Dana Erdman

A theater major in college, Dana never imagined taking center stage would mean elevating a 130+ year-old construction firm to the forefront of technology, exchanging manuscripts for manuals on innovation and fending off cyber-attacks. Yet that’s exactly where Dana finds herself and she couldn’t have been better cast for the role.

The driving force behind B&A’s technological advancements and substantial strides in diversity, equity and inclusion, Dana’s quest for continuous improvement has ushered B&A into a new era. Under her tutelage, B&A is taking technology and innovation to new heights and making our industry more accessible and equitable.

Responsible for B&A’s overall virtual design and construction program and the technology the company deploys in the field and office, Dana’s ethos transcends leveraging technology to improve the firm’s bottom-line. Rather, her efforts are data driven with a clear focus on supporting the most informed decision-making with the goal of improving the construction process and, most importantly, client outcomes. Her work allows projects to operate efficiently and more safely via state-of-the-art planning tools which identify and resolve issues before they arise in the field.

Dana approaches every endeavor with an innate curiosity and a commitment to be better than the day before. A leader of B&A’s employee-led Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative, she directs the firm’s efforts toward creating a more inclusive work environment where differences are not only respected but celebrated and amplified. Dana’s work has had a profound impact on fostering a culture of inclusion which makes the industry more welcoming and accessible for those previously excluded.

Her forward-thinking approach keeps B&A at the vanguard of the industry and her determination to make it more inclusive has earned her recognition as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “Notable Leaders in DEI” for 2023, Constructech’s 2019 Influential Women in Construction, Autodesk’s 40 under 40 and a member of Autodesk’s Preconstruction’s advisory board in 2022.

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