Inspired by the strong women she has encountered in her work and driven by a passion for her career, Sam Lewis is a powerhouse in the construction industry.
“I actually grew up around construction but had zero intention of going into it,” she says. “Through college, I worked summer jobs in traffic control to help pay tuition — hands down the hardest job I’ve ever had and a true test of patience, but honestly one of the most rewarding. Still, I never pictured it as a career.”
During Lewis’ senior year at Gonzaga, she attended a spring career fair where she found little that felt “right” until arriving at the construction booth of a large general contractor in Seattle. “I figured, ‘Why not? This was a world I’d been exposed to my whole life,’” she says. “That one conversation ended up changing everything. The company offered me a spot on the largest project they’d ever taken on, in Seattle. I couldn’t pass it up. I moved, jumped into the work, and pretty quickly realized construction wasn’t just familiar, it was my passion.”
Sam’s Biggest Influences
Throughout her career, Lewis has encountered numerous women who have inspired and motivated her. “I’ve been lucky to cross paths with some incredibly strong, badass women throughout my career, and they’ve had the biggest influence on me,” she says. “Watching them lead with confidence and resilience has been both motivating and grounding. They’ve shown me what’s possible in an industry that hasn’t always made space for women, and they push me to keep breaking down barriers and widening that path for others coming up behind us.”
Lewis credits the move to Seattle and her work on one of the company’s “riskiest projects” as a defining moment. “I had no real track record in construction, other than summers in traffic control, yet they saw something in me and trusted me to be part of the team,” she says. “That trust gave me the confidence to prove myself and set the foundation for the career I’ve built since.”
A few more moments stand out as growth points, especially in the years after the Seattle job when Lewis was helping create RAM Construction’s most significant proposal to date.
“Our team was working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and I was running on pure adrenaline and stress,” she says. “Three days before the proposal was due, I found out I was pregnant. Suddenly, all that stress felt different. I realized I couldn’t just push through at the expense of my health. I had someone else’s life to put first, and that shift completely changed my perspective. It might seem like an odd defining moment in a career, but it had a huge ripple effect. It shaped me as a leader to be more intentional about encouraging my team to take time for themselves, to protect their well-being, and to do the things that make them truly happy outside of work. It reminded me that enjoying the work matters just as much as delivering it—and that when people feel balanced and supported, the quality of the work actually improves.”
Accomplishments and More
Lewis developed a system that continues to win RAM new projects, one that has quickly become the foundation of how clients see the company. “I’m most proud of redefining and building out RAM’s proposal process,” she says. “When I first started, it was something our team honestly dreaded. I decided to take it on and completely reimagine how we approached it. I created processes, taught myself new software, took classes, and built a system that not only elevated the quality of our proposals but turned them into one of our biggest strengths.”
When it comes to the impact of her work, Lewis aspires to open doors for other women in her field and facilitate positive change. “I hope my work creates a ripple effect of opening more doors for women in the construction industry,” she says. “Representation matters, and I want young women to see that this field isn’t just an option — it’s a place where they can thrive and lead. I also hope to encourage the next generation of workers to look beyond the traditional four-year college path after high school.”
Outside of Work
Lewis’ interests are classic in nature and lend themselves to pastimes of yesteryear. “I’m basically a grandma at heart. I’ve got the full starter pack: garden gloves, cookbooks and a library card,” she says. “I can run a jobsite meeting by day and spend the evening perfecting a sourdough recipe or debating tomato varieties.”
Future Goals for Sam Lewis
Over the next decade, Lewis hopes to keep her progress moving forward, both with her family and the company. “I hope to be running RAM Construction alongside my husband and my dad,” she says. “My goal is to continue building on the legacy my parents started while also shaping the future of the company for the next generation. I see RAM growing, taking on bigger challenges and deepening our impact in the community, all while staying true to the values that got us here: safety, hard work and kindness.”
Lewis’s advice for younger generations is to keep their minds and options open to new experiences. “Always say yes to new opportunities. You never know where they might take you,” she says. “Some of the most important moments in my career came from saying yes to things that weren’t on my vision board or part of the plan I thought I had for myself. Even when the path doesn’t look like what you imagined, it can open doors you didn’t even know were there.”
Join Whatcom Young Professionals and the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the 2025 Top 7 Under 40 on October 2, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Four Points by Sheraton. Cocktail attire is encouraged, and registration is required by September 26. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets.
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