METAIRIE, La. – Zakeia Payne, business development director at RNGD, has been honored as a 2026 Construction Champion by Construction Dive, a national publication that highlights news and trends shaping the construction and building industry. The annual recognition program coincides with Women in Construction Week, March 1-7.
Chosen from more than 250 nominees nationally, Payne is one of six women recognized as a “Mentor” and the program’s only Louisiana-based honoree. In total, Construction Dive selected 30 women across five categories: Rising Stars, Up-and-Coming Leaders, Mentors, Tradeswoman Leaders, and Industry Veterans.
As Director of Business Development for RNGD in Louisiana, Payne leads growth strategy and client relationships across multiple sectors. Outside her formal role, she has spent nearly 10 years building pathways into construction, reaching more than 100 students and young professionals each year through mentorship programs, speaking engagements, career days, and one-on-one guidance.
“I wanted to help create something bigger than myself, something that leaves a lasting, visible impact on the community,” she says. “What has kept me in construction is the opportunity to be a representation for young people and show them pathways they may never have seen, in some cases helping change the trajectory of their lives.”
2026 Construction Champion: Local Mentoring Efforts
Payne’s volunteer-based mentoring initiatives include the following:
- serving as co-lead instructor for the ACE Mentor Program of Greater New Orleans, where she helps design and teach a 16-week curriculum guiding students through the conceptual development of a construction project.
- creating an “Internship Hour” through the ABC Bayou Chapter to connect female construction interns across companies with experienced women professionals.
- partnering with GNO, Inc.’s W.I.S.E. Women in the STEM Economy initiative and delivering its 2025 commencement speech to encourage young women to pursue leadership in technical careers.
- volunteering with unCommon Construction, where she works alongside apprentices on job sites and teaching sequencing and leadership, as well as Son of a Saint, facilitating workshops to fatherless boys on career pathways, confidence, and overcoming fear.
She will also be facilitating a three-part personal branding and career readiness workshop with Son of a Saint in April.
About RNGD
RNGD is a New Orleans–based commercial construction and development firm providing general contracting, construction management and design-build services across sectors including healthcare, higher education, hospitality, industrial and mixed-use development. Founded in 2013, the company operates offices in New Orleans, Dallas and Nashville and serves clients ranging from universities and healthcare systems to public agencies and private developers.
