The Adventures of Ale and Catalina
(Photo credit: The Unfound Door)
When Alejandra “Ale” Spray was close to turning 7 years old growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, she asked for a bicycle for her upcoming birthday. Her mother questioned her intention behind wanting a bicycle since no one in her family rode, and Ale responded by saying, “I want to feel free.” Ale received a bright green bicycle, and she has since relied on her bicycle every step of her journey to provide her peace, meditation, and encouragement.
Ale will proudly tell you she was born and raised in Guadalajara and attended college at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente, I.T.E.S.O. (Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education), a Jesuit university in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. There, Ale graduated with a civil engineering degree and ultimately earned her PE. She was one woman with 23 males in her graduating class, as in her culture, back then it was not common nor encouraged for women to pursue careers in STEM fields. Ale was attracted to engineering at a young age due to her love for math and watching her dad build a massive dollhouse that was a replica of her family’s home. Ale said her father would walk her through every piece built for the dollhouse. She said, “My dad asked me why I wanted to go to college for civil engineering, and I laughed and told him that he encouraged me by watching what he built and had expected me NOT to pursue engineering?” Ale’s determination and love of construction initially sparked by watching her father has since been integral to her journey through the industry.
Ale moved to Colorado 25 years ago and immediately tried to join the workforce. Although she was qualified, Ale said she applied for over 45 jobs prior to getting a call back. It is assumed that this was due to her degree and her references were all based in Mexico. Ale at one point was told that her degree did not translate to the same degree in America, and she would essentially need to validate some credits to kickstart the process of recognizing her degree. Her persistence in applying landed her a position as a translator for employees and work processes at a manufacturing company. After a couple of years, Ale was able to find a position as an estimator and marketing coordinator at a local mid-size mechanical company. Ale was with this company for 17 years and met someone instrumental to her career growth.
The president of this mechanical company took Ale on as a mentee, and he became her sponsor, encouraging her to join and become involved with the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC) among other trade associations. Ale became involved in HCC in 2002. HCC, among other ventures, gave Ale the community she desperately yearned for along with the confidence to pursue more leadership training. This included graduating from the Latino Leadership Institute Program, the Governor’s Fellowship Program, the Leadership Denver program with Denver Metro Chamber, and she is currently enrolled in the Leadership Fellows Program with the Denver Metro Chamber.
After many years of active involvement and advocacy with HCC, Ale was asked to consider leaving the corporate life to take the full-time position of the first CEO and President of HCC in February of 2024. Although a tough decision, Ale felt like this was a perfect fit, as it allowed her the means to make an industry impact. Ale feverishly works to provide her members benefits to take their small businesses (which include some minority and women-owned enterprises) and take them to new heights. Many HCC members are qualified and fully certified, so it is a matter of helping them get recognized as potential partners with some of the larger contracting firms which provide different opportunities. Ale noted taking the position as the CEO and President of HCC was an honor, which allows her to combine her “why” with the “how.”
Ale believes she was blessed to have a sponsor to help guide her journey to a new country, unlike many who now call Colorado their homes. She even refers to herself as a “privileged immigrant” and uses this as her driver and “why” behind her actions. Ale says, “I was blessed by many, so I better use my voice and blessings to pay it forward.” She does this by providing resources, encouragement and connection through and within Hispanic Contractors of Colorado. Now as a mentor and sponsor herself, she has watched some of her mentees grow in their roles which fills her with tremendous joy and is always eager to support more professionals in the industry.
The Hispanic Contractors of Colorado’s mission “is to build opportunities to strengthen and sustain our members’ knowledge, connections and voice within the public/private sector in the Colorado construction industry.” They do this by networking, advocacy, leadership development, and education including their very own HCC Contractor Academy.
Ale has been and will continue to be an incredible force in the construction industry. Her passion, encouragement, and fierce drive can almost contradict the warmth and loving soul that emanates when meeting Ale. Those that are lucky enough to meet her, leave feeling encouraged, confident and empowered. She has a way to make others believe that challenge is completely achievable. Ale says, “Feeling comfortable in your own skin is so important. You need to fight for what you believe. Fight for your why. That's your mission.” This is why Ale has and will continue to create so much growth with those with whom she interacts and leads within HCC and the industry.
Ale says that she does all things to honor her mother, her sister, her grandmother, and her kids. She says, “The blood of these strong women runs through me and have made me who I am.”
All these things are what built her quilt. She is a professional. She is a mother. She is a daughter. She is a woman. In her spare time, you may find Ale riding her bright red bicycle which she named Catalina. After a long day or a difficult journey, Ale knows she can turn to Catalina’s sturdy frame and trust that she will find comfort, encouragement, enlightenment, and be reminded of her strength.
To learn more or how to get involved with Hispanic Contractors of Colorado, please visit https://hcc-diversityleader.org/
