Hartford Business Journal

Women In Business | March 22, 2021 | Hartford Business Journal 7 R ebecca Hopkins is a project architect and the manager of emerging technology for Tecton Architects, a Hartford-based architecture and interior design firm. Hopkins believes that architecture is a continuous dialogue between the user and the built environment, in which design challenges are constantly changing. This approach guides her when leading Tecton's technology integration strategy, with a focus on investing in, implementing and integrating technologies that have a tangible impact on the firm's day-to-day workflows. She holds a bachelor of architecture degree from Pennsylvania State University and is a registered architect in New York. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far? Becoming a licensed professional has been one of my greatest accomplishments. Although it's a natural progression for any aspiring architect, there is a 30% gap between the number of female architecture graduates and the number of licensed female practitioners and senior leaders in the profession – a statistic I am passionate about changing! What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? There's a disconnect between the study and practice of architecture, engineering, design and construction. The industry needs a better framework to help foster cultures that celebrate mentorship, collaboration, diversity and innovation, for both graduating students and established professionals. I want to bridge these gaps between past, present and future architects. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? One of my biggest professional challenges was taking an adversarial construction project and creating a partnership between all the stakeholders to successfully overcome unforeseen conditions, countless design challenges and a pandemic with no additional contingency, in order to deliver a state- of-the-art facility, which will serve the community for decades to come. How has the COVID-19 pandemic forced you to adapt as a leader? I've learned that change doesn't need to be perfect to have a positive impact, specifically with regard to how we implement improvements to our design process and communications. Instead of long training sessions, we implemented frequent roundtables on new programs, tools and tips, and have been more efficient this year than in the previous five. Who has been your most important mentor and why? I've been fortunate to have incredible mentors, from my mother, an investment portfolio manager, to principals at our firm. They've fostered my continual growth, as both a professional and as a person, shaped my perspective, driven my commitment to transform and helped create a mosaic that's uniquely mine. WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS 2021 Rebecca L. Hopkins Employer: Tecton Architects Title: Project Architect L akisha Hyatt is the chief executive officer for Connecticut Valley Hospital (CVH), the flag-ship hospital for Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). CVH is a state-operated facility and the largest free- standing psychiatric hospital in Connecticut, serving over 3,000 individuals in recovery every year. Hyatt has developed teams for more than 20 years. As a trained nurse and hospital administrator, she knew she loved the principles of nursing and those principles needed to be at the table where care policy decisions are made. Today, she leads with a commitment to investing in people and creating team cohesion as the foundation for sustained care quality. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far? While every step in this journey of leadership and advocacy for those perceived as invisible is cause for celebration, in September 2020, I felt like I contributed my sliver of history when appointed CEO for CVH, knowing I was the first African American to serve CVH in that capacity. What's the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally? I want to continue to build confident, competent and compassionate teams of care providers and care supporters that know that they are valued and that quality care is provided and sustained. What's one of the biggest professional challenges you've overcome? Leading a large organization that serves an under-served population as an African American and as a woman is as much a challenge as it is a blessing. Overcoming occurred through maturity, mentoring and truly embracing the principles of transformational leadership. How has the COVID-19 pandemic forced you to adapt as a leader? "Flying a plane while building it" is a course every healthcare executive is prepared to teach. Sometimes called a sixth sense, intuition or gut - that component of me has more leadership value now than ever before. Every experience - conscious and unconscious - informs that quality. I am now far more inviting of that characteristic. What legacy do you want to leave after your career is over? I simply want the people I serve, patients and employees, to be able to consistently say, "Lakisha cared for everyone and invested in people and teams that were able to improve care delivery for those living with persistent and pervasive mental illness … and the growth was sustainable." Lakisha Hyatt Employer: Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Title: Chief Executive Officer

• Cover