In construction, Kelly Roepke-Orth tackles a workforce and mental health crisis

Labor shortages, an uncertain business climate, the effect of tariffs and a relatively high suicide rate: these are all problems plaguing the construction industry.

And, in New Mexico, that means they are specifically on the mind of Kelly Roepke-Orth, who leads one of the state’s two Associated General Contractors of New Mexico chapters.

During her 18 years with the construction trade group, Roepke-Orth has done her part to ease the worker shortage by helping to start ACE High School in Albuquerque and by making the heavily male-dominated industry more attractive to women.

She explains her motivation this way: “This is the industry I love. This is an industry of problem-solvers, of visionaries. And to me, construction is industry one. It’s the foundation from which all other things are built.”

Most recently, Roepke-Orth helped organize an annual summit on mental health and suicide prevention to raise awareness about a problem that weighs heavily on the construction industry. The rate of suicide among construction workers is more than four times the general population.

Among the reasons are injuries and subsequent opioid prescriptions, physical and scheduling demands, and a predominantly male workforce that is less likely to seek mental health help.

However, the “single most pressing” issue in the industry is the lack of a skilled workforce, and it’s a struggle nationwide, she says. There just aren’t enough people going into construction or the trades, partly because of “a bias … against any nontraditional path, including two-year technical degrees, certificate programs, apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn models.”

“We need to break the preconceived notions about construction not being a career or of being a career of last resort, but rather (it should be seen) as a career of choice and a viable option for young people,” Roepke-Orth says.

How are the trade tariffs affecting the construction industry?

I don’t think that we have seen the full effect of tariffs, and I don’t think we will for probably quite a few more months. I think everybody’s kind of waiting and wondering about how this is going to impact certain things, but relatively, there’s been little disruption to date.

What about the effects of the immigration crackdown nationwide?

Construction relies on a legal immigrant workforce and any disruption to this pipeline, such as slower processing times, stricter documentation requirements or broader federal actions, directly affects labor availability in New Mexico. Our concern isn’t about undocumented workers, it’s about the reality that this industry relies on immigrants who follow the rules and we need faster, clearer and more accessible legal pathways so they can enter and stay in the workforce without unnecessary barriers. Any disruption to that process hits job sites, project timelines and ultimately, our state’s economic growth.

Are you concerned about the affordability issue when it comes to the cost of housing?

I think there’s been a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability, and people have questions, public officials have questions. Cost escalation is very real, and my fear is the public’s reaction … and what that can mean for the industry as a whole. Does that mean people are going to pull back? Because I think that was the tactic just after the pandemic, and it didn’t serve us well. Scaling back is probably the worst thing we could do. This is the prime time to invest in workforce development for construction to grow that skilled pipeline so that we are not paying exorbitant costs because we have no workforce.

How did you get into this role?

A temp agency. I had just returned from Virginia, where I spent 3½ years after graduating from Sandia High School. I did some community college and worked out there before moving back to New Mexico and putting my application in at a temp agency. It’s just evolved from there.

What is the association doing about bringing in more women?

This is a male-oriented industry. There are a lot of avenues for men to build their network of peers, whether that be on the golf course, etc. We would like a dedicated focus that doesn’t exclude, but is inclusive. And there are other opportunities for women to find their network of peers and have dedicated training programs. So I think it’s eight years now, we have received a proclamation from the governor declaring the first week of March Women in Construction week. We have a summit with 350 women every year. We just piloted a women’s dedicated training program, which … focuses on the needs of women in industry since nationally women make up 11% of the industry, but only about 4% in the field.

What prompted the industry’s focus on suicide?

The lack of available and skilled workforce has been a dedicated focus for a very, very long time. And then numbers started to come out with regards to how mental health and suicide, specifically, were plaguing our industry. What the numbers were telling us is that suicides in our industry (made it) one of the highest industries for suicides nationwide. It became a pivotal point for us to say we need to look at retention just as much as we look at recruitment.

Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

I have lots of regrets and things that I (would) have done differently. I am an ops (operations) person by nature. So for me, leadership, company culture was not something I anticipated doing. Another great thing I’ve learned over the years is that most people hire for IQ (and) the skill set, but most people are fired because of their emotional intelligence. So if you want to be a leader in an industry, I think understanding that having a balanced team with multiple voices, and having that team understand one another, understand the mission and have a shared purpose, makes or breaks an organization. And I wish I had known that a lot sooner.

What’s your advice for success in this industry?

The fastest way to test your fit, build fundamental skills and earn references is through internships, pre-apprenticeships or job shadowing. Pair that with a mentor who will tell you the truth, open doors and hold you accountable, and you’ve got a runway into a great career.