Colleen Calandra

About Colleen Calandra

Colleen Calandra grew up in Helena, Montana, where she carved out a rich, fulfilling career and life. You could say she is a pioneer as a woman who entered and succeeded in the construction industry. Following in her father’s footsteps, who was a carpenter, she took over his construction firm and expanded it to include both commercial and residential construction. As a general contractor/construction manager, Colleen oversees new builds and renovations throughout Helena and the surrounding areas.

When she is not working on a project, you can find Colleen playing bass guitar with her band in local gigs around the city. She has made quite a name for herself in the local music scene. 

Colleen’s Early Life and Education

Born in Helena, Colleen grew up around job sites as her father took her on his projects. She watched him bring new homes to life, constructing and installing building frameworks, including walls, floors, and doorframes. She also saw him turn an old kitchen into a work of art with custom cabinetry. What inspired her the most was watching the satisfaction and joy her father brought to his customers once the work was completed. Colleen thought, “I want to do this, too.”

After high school, Colleen decided to major in Civil Engineering at Montana State University (MSU), where she received a solid foundation in the principles of construction, project management, and environmental sustainability.

Hard Hat in Hand: Colleen’s Construction Career 

Upon earning her degree from MSU, Colleen joined a construction firm in Helena as a project manager, where she oversaw all phases of the building process, ensuring projects were completed on time and within scope and budget. She collaborated with contractors and the architect and engineer on the project. The construction firm recognized her leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills, and Colleen, during her tenure with the company, was rewarded with increasingly larger projects to manage.

After several years working for others, Colleen decided to go out on her own and works as a construction manager on various types of projects in Helena and Bozeman, Montana, including commercial office buildings, medical centers, banking facilities, historical renovations, ranch infrastructure, residential projects (both new builds and renovations), and retail projects. She loves going to job sites, the planning and budgeting process, evaluating progress, and seeing the final results (just as she did when she was a young girl visiting her dad’s job sites).

Colleen also enjoys the diversity of her position as a construction manager and the various aspects she is responsible for – from screening and hiring contractors to assessing safety protocols and risk management measures to meeting with clients.