Forum Focus

In this edition of Forum Focus we're  talking with Otis Williams. 

Mr. Williams will be retiring in April from his position as executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation, after 20 years with that agency. 

Prior to that he had a distinguished military career in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, culminating in the rank of colonel and a position as Corps chief of staff at the Pentagon. 

Throughout his tenure in St. Louis, Mr. Williams has been a tireless advocate for social equity and economic growth for the City of St. Louis and for the region. 

Recently SLDC rolled out its Equitable Economic Development Framework that aims to address the city’s population loss and opportunity gaps for people of color. As part of it, SLDC staff will be reorganized to focus on particular geographic areas to ensure that no neighborhood will be left behind.

Otis Williams is also a member of the Board of Directors of Construction Forum. 

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.”

In this edition of Forum Focus, we talk with Scott Wilson, CEO of  construction management firm S.M. Wilson & Co.  He will retire April 1 —  37 years to the day from his start date with the company.

Throughout his career,  Scott Wilson has been an active, vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in  the St. Louis construction industry — in both the workforce and the contractor sectors

He began supporting diversity in the industry early in his tenure at S.M. Wilson. Over the years, he was involved in such efforts  as the development of the ACCESS Center (Association for Construction Careers Education and Support in St. Louis) in the early 2000s and, more recently, the Contractor Loan Fund.

In retirement he intends to continue working for a more fair and equitable St. Louis built environment.

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

Forum Focus presents stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen. 

This edition of Forum Focus features an interview with Anthony Thompson, chairman and CEO of KWAME Building Group, the region's largest minority-owned pure construction management firm. 

On February 25, Tony Thompson was presented with Construction Forum's Leadership Institute Award.  Mr.  Thompson has promoted diversity and inclusion in the region's construction industry for over 30 years, both within his own firm, by assisting other minority firms, and by inspiring the next generation of MBE firm leaders. 

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

Forum Focus will present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen. In this podcast, Focus presents the story of Sedrick Brandt.

Sedrick Brandt's path to success with his excavating firm, Brandt Contracting has been anything but straight-line or overnight. It was marked by a lot of unusual turns, hard work,  and great advice. 

After serving in the military he became an equipment operator. With breaks for other enterprises, he operated construction equipment off and on for 20 years. 

Along the way he earned a cum laude bachelors degree in information technology from Maryville University. He also owned a commercial cleaning business. 

After earning his IT degree he worked in the tech sector for several years, until the tech bubble burst. He then returned to construction, a move which ultimately resulted in him starting his own business. 

Brandt Contracting recently "graduated" from the Regional Union Construction Center, also known as the RUCC. Business owners who pass the rigorous screening for acceptance in the RUCC are assigned a board of advisors which includes an attorney, a CPA, a construction business owner and a CPA.

In 2016 Sedrick Brandt was one of two M/WBE contractors selected by Ameren for a scholarship to attend the  Minority Business Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. 

Brandt said that he learned to operate lean and efficiently from some of the contractors he worked for during his years as an operator. Brandt Contracting has an office staff of two people, with approximately 20 workers in the field. 

The company has historically done about $3M in business annually, but is on a track to double that number for 2020. 

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

Forum Focus will present stories of people who are working to make that vision and mission happen.

In this edition of Forum Focus we’re going to hear the story of Ronny Griffin. Ronny is president and a business agent with Laborers Local 110 – the 10th largest union local in the St. Louis region. 

Ronny’s also a member of the second generation in his family to work in the St. Louis Construction industry. While that’s a common story for white industry members, it is a path that is far from usual for Blacks. 

Ronny’s father and uncle worked for their entire careers  in the quarry operations of Fred Weber Construction.

Fred Weber was a tough highway builder, who was noted for his fairness and generosity. Workers – Black and white – told the same story of Fred awarding performance with watches, Cadillacs, and trips to his vacation home in the Cayman Islands.

As a member of a large family, Ronny noted that he was not the sibling who was noted for his interest in academics. Joining his father and uncle at Weber, he learned the ropes – performing manual labor, running equipment, dynamiting rock. 

Finally he took over his uncle’s position running a piece of equipment that crushed boulders into small rocks. It was a job he could have worked to retirement in a few years. 

Sitting in the air-conditioned cab, pushing a button every few minutes all day gave him plenty of time to read. He studied union history and law. When he was asked if he would consider running for union office he realized that he could help make a difference in the lives of young Black men and women wanting to come into the construction trades. 

Ronny pulls no punches – either with young people he is counseling about careers in construction or with fellow union members, contractors, and owners. 

He cares… and it shows. Here’s our interview with Ronny.

Production Notes: Our interview for this episode was done on-the-fly with a smartphone. We apologize for any issues with audio quality. Music is "We All Need Somebody," written and produced by Russ Mohr and performed by The Kingdom Sessions.