Local 721’s Thereza Peña has no problem wearing multiple hats. She was an entertainment industry video producer for ten years before she decided to add a second career to her resume and become a Union Carpenter.
Thereza took the skills she learned making films and applied them to her chosen craft, finish carpentry. “A lot of the jobsites that I work on are multimillion-dollar projects and the material is often really expensive,” explains Thereza. This necessitates a precise eye, attention to detail, a steady hand, and the ability to fix mistakes without starting over- all skills required for success in finish carpentry as well as filmmaking.
Not surprisingly, she sometimes uses her skills as a moviemaker to make videos highlighting her day on jobsites. This intersection of her two careers provides entertainment for thousands of viewers a day as the videos capture what construction life is like for her. Whether it’s behind the camera or swinging a hammer in front of it, Thereza is breaking barriers in male dominated fields and she takes pride in knowing that the proficiency she demonstrates both on set and on the jobsite helps pave the way for other women to follow.
Watch the video above to learn more about Thereza’s story.
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