ConstructorCast AGC of America

Unleash the power of imagination in our latest episode, as we dive into the captivating story of “Grit Leads to Greatness”, a children’s book written by our two guests Chris Eccleston and Jenny Schroen. With workforce issues challenging the construction industry, this brilliant duo saw an opportunity to sow the seeds of interest early on and cultivate a generation that thrives on skill, creativity, and passion. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that combines the magic of storytelling with the practicality of real-world skills. Hit that play button and let's embark on a journey of reshaping perceptions about construction, breaking down barriers, and creating exciting pathways for our future builders, architects, and engineers!

Chris Eccleston, LEED, AP, CHC
President & Founder
Delmarva Veteran Builders
Chris@delmarvaveteranbuilders.com

Jenny Kerr Schroen
Creative Developer
Delmarva Veteran Builders
Jenny@delmarvaveteranbuilders.com

Resources:
https://www.gritleadstogreatness.com/
https://www.delmarvaveteranbuilders.com/

On this episode of ConstructorCast, we spotlight success stories and provide actionable strategies for creating a more diverse and inclusive future within the construction industry. You’ll hear from our guest host, Jorge Quezada, and two winners of this year's AGC Diversity & Inclusion awards program – Brad Lewis of Hensel Phelps and Judith Monrouzeau of Bermúdez Longo Díaz Massó (BLDM). They will share how they approached the application, what the recognition means to them and their companies, and how they are learning and getting better from the process.

Guests:

Judith Monrouzeau, PhD. SPHR.
Executive Director of Human Resources Safety & Compliance
Bermúdez Longo Díaz Massó, LLC.
https://www.bldmpr.com/
BLDM D&I Program One-Pager: https://go.agc.org/DEI-BLDM

Brad Lewis, ECMA
Corporate Director of Supplier Diversity
Hensel Phelps
https://www.henselphelps.com/
Hensel Phelps D&I Program One-Pager: https://go.agc.org/DEI_HenselPhelps

To explore more about Construction DEI Talks and access their episodes, resources and community, visit their website at https://constructiondeitalks.com.

Find out more about AGC’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee: https://www.agc.org/diversity

AGC’s Culture of CARE: https://buildculture.org/

AGC’s Diversity & Inclusion Assessment: https://www.agc.org/culture-assessment

The AGC Diversity & Inclusion awards are open to general contractors, specialty contractors, and service and supply provider companies in good standing of at least one AGC Chapter. Nominations must be submitted by principals or officers of firms, or with their written permission. https://www.agc.org/DiversityAwards

Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry. It is four times higher than the national suicide average and five times higher than that of all other construction fatalities combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control. AGC of America has established a Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Task Force to stand up against this issue and is honored to have had the chance to speak with the two co-chairs for this episode - Mandi Kime of AGC of Washington and Brandon Anderson of AGC of Missouri. Together they are leading the fight for an industry in crisis. In the episode, they share why they are so passionate, and how they are working to combat construction’s leading mental health difficulties and the stigma that accompanies them.

Guests:

Mandi Kime
Director of Safety
AGC of Washington - https://www.agcwa.com

Brandon Anderson
Vice President of Safety
AGC of Missouri - https://www.agcmo.org

Resources:

AGC of America Mental Health & Suicide Prevention website
https://www.agc.org/safety

Construction Safety Week started in 2014, when more than 40 national and global construction firms comprising the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) group and the Incident and Injury Free (IIF) Forum joined forces with a single aim: to inspire everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety.

On this episode, Mike Burke of Alberici Constructors and Dan Johnson of Mortenson, both serving as chairs on the Safety Week committee, share some history of the tradition, what this annual campaign means to them, and how you can get involved.

This year's Construction Safety Week will take place May 1-5, 2023. Visit the website to find all the resources you need.

Guests:

Michael Burke
Chief Operating Officer
Alberici Constructors
alberici.com

Dan Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Mortenson
mortenson.com

Resources: Construction Safety Week website: www.constructionsafetyweek.com

Texters beware: Your data is not your own! Joining on this episode to share their experiences on the front line are Lauren Abeyta, COO at Construction Discovery Experts, and Kristin Protas, VP & Deputy General Counsel at Gilbane Building Company. They talk about the realities and proliferation of electronic communication and how to successfully manage your digital footprint and train your teams to keep you out of trouble.

Lauren Abeyta
Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Construction Discovery Experts
https://www.cdelegal.com/#about

Kristin Protas
VP, Deputy General Counsel
Gilbane Building Company
https://www.gilbaneco.com/


AGC Hot Topic Paper: The Cutting Edge – Strategically Managing ESI Risks, Costs and Burdens
https://www.agc.org/sites/default/files/users/user22628/Managing%20ESI%20Risks%20Costs%20and%20Burdens_FINAL.pdf
Presented in January 2023 by Gregory Chertoff, Co-Managing Partner of Peckar & Abramson’s New York office, during AGC’s annual Surety Bonding and Construction Risk Management Conference. https://risk.agc.org/

BIFF Communication: Brief, Informative, Friendly & Firm – created by the High Conflict Institute
https://www.highconflictinstitute.com/hci-articles/responding-to-hostile-mail-biff

Traumatic Brain Injuries are responsible for 25% of all construction fatalities, and many life-altering injuries. With this information and emerging technology, many contractors are considering the transition from the traditional brim hardhat, to a chin-strap safety helmet. Joining on this episode to talk about their respective companies journey in this transition, are Seth Randall of Clark Construction, and Jamie Dabbs of TD Industries.

Seth Randall, CSP, CHST
Regional Safety Director, Infrastructure Group
Clark Construction Group
www.clarkconstruction.com

Jamie Dabbs, CSP, ASP, CRIS
Vice President, Safety, Health & Environmental
TDIndustries
www.tdindustries.com

Kevin Cannon
Senior Director, Safety & Health Services
AGC of America
kevin.cannon@agc.org

www.hardhatstohelmets.org

Photo for graphic provided by Clark Counstruction Group