The National Association of Home Builders Professional Women in Building's board approved a local charter for a council in the Wilmington region.

On June 17, the board approved the charter of the Cape Fear Professional Women in Building (PWB) Council, formally affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders. 

The group adds to other women's professional groups in the industry present in the area, including the National Association of Women in Construction's Wilmington-Cape Fear chapter that launched last year, and Cape Fear CREW, a commercial real estate group that started in 2010. 

PWB will act as “the voice of women in the building industry,” according to a Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association release. “They are dedicated to promoting industry professionalism and supporting our members at the local, state, and national levels by offering networking and educational opportunities, legislative awareness, outreach, and professional and personal development.”

Kate Eames, who owns The Anchor Group, will serve as the inaugural PWB board chair.

“Here in the Cape Fear area, we have lots of professional organizations that provide our building community with networking opportunities. But I’m hoping our PWB organization will provide more than that. More than what we’ve come to expect from other professional groups," she said in the release. “We want women to join together to make connections, bond over their passion for this industry, share stories on how they're making an impact, provide a safe place for them to feel supported and welcomed, and empowered. And along the way, contribute to our community by representing women in this sector and encouraging younger girls to pursue this field."

Last week, PWB held a charter celebration at Hi-Wire Brewing that more than 70 women attended, according to the release. 

“Women play such a vital role in the home building process," Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association president Steve Swain said in the release, "and I believe this will further afford them a voice that will remain strong for generations to come."

Correction: This article has been updated to correct Eames' company name.