For Sharla Sullivan, championing supplier diversity is more than just one of the many facets of her role as Outreach & Partnerships Manager-it's a life passion. "I'm genuinely thrilled whenever a project team asks me for a list of XBEs (a term used to describe small/local/diverse Business Enterprises) to include in their bids," she says. "Diverse suppliers are woven into the fabric of our communities; they spark economic growth and drive local job creation, greatly contributing to our communities' vibrancy."

Sharla is responsible for strategizing, spearheading, and tracking Webcor's XBE partnership efforts companywide, including establishing measurable processes and procedures. It's a deeply satisfying role that aligns with Webcor's core purpose-'Building Solutions, Bettering Lives'-in a way that's unique from any other at the company.

"When we partner with XBEs, we're bettering the lives of those working for these local small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, disabled-owned businesses, and all of those small businesses that fit in the XBE category," she says. "Creating more opportunities for these partners expands our ability to tap into new talent, ideas, and even new markets. Supplier diversity IS innovation-every day presents a chance to expand opportunities through these partnerships."

Last month, Sharla's outstanding dedication to championing XBEs' long-term growth and success was recognized by the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (WRMSDC). WRMSDC is a regional component of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), a nonprofit that certifies minority businesses, advocates for them, provides education and technical training to facilitate their growth, and forges business opportunities and valuable connections with its corporate partners. Sharla has been heavily involved with WRMSDC for two years as Construction Steering Committee co-chair.

"It is exciting to see Sharla's efforts recognized in this arena," says Senior Vice President of Project Planning Allison McCue. "As we've learned by working with her, Sharla is incredibly passionate about supplier diversity and supporting our local communities. She's really opened our eyes to the opportunities we've been missing in our projects and communities. We cannot thank her enough for that.

"Her dedication and perseverance reflect in her day-to-day work with us and are now being recognized by others in our industry. I could not be happier to celebrate her accomplishments."

WRMSDC's Construction Working Group honored Sharla with the Skyrocket Award at a Super Bowl-themed award ceremony in Las Vegas, where she and McCarthy's DEI coordinator, Jen Aquino, were recognized for their unwavering commitment to advancing supplier diversity, equipping XBEs for lasting success in our industry, and building economic wealth in communities of color. Four additional leaders within the supplier diversity space were honored in separate categories, with companies including Siemens Mobility, Inc.; Storyville RD; MGM Resorts International; and S+B James Construction.

"I'm honored and deeply humbled to receive this award alongside my Construction Steering Committee co-chair, Jen Aquino," Sharla shares. "In the area of inclusion, there are no competitors-only partners in advancing diverse suppliers' economic needs in the spirit of community, a value I hold close to my heart.

"WRMSDC's Construction Steering Committee is dedicated to moving the supplier diversity needle forward-addressing gaps in access, increasing opportunities, and strategizing solutions that will cultivate a more inclusive construction trade partner landscape in an inherently inequitable world.

"I'm grateful for WRMSDC's partnership, their incredibly dedicated past and present leaders (Cecil Plummer and Donna Ruff), and their staff who work tirelessly to further supplier diversity," Sharla continues. "Thanks to my mentor for championing me as I've held this leadership role, to my family who supports me, to Webcor for maintaining corporate membership with WRMSDC to sustain this important work, and to retiree Kathleen Lassle for her fierce advocacy.

"Thanks as well to fellow GCs, owners, agencies, developers, and community organizations for your partnership as we continue to work toward increased inclusion in the industry, and most importantly, thank you to the diverse businesses for whom we are fiercely advocating! Thank you for this incredible recognition and the opportunity to innovate collaboratively and help drive inclusivity for diverse businesses in construction."

After losing a family friend to suicide last year, Project Accountant Jaimie Houk found herself grappling with the emotional aftermath of suffering such a shocking and devastating loss. In an effort to cope and make some sense of the tragedy, she began researching resources on suicide prevention and awareness. She soon discovered the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a voluntary health organization offering those impacted by suicide "a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death."

Last summer, she approached her fellow Community Engagement Committee members about sponsoring AFSP's "Out of the Darkness" Community Walk in San Diego using Webcor's allocated community dollars, which was unanimously approved by all members. On Oct. 21, a few of her fellow San Diego-based Webcorians joined her for the 5k Community Walk in San Diego's famous Liberty Station, which included opening/closing ceremonies and various festival activities.

"Coming together with the community for such an important cause was a wonderful feeling," Jaimie says. "Many participants held up photos of loved ones lost to suicide. Knowing that I was surrounded by people who have also been affected by suicide in some way was quite impactful."

Among those people was Project Director Matt Johnson, who was compelled to join the AFSP Community Walk as someone who not only wanted to join their Webcor colleague in supporting a vital cause but has also personally experienced the devastation of suicide.

"Earlier this year, the son of one of our family friends took his own life, which was heartbreaking for my family and me," Matt says. "Listening to so many emotional speeches from AFSP participants who had also lost loved ones to suicide was an unforgettable experience.

"I think we're all aware of the mental health crisis pervading our country and its impact on the construction community especially," he continues. "Webcor's safety values don't stop at the job site gate�they extend to all aspects of everyone's mental well-being. AFSP's mission statement aligns well with Webcor's community and safety values."

Although mental health resources are critical, they're often inaccessible, Jaimie points out. Associated costs and the stigma surrounding suicide are just some of the common barriers facing those who need these support tools the most.

"Suicide is often viewed as the easy way out�painless, cowardly, selfish, vengeful, rash, etc.," she explains. "It's so important that we continue to educate Webcorians on suicide prevention, offer educational resources, and reinforce that we work for a company that cares about them and embraces open conversations about this somewhat taboo topic."

The money participating Webcorians raised will help fund education materials, teen mental health education programs in local high schools, trainings for volunteers reaching out to elected officials about suicide prevention policies, trainings for facilitators of support groups for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, youth suicide prevention outreach and programming, and overall mental health awareness.

In August, Webcor welcomed 10 CristoRey high school students to several of our Bay Area job sites and corporateoffices as our 2023-24 interns�over twice the amount brought on every yearsince the launch of our partnership with Cristo Rey's work-study program in2018.

As freshmen, Cristo Rey students aregiven the opportunity to intern at participating Bay Area companies. Throughout the school year, students work one consistent day per week (e.g. everyThursday) and one Friday per month, totaling five days monthly. They submit a timecard on the days they work and apply the funds earned toward their high school tuition and fees.

"Mentoring a Cristo Rey student is an extremely rewarding opportunity to expose them to real-world work experiences and help them develop career-related skills," says Project Manager, ProjectControls Candace Kong Kee, who's spearheaded Webcor's partnership with Cristo Rey since former Chief Legal Officer Hank Brasch, who launched the partnership in 2018, left the company in 2021.

After five years of partnering solelywith Cristo Rey De La Salle East Bay High School in Oakland, Webcor's expanded our partnership with Cristo Rey's network to San Francisco (four students) andSan Jose (one student) while maintaining strong ties to the Oakland campus(five students). Interns were assigned to their department/project based on their strengths, skills, and career interests. Participating teams includeClaims, IT, Accounting, Project Controls, Project Support, and various active projects.

"It's a fantastic workforce development program that supports promising adolescents who genuinely appreciate these work-study opportunities and typically come from disadvantaged populations," Candace says. "They don'ttake the opportunity to gain experience from a large Bay Area company like Webcor for granted."

Now that Webcor's Cristo Rey partnershiphas reached San Francisco and the South Bay, Candace hopes Southern California is next�particularly Los Angeles, where Cristo Rey is preparing to launch a newelective called "Project Lead the Way" with the goal of creating a local pipeline of future engineers.

"Cristo Rey intends to recruit students from surrounding middle schools with this exciting new elective, which will focus on all types of engineering�aerospace, biomedical, civil, etc.,"Candace says. "Webcor's involvement could provide an opportunity to shape the curriculum content and drive more students toward the construction management route."

Although the elective is still being fleshed out, the idea is that participating Cristo Rey students willessentially complete first-year engineering courses that they'd otherwise haveto take as college freshmen.

"It's a great opportunity for Webcor to feed its own workforce, especially in a city like LA where we're working on building more local relationships so we can win more projects and get our name out there," Candace emphasizes.

Looking ahead to the 2024-25 school year, she says, Webcor anticipates hiring 3-5 more Cristo Rey interns at upcoming Webcor projects. The projects currently employing Cristo Rey interns are expected to continue funding those partnerships into the2024-25 school year, culminating in a potential record high of 13-15 Cristo Rey students interning with Webcor next year.

"The bulk of the effort goes into determining which Webcor projects and departments can takeon a Cristo Rey intern while still being accessible to students," Candace says."Cristo Rey leaders greatly value our partnership and are passionate aboutworking with us to understand our needs and ensuring they align with the students' interests and skills."