Arkansas Business

Whitney Pardew

Whitney Pardew earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Mississippi, then returned to the Jonesboro construction business her father founded in 1981.

As a project manager, she works with clients from concept to occupancy. “I love doing this,” Pardew said. “I get to actually be out there. I do office work for a couple of hours, and then I get to go out to the job site. I love to see it go from nothing to moving people in.”

While her clients are mainly developers of multifamily complexes, she has also worked on high-profile projects like the chancellor’s residence at Arkansas State University and the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home at Dyess.

Pardew has operated her own side business, Jonesboro Masonry Co., since 2015. “I figured out I could save a lot of money by buying the materials and subbing out the labor,” she said.

Jonesboro Masonry’s first project was a single-family housing development that proved to be an educational experience. “It took everyone I had most of a year,” she said. “I learned that bigger jobs are not always worth it.”

Pardew is involved in civic and nonprofit work, primarily through the Jonesboro Junior Auxiliary.