Q&A with Analisa–Leading with a Purpose

March 2026

Analisa is a Project Manager at PICCO with over a decade of experience in the stone and cladding industry. She brings technical expertise, leadership, and a strong commitment to mentorship and community-building. Her leadership within Women in Stone, a program powered by the Natural Stone Institute, reflects her dedication to advancing and supporting women across the industry. Analisa shares insights into her career journey, her experience navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry, and what this new leadership role means to her and to the future of WIS.

Q: When did you get involved in WIS and why did you decide to join?

"I started back in 2016 I believe. Mike had just gotten onto the NSI executive board, and management was encouraging us to consider how we could get involved. Women In Stone was also just launching their Mentorship Program, which was something that sounded interesting as I was just starting to really get immersed in Stone projects at PICCO." Q: How did your involvement with WIS evolve over the years? "It started as a way to network with women who have been in the industry for much longer than me. It turned into a path to learning so much about the industry, natural stone and its unique qualities, as well as finding a community of peers that I could talk to about anything related to work or personal struggles. I started out as a mentee in the mentorship program, which gave me the opportunity to be mentored by some amazing women. With some nudging, I went on to participate in some workgroups/sub-committees for Women In Stone, and then onto the Women In Stone steering committee. We have a great group of women working together to try to find new ways to help other women shine in this industry. Supporting anyone new to the stone industry in finding their way and learning all that they can to help them grow and allow this industry to grow is what drives this group. I hope to continue to be an active member or Women in Stone and the NSI for many years."

Q: What does your appointment as Chair of the Women in Stone Steering Committee represent for you professionally and personally? "I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked if I would take this role on. It was not expected at all. I had considered that it may be something that would come my way one day, but one day seemed so far away still. I still have so much to learn and so many people to meet and can feel very inadequate around so many with so much more knowledge of this industry. I am humbled by it, and I know it will help me gain more confidence in the role I have at PICCO and helping to grow our company, but also when meeting clients or other colleagues within the industry. It has also helped me grow personally. I am very quick to judge myself and be hard on myself. This group has played a big part of finding my path and showing me that I do know what I’m talking about sometimes."

Q: What advice would you offer to women considering joining WIS? "Do it, don’t think about it, just join. You have a place here, you have community here, you will see the benefits."

Q: Why are mentorship, connection, and leadership development critical to the natural stone industry today? "Stone has been around forever, yet it seems that often people forget how useful and versatile of a material it is. The stone industry needs to continue to thrive and grow. Bringing new blood into this business requires great mentorship, many connections, and ensuring the next generation has the tools they need to continue to lead us into the future. It goes both ways though. A lot of the old ways of doing things need to be adapted to the advances we are seeing in all industries. The leaders of tomorrow have many things to teach the leaders of today that will bridge the gap and keep things moving."

Q: How does your work at PICCO Engineering align with and support your leadership within Women in Stone? "Managing projects, resources and client relationships requires similar skills needed to chair the WIS steering committee. My role at PICCO often means I am involved in working with our leadership team through technical, operational, cultural challenges. I feel that the experiences I have had in my work and personal life will also contribute to my ability to continue to strengthen and support building new initiatives within Women in Stone."

Q: What advice would you offer to women pursuing leadership roles in technical fields within the stone industry? "Never allow anyone to define your limits. You can achieve anything you put your mind to. Anything is possible."

Q: What impact do you hope to achieve for Women in Stone members by the end of your term as Chair? "My main focus is to continue to build on what was started. The main purpose of this group is to recruit, retain, and advance women in the stone industry. With the goals and initiatives we continue to develop and work on, I hope that we can continue to bring attention to the industry and bring more women into the industry that have the same passion for stone that we all have."

Caption: A few moments from Analisa’s journey—on site, at industry events, with the WIS group, and her family.

Learn more about Women in Stone

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