Forum Focus

I first met Doug Martin almost 45 years ago. Doug recently stepped down as executive director of the St. Louis Chapter National Electrical Contractors Association (known as NECA). He now serves as co-chair of the St. Louis Construction Co-operative.

It didn’t take long after that for me to become fast friends with this descendant of a Butte, MT copper mining family.

We bonded over a shared passion for the people of another family – the St. Louis construction industry.

After college Doug thought he would end up representing union miners in labor affairs.

But the demise of that industry and another series of events landed him in St. Louis at NECA. That occurred just as my career as a publisher in the construction industry was starting.

Over the years Doug has demonstrated his dedication to the industry not only by a relentless work ethic, but by a steadfast – some would say stubborn – focus on issues such as diversity, worker welfare and economic growth. He is respected for his ability to build lasting relationships.

“It takes real strength to try to change a dynamic that is so destructive,” Doug told me. “I’ve been blessed with working with leaders on both sides of the table that saw the value of honest communication, honest negotiation, and setting a goal of doing the right thing for our customers…”

“Our relationship with IBEW now is very much a collaboration and a partnership.”

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.”  The “Forum Focus" podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

Some days Sylvester Taylor has a hard time wrapping his head around the path that took him to his current position. His personal path has shown Taylor the need for change in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the St. Louis Region's construction workforce. Now he has the opportunity to help facilitate that needed change. 

Taylor has been an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers electrician for the last 32 years. He is recording secretary of IBEW Local 1, and co-founder and president of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus,

He was chosen this past Spring to lead diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the Electrical Connection – a partnership between IBEW Local 1 and the St. Louis Chapter National Electrical Contractors Association (known as NECA).

Taylor serves as treasurer on the Hazelwood School Board, chairman of the St. Louis County Fire Safety and Standards Commission and has served on the board of the Black Jack Fire Protection District. From 2012 to 2019, Taylor also served as the representative for 80th District in the Missouri House of Representatives.

“Sylvester has been a tremendous asset in our outreach to minority communities,” said Doug Martin, executive vice president, St. Louis Chapter NECA. “His work in a mentoring program with the Missouri Division of Youth Services has opened pathways for young people to careers in the electrical industry.”

About a third of the apprentices now being trained at the IBEW/NECA Electrical Industry Training Center at 2300 Hampton Ave. are minorities.

“As leader of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus, Sylvester has been instrumental in helping us broaden diversity within our membership,” said Frank Jacobs, Local 1 business manager. “He has been an effective voice for minorities within IBEW, from apprentices to veteran journey workers, helping us better reflect the communities we serve.”

Please listen to our interview with Sylvester Taylor.

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.”  The “Forum Focus” podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

Growing up in University City, Cordell Sawyer always liked to read.

While he was working a job as a janitor to support his family he read a book on creating generational wealth. The author suggested three paths: stocks, real estate, or entrepreneurship.

Soon, he was taking money that he made as a union carpenter (where he was one of the first apprentices to take advantage of the Carpenters’ associate degree program) and investing it in real estate.

In 2009, when the building economy turned down, he  read an article about the need for qualified minority contractors. He took the leap to found his own construction company Sledroc Construction Co. (that’s a play on his name in reverse). He started his business with a business plan in hand that he had developed by enrolling in a program and – once again – reading and studying.

The path has not been simple since then, but Cordell has continued to read, learn and to network and build connections that many in his position as an MBE contractor outside traditional networks find hard to master.

Today Sledroc has worked on highly visible projects in our region, with some of the areas most respected contractors. His company was selected by SLC3 (St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers) as its M/W/DBE of the year in 2020

Please listen to our conversation with Cordell Sawyer.

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.” The “Forum Focus” podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

Today we’re talking with Joe Lewandowski,  a project director for  McCarthy Building Companies’ Central Region.

Lewandowski is leading the construction team Phase 3 of the BJC HealthCare Campus Renewal Project. This project entails a replacement for Queeny Tower, located at Kingshighway and Barnes Place. McCarthy was the general contractor on Queeny, which was completed in 1965. 

Since joining McCarthy in 2005, he has managed a range of prominent hospital expansion projects, most notably the New Orleans VA Medical Center, a nine-building new campus that replaced critical medical infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Katrina. 

The BJC Phase 3 includes the use of innovative technology and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. Let’s listen to our interview with Joe Lewandowski. 

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.” The “Forum Focus” podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

When Aurora Bihler graduated from high school her Dad bought her an acetylene welding rig.

The young budding artist was concerned lest she burn down the family garage so she enrolled in a welding class. She earned associate and bachelors degrees in fine arts and went on to work for a state-funded archeological survey.

But when the opportunity arose to put her welding skills to work as a union ironworker she took advantage of it.

Soon, her passion for social equity and social justice, which also began in school, led her to become a mentor and activist for women in the trades and for imprisoned women seeking a fresh start.

Now she has been named to head up the St. Louis branch of the MO AFL-CIO’s Building Union Diversity program known as BUD. Russ Signorino, the current director, is retiring in December.

Let’s listen to our conversation with Aurora Bihler.

In September, Ron Unterreiner celebrated a birthday he didn't expect to see when he founded People of Construction back in 2013.

Around the time he founded his nonprofit, which introduces minority- and women-owned businesses to the broader construction industry, he was diagnosed with ALS.That's normally a death sentence, but Unterreiner is not someone who is easily stopped.

He successfully explored alternative medical treatments and today is mostly symptom free. The nonprofit organizations he founded are also enjoying robust health. When he's not attending his grandchildren's cross country meets, Unterreiner might be working on a book (he's written six so far), or raising money for a nonprofit that exposes young people to construction.  

Ron Unterreiner calls PEOPLE “a non-funded, non-profit, non-organization established for the primary purpose of introducing the minority contracting community to the majority contracting community.” PEOPLE is among other things, a focused networking event allowing minority contractors to mix it up with  majority-owned GCs. subcontractors, professional organizations and owners and get to know each other and ultimately to work together on meaningful commercial construction projects.

On the eve of his retirement from a six-decade career in construction, Unterreiner looked at the lack of equity and capacity for minority firms in the industry and decided to do something about it. He made it his mission to level the playing field so every small business has access to commercial construction project opportunities.  PEOPLE organization meets in person during non-COVID times and on Zoom in the last two years. Some meetings attract as many as 240 attendees. Unterreiner also sends out monthly newsletters with tips and strategies for the minority owners. 

After his success with People in Construction, Unterreiner started Women-Owned Business Enterprises of Design & Construction (WBEDC) in March 2020, a similar organization dedicated to women-owned construction firms.

On October 8th the Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis (HLG) will present the 2021 Anthony B. Ramirez Premio Esperanza (Hope) Award to Sal Valadez.

Sal Valadez is a Mexican immigrant, a U.S. Army Veteran, and a graduate of The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where he was awarded an M.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Political Science.

He is also a 2019 Fellow of the Washington University in St Louis Community Research Fellows Training Program.

Valadez is a dynamic leader, participating in the board of directors for several organizations in the region, including the Hispanic Leaders Group board.  He is also the recipient of multiple awards, most recently including the 2020 St. Louis Business Journal, Diverse Business Leaders Award, and the 2019 St. Louis County Diversity Champion Award.

He is employed by LiUNA — Missouri & Kansas Laborers’ District Council — as representative for Diversity, Outreach & Marketing for their Diversity Initiative.  From 2020 to 2021, Valadez also acted as Assistant Research Investigator for a Washington University funded project: “The Opioids Crisis and the St Louis Region, An Immigrant and Ethnic Community Survey”.

Throughout his career, Valadez has been an advocate on issues related to language access, diversity, inclusion, and equity.

The Anthony B. Ramirez Premio Esperanza was established by The Hispanic Leaders Group of Greater St. Louis (HLG) in 2003. The award’s inscription reads: “To you, for giving Hope… To those seeking change”.

With a background as an entrepreneur, commercial carpenter, project engineer, foreman and project superintendent, Gerry Bolden started Bolden Construction Services. 

His goal was to ensure that project owners, general contractors, home builders and residential customers would have access to superior quality, minority construction professionals whose expertise and dedication to excellence ensured craftsmanship and performance on every project.

Bolden Construction Services’ capabilities include construction management, rough and finish carpentry, metal stud framing, drywall installation, insulation application , acoustical ceilings, and renovation. 

 A native of East St. Louis, Gerry Bolden holds an Associate degree in construction carpentry from Southwestern Illinois College and a Bachelor of Arts in construction management from the National Labor College. 

His 26-plus years of field and professional experience, eye for detail, and passion for construction have helped him develop a strong company for either subcontractor or prime opportunities on a variety of projects.

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.”

The “Forum Focus” podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

This edition of Forum Focus features an interview with Lisa Reed, founding principal of Envision Lighting Design. Raised in the town of Marshall in Western Missouri, Lisa had a mind that could combine problem solving and design.

Even at as a young girl she had a competitive nature that led her to take on the boys to see how fast she could solve math problems. architectural student at Kansas University, she found that she was interested in lighting design.

Out of school, Lisa was hired on as a CAD tech at an Orlando firm. There, an older electrical engineer provided the mentoring that she would need to become certified as an electrical engineer.

A stint at Lighting Design Alliance in Los Angeles allowed her opportunities to work on nationally recognized projects.

Over her 27-plus year career she has bridged multiple disciplines –including energy management, electrical engineering, teaching, lighting sales, and lighting design.

Her path as a woman entrepreneur, wife, and mother has informed the culture she has built at Envision Lighting. She is an advocate for students, young professionals, women, and diversity in her field.

Construction Forum’s mission is, “To facilitate the collaboration of all the stakeholders in the St. Louis Region’s built environment in creating inclusive, robust employment and economic growth.”

The “Forum Focus” podcasts present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

Everything about Cory Elliott, CEO of CMT LLC.,  resists labeling. 

She's Black.  She’s a woman.  She’s a roofing, demolition and abatement contractor. 

She’s also a St. Louis native with two Masters degrees from Washington University. 

Cory Elliott was a top facilities executive with a major national  healthcare organization. Working as an owner’s representative and now a contractor,  she can view the M/WBE world from both sides of the table. 

In this edition of Forum Focus we’ll hear Cory’s unique perspective on our industry and region.