“Showing up is half the battle.”

For many, it’s a cliché. For Sara Beth Wilcox, it’s a mantra and the driving force behind a career that has reshaped skylines, inspired young leaders, and helped chart a new course for Alabama’s future.

As Vice President and Division Manager at Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the Southeast’s largest construction firms, Wilcox oversees hundreds of millions of dollars in projects across North Alabama.

But her story is not just about concrete, steel, and balance sheets. It’s about resilience, mentorship, and the conviction that progress happens when leaders step into the room, even when it’s intimidating.

“I can’t count the times I’ve felt out of place,” Wilcox admitted. “Walking into a room of CEOs, being the only woman at a table, feeling like maybe I didn’t belong but you show up anyway. That’s where the connections happen. That’s where the opportunities are.”

It’s an ethos that has carried her through personal adversity, professional pivots, and ultimately to the helm of Brasfield & Gorrie’s Huntsville division, where she is helping to literally build Alabama’s future.

Early foundations

Born and raised in Florence, Wilcox discovered her fascination with building at an early age. While other kids checked out novels at the library, she gravitated toward books on floorplans and design.

That interest eventually led her to Auburn University, where she initially studied architecture before switching to building science, a choice she calls “the best decision of my career.”

At Auburn, Wilcox threw herself into the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and Associated General Contractors (AGC) student competitions, experiences that honed her collaboration and leadership skills.

Her teams won multiple regional titles, but perhaps more importantly, she began to understand the thrill and challenge of construction as a career.

After an internship in Florida and six years working with a Nashville-based contractor, she returned to Alabama to join Brasfield & Gorrie in 2012.

It was a step backward in title, assistant project manager at 30 years old, but a leap forward in opportunity. “I knew the culture here was where I could grow,” she said. And she did.

Building a career and a city

From Auburn to Mobile, Birmingham to Huntsville, Wilcox has left her mark on projects large and small.

She has overseen everything from Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine animal hospital to renovations at Regions Bank, Highlands School, and the Magic City Acceptance Academy in Birmingham.

But perhaps her most impactful move came in 2021, when she was tapped to lead Brasfield & Gorrie’s Huntsville operations. Within two years, she was promoted to Division Manager.

Under her leadership, the division’s annual revenue has grown from $70 million to more than $115 million, fueled by projects like HudsonAlpha Discovery Life Sciences, the Alabama School of Cybertechnology and Engineering, and multiple facilities at Redstone Gateway.

Her work has also helped attract national contractors and new industries to North Alabama. “We’re not just building buildings,” Wilcox said. “We’re building the infrastructure for the future of Alabama. Companies come here because they see what’s possible.”

Lessons in leadership

Wilcox is quick to acknowledge the challenges along the way. She speaks candidly about struggles, noting that “life isn’t always picture perfect, but you keep going.” Even the most accomplished leaders, she admits, are not immune to self-doubt.

“I think imposter syndrome is part of me,” she said. “I could be running a Fortune 500 company and still feel like I don’t belong in the room. But those moments don’t define you, you push through them, you show up, and you realize you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

That authenticity has become a hallmark of her leadership style. She is deeply committed to mentorship, particularly for young women entering the construction industry.

In 2014, she was part of founding Brasfield & Gorrie’s Operational Women’s Network, which now includes more than 150 members. After relocating to Huntsville, she helped establish the National Association of Women in Construction’s North Alabama Chapter, serving as its first president.

Wilcox also makes it a point to recognize potential in others.

“Sometimes you can see what people don’t see in themselves,” she said. “It’s rewarding to help them step into that future,even when they don’t believe it’s possible yet.”

Inspiration and impact

When asked who inspires her, Wilcox doesn’t hesitate to list both national icons and local peers. She admires Martha Stewart’s resilience, Condoleezza Rice’s composure, and Huntsville leaders like Peggy Lee Wright, Laura Hodge, and Carrey Miller.

But she also draws inspiration from the next generation of builders she mentors, many of whom remind her why she chose this path.

Her impact extends far beyond job sites. Wilcox serves on the boards of the Huntsville Botanical Garden and Huntsville Utilities.

She tutors children at the Boys & Girls Club, teaches Sunday school, and has played leadership roles with United Way, SubAla, and the Huntsville Committee of 100.

She was named to ENR Southeast’s Top Young Professionals list in 2022, Birmingham Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2021, and now joins Yellowhammer News’ Women of Impact Class of 2025.

Still, Wilcox says her proudest accomplishment isn’t a title or a project. It’s successfully navigating the move to Huntsville, relocating her family, leading a new team, and earning trust in a community where she was initially an outsider.

“It wasn’t perfect,” she said. “There were failures. But there were also wins. And I’m proud of that.”

A Woman of Impact

Through it all, Wilcox remains grounded in the belief that Alabama is on the cusp of something extraordinary. “We’re elevating the game,” she said.

“From HudsonAlpha to Cummings Research Park, the companies we work with are changing the way people think about Alabama and I get to be part of that story.”

For her leadership in construction, her dedication to mentoring the next generation, and her unwavering commitment to community, Sara Beth Wilcox is not just building projects.

She’s building impact and Alabama’s future.