Webcor 50 Year Anniversary

Diversity is not a new initiative at Webcor but during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was inspired to revisit its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This led to a solicitation of employee feedback through a series of listening sessions, followed by goal-setting and planning. In this update, you will hear from President and CEO Jes Pedersen and Chief People Officer Mei Lin Wolff about the structure developed to support our DEI efforts along with some of the activities that are in the works to drive DEI goals into the fabric of the organization.

One of the aspects of the DEI effort has been the introduction of a formal process for establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Representatives from Webcor’s two existing ERGs also participated in the conversation: From Women of Webcor (WOW), Internal Communications Manager, and from The Collective (the Black employee’s ERG), Senior Design Manager Brittany Williams.

Pat Reidy has been a Webcorian for more than half of the company’s existence. In this podcast interview, Pat recounts memorable episodes from his tenure at Webcor and shares his perspectives on what has changed since he joined the company and what has stayed the same.

Ron Hanneman has been at Webcor for nearly half of the company’s existence, starting as a laborer during the days when one could walk onto a project site and get a job. Today, Ron travels from project to project in a unique role within Webcor, one he recognized was needed but never expected to have himself.

In this special episode of the Webcor@50 podcast, President and CEO Jes Pedersen joins the leaders in charge of the three categories of the company’s new Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. The framework for the strategy is Environmental, Social, Corporate Governance (ESG), with 14 goals and 35 targets spread across the People, Planet, and Performance categories. The discussion covers the genesis of the CSR plan, the reason for the approach taken, and examples of goals and targets in each of the categories. In the photo, clockwise from upper left, are Pedersen, COO Matt Rossie (leading the Performance effort), Sustainability Director Jenelle Shapiro (responsible for the Planet category), and HR Sr. VP Mei Lin Wolff (accountable for the People goals).

Jim Sammon is a Webcor Construction Manager, currently working at the 195-room Citizen M Hotel project in San Francisco. Jim joined Webcor in 1998 and has seen a lot of changes in the organization. Having worked for others and as an independent contractor before he joined the company, Jim is able to draw on his long experience in his discussion of Webcor’s growth.

Tom Soohoo grew up in San Francisco’s Sunset neighborhood and graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1995. After graduation, Tom worked in software consulting and design for nine years before making a career change into the construction industry in 2004 with Webcor. He says, “I originally thought I would just complete one building and head off to business school, but 17 years later, here I still am. I fell in love with the camaraderie of the people and the product that we build in this business. I find nothing more fulfilling than both leading and participating in teams that build something that another person can use to live, work, play, worship, rest, heal, and enjoy.” The last 10 years of his Webcor career have been focused on business acquisition: both the strategy and execution of winning projects. He currently leads the Marketing Department at Webcor where the focus is attracting new work and driving the Webcor brand to external markets.

Andy Ball is currently the president of oWow, an Oakland, California-based vertically integrated housing company that designs, develops, and builds net new housing. Andy was CEO of Webcor until his departure in 2012 after spending 18 years with the company. He joined when his company, A.J. Ball Construction, was acquired by Webcor. When he left, he joined Suffolk as president of the West Region for four years, then spend two years as a partner at RAD Urban, a unified group of architects, engineers, builders, manufacturers, and real estate developers working together under one roof. For the Webcor at 50 podcast, Andy was interviewed by Webcor Marketing VP Tom Soohoo.

After attending Skyline College and honing her skills for 10 years at other companies, Sue Keating joined Webcor in 1996. In her current role, she manages the Accounts Payable staff, the company’s credit card process, and journal entries for cost control. She also maintains the policies and procedures for the AP department, reviews preliminary notices and certificates of insurance for all subcontractors for contract compliance, and serves as an ISO internal auditor, a role she has had since 2013. Sue also remains involved as a volunteer with Toastmasters International, which she has served since 2010 and where she currently serves as president of her local club.

Jose Ortiz is a construction manager in Webcor’s Los Angeles region, currently working at our 960 W. 7th Street project, a 56-story tower comprising approximately 780 residences, indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, above- and below-grade parking, and retail. Construction began mid-June 2019 and is ongoing with a scheduled completion of 2022. Construction managers oversee and direct projects from start to finish. Among their duties is reviewing the project in detail to schedule deliverables and estimate costs and ensuring compliance with building and safety regulations. Jose has been with Webcor for 19 years, joining after earning a degree in Construction Engineering Management from California State University, Long Beach.

Shelley Doran is Senior Vice President for Webcor Builders and a member of the Webcor Executive Committee. She has led Webcor’s business acquisition, external affairs, and government liaison activities, as well as the company’s philanthropic involvement. Currently, she is focused on development opportunities in San Jose and the South Bay region. She has practiced construction management and development for more than 35 years for several nationally recognized companies, including Taubman Company, McDonald’s Corp. and Ford Motor Land Development. She served as a member of the Environmental Design Review Board in the Town of Los Altos Hills and the Los Altos Hills Planning Commission, and ran for Los Altos Hills City Council. Shelley also represented Los Altos Hills on ABAG in Santa Clara County for several years.