves as the Senior Policy Advisor for Women Builders Council, a New York-based trade association.
Dana S. Thompson (Sr. Legislative Advisor)
Women Construction Owners and Executives
Dana Thompson serves as the Federal Government Relations Representative for Women Construction Owners and Executives. Thompson represented the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) on Capitol Hill and in a variety of construction industry coalitions for over 30 years, winning an award for her work on multiemployer pension policy from the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans.
She was inducted into SMACNA's College of Fellows in recognition of service to the industry. Her background includes working for moderate Republican Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and in the Governmental Affairs Department for the American Institute of Architects. Thompson is a native of the Great State of Texas but talks pretty fast for a Texan. She and her husband of 47 years reside in Maryland, are active in local community activities and have two adult daughters.