Get to know the 25-year-old running one of the Triangle’s largest developments
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- At 25, Sam Roth oversees more than 120 workers across three sites.
- She manages a little over $100 million across three horizontal packages.
- Roth aims to increase women's presence in construction operations and leadership.
At 25, Sam Roth is helping steer the first phase of RXR’s $3 billion “mini city” known as Veridea on roughly 1,100 acres in Apex, between U.S. Highway 1 and N.C. 540.
As a project manager for Greensboro-based Samet Corp., she oversees more than 120 workers across three sites and $100 million in active construction.
In the field, tucked between excavators and red clay, she works from a corner office inside a trailer — and doesn’t shy away from ambition. “I want to disrupt the industry,” she says, sitting in the conference room. “There aren’t many women in operations running general contracting teams. I want to change that.”
The Kentucky native recently spoke with The News & Observer about her path, the pressure of leading teams older than her, and why she sees herself as part of a new generation reshaping the industry in the Triangle.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
You’re 25 and managing one of the Triangle’s largest developments. How do you explain your job?
Roth: Project management means wearing a lot of hats. I manage the financials, the cost, the schedule — basically defining the plays in the field, and the superintendents execute them. On top of the day‑to‑day construction, we’re also doing pre‑construction and buying out new site packages.
It’s a lot of pivoting and high‑pressure decisions. Every day is different. It’s like getting a Lego set without the directions.
How big is the operation you oversee?
Roth: Across the whole site — industrial, multifamily, the Summit House — we’re over 120 workers a day. I help oversee three sites, roughly 170 acres. And that’s still just a fraction of the 1,100 acres we’ll eventually build.
Back in 2024, it was all trees. We were flagging three miles of sanitary sewer through the woods. To see it now — and know it’s still just the beginning — is pretty remarkable.
You started in biomedical sciences. Then, you transferred into Northern Kentucky University where you ended up in construction. Why the switch?
Roth: Switching majors was a trust fall. I had great grades in bio-med, but something in me knew it wasn’t my calling. Science felt black‑and‑white, and corporate healthcare didn’t align with my values.
Construction management came out of nowhere — no one in my family did it — but it combined everything I loved: creativity, problem‑solving, building something from nothing.
People thought I was crazy. But most of the time when you take a leap, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You have to believe in what you can’t see.
What drew you to development work specifically?
Roth: In high school I visited Babcock Ranch, America’s first solar‑powered city in southwest Florida. [The planned community is built around an 870-acre solar farm operated by Florida Power & Light.]
Seeing a blank canvas turn into something huge was so intriguing. Development work is my favorite because you’re not just building — you’re helping decide how it gets built. Veridea is the project of a lifetime.
You worked full-time during college. How did that shape you?
Roth: I’d manage healthcare renovations all day, then go to class from 6 to 9 at night, then handle 15 credit hours. I kept straight A’s. I’ve learned I perform better when I’m busy.
Working in active hospitals also taught me how to communicate under pressure. You’re doing shutdowns, working around patients, coordinating with staff. Even as an intern, I was given opportunities to lead. It gave me confidence I didn’t have growing up.
What does a typical day look like?
Roth: I’m up at 4 a.m. I hit the gym, journal, and get to the site by 7 or 7:30 a.m. I spend the first hour going through emails and setting priorities. Then it’s meetings with design partners, subcontractors, bidders — and in between, payment applications, monthly reports, site walks, and pre‑construction for new work. It’s fast‑paced. You have to make the most of every 30‑minute block.
How much money are you managing?
Roth: Across the three horizontal packages, we’re at a little over $100 million. Overall, including industrial and multifamily, it’s over $200 million and will reach $275 million by 2026.
You’re often leading people older than you. How do you navigate that?
Roth: We’re all on the same team. You can’t lead with ego. But you also can’t let people walk all over you — and they will try because you’re young. Your presence matters: your knowledge, your energy, how you carry yourself. People pick up on that. People respect confidence. And they respect consistency.
What about being a woman in construction — how has that shaped your experience?
Roth: As a female, you do have to work twice as hard. People assume the guy in the room knows more. I’ve also confronted inappropriate comments earlier in my career. You have to shut that down.
I’ve had moments where I’ve said, “Would you say that to your daughter?” It stops people in their tracks.
The biggest obstacle for women is confidence — overcoming imposter syndrome. You have to advocate for yourself. No one cares more about your career than you do.
Have you had female mentors?
Roth: Only one — Angie Krausen, a project executive at Messer Construction. She was one of the highest‑ranking women in operations there. She always said women have a place in the room. What we’re doing today is changing the culture for what comes tomorrow.
What’s your leadership style?
Roth: Authentic and supportive. I want everyone around me to win. But you also have to have the hard conversations — bad news doesn’t age like fine wine.
What did you learn the hard way?
Roth: Handling conflict. When you’re young, you want to protect the peace, but project management is having the hard conversations even when you don’t want to.
You mentor high school students. Why is that important to you?
Roth: I want to be the person I wish I had (in my life) at that age. Helping kids see the light within themselves is one of the best parts of my life.
What do you wish people understood about construction?
Roth: How challenging it is. People drive past a site and don’t realize the financials, the coordination, the constant pivots. Nothing ever goes to plan.
Where do you want to be at 30?
Roth: I’d love to be a project executive by 30 — maybe higher. I want to teach a college class one day. I even want to write a book.
