For most people, a fall from a two-story building is a tragic end to a career. For Kendall Cantave, it was a curriculum.

In 1996, while framing a residential project in New York, the scaffold stage Kendall was standing on collapsed as he was setting a ridge for rafters. He plummeted nearly three levels. Fortune, however, was in the excavation; he landed in the soft dirt of a basement recently dug for waterproofing. "I broke my leg, but I’ll take that over what could have been worse," he recalls. "In New York, the dirt is usually as hard as cement."

That moment of impact transformed his trajectory. Today, Kendall is a safety manager at the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) in San Francisco, an essential infrastructure project for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. He views his role not as a site regulator, but as an "EH&S philanthropist" – a man who dedicates his life to the well-being of others through active caring.

From the Mud of Haiti to the High-Rises of New York

Kendall’s journey to the BDFP site began in Nyack, New York, but his foundation was laid in Haiti. Sent to live with his grandmother at age three following his parents' separation, he spent the next five years in a world where he was already an aspiring builder. "I would play in the mud, forming roads and houses," he says. "I’d find a rock and imagine it was an excavator, digging my roadway."

Returning to the U.S. meant facing a new set of hurdles. English was a second language, and the transition to a Brooklyn school was marked by the cruelty of childhood bullying. Teased for his accent and his clothes, he was labeled "Frenchie." Yet, the resilience he learned in the Caribbean carried him through. He eventually enrolled at the New York Institute of Technology to study architecture, but he soon discovered that the drafting table couldn't compete with the reality of the job site.

"I’m a hands-on person," he explains. He found himself unprepared for the academic freedom of college – the lack of guidance on grading and the sudden freedom of the system – and pivoted into the field. He joined the union as a carpenter, entering a New York construction scene that was then a labyrinth of nepotism and favoritism. Despite a relentless work ethic, job security was elusive; a foreman could lay you off after four months regardless of your performance. "I decided to outwork everyone," he says. "I treated it like being an athlete – eating right, getting enough sleep, and making sure I was in peak condition to outperform."

The Art of the Craft and the "Why" of Safety

Kendall's career is a testament to the diversity of the trade. Before transitioning to safety, he mastered rough carpentry and even explored the artistry of shotcrete. Fascinated by the natural "break" of stone, he specialized in carving man-made rocks. He traveled the East Coast from Myrtle Beach to Florida, building golf courses and water parks featuring intricate streams and waterfalls. It was a period of creativity, marked by the use of shotcrete to mimic the textures of the natural world.

However, the 1996 accident remained his most profound teacher. The recovery was grueling, involving eight months of inactivity and three separate surgeries to realign his leg with plates and screws. It also forced a reckoning with the lax safety standards of the 1990s. "I blame myself," he says. "I should have inspected that plank. Back then, there were no tie-off requirements or scaffold inspections. It was just one little nail holding the plank I was standing on."

When financial hardship followed his injury, Kendall sought a change of scenery. In 1997, he moved to San Francisco, drawn by the city’s beauty and the "boom" of tower cranes – and by the woman who became the mother of two of his children.

He spent the next 16 years as a carpenter foreman at Pankow, running major projects but encountering a familiar ceiling. "My dream was to become a superintendent, but I was never given that opportunity," he notes. "I got tired of bringing outside hires up to speed on projects I knew inside and out."

The Webcor Transition: Innovation and Influence

In 2014, Kendall walked onto Webcor’s 201 Folsom site and left his phone number. Within two hours, he was hired. He was immediately struck by the difference in culture and technology. "I was blown away by the innovation," he says. "Webcor was already moving forward with new engineered systems like Proteck and Prosure. But more than that, I felt embraced. People were actually helping you be successful."

Three months in, leadership recognized Kendall’s unique blend of field expertise and his natural ability to connect with people. Webcor Concrete Sr. VP Greg Miller approached him about transitioning into safety. While he initially wondered what he was getting into, Kendall realized his personality – often described as "too polite" – was actually his greatest asset in a safety role. He understood the "how" of building, which gave him instant credibility with the crews.

"Safety has to come from the heart," he says. "Workers find regulations stifling, so you have to explain the 'whys' and the benefits. I spend a lot of my time just coaching workers." He views himself as an "EH&S (Environmental Health & Safety) philanthropist" because he dedicates his life to helping others and providing support. This philosophy of active caring drives him to lead by example every day, even when the role is tough.

Finding Community and Allyship in The Collective

As a Black man who has navigated decades of industry shifts, Kendall is no stranger to the rougher road of discrimination. He has felt the weight of systemic racism and the pressure to be an asset who outworks everyone else. Joining The Collective, Webcor's Black employee resource group (ERG), has provided a vital space for reflection and advocacy.

"The Collective is refreshing," he says. "It’s a safe space where we can talk about shared struggles. But what makes it great is the presence of allies of different colors who sincerely want to understand our pain. Having people at high levels who want to be part of the solution shows that we aren't alone".

In addition, Kendall spearheads "Speak Up for Unity" at the BDFP project. He has been actively involved in the project's many community initiatives, and is proud to be an ally for women in construction.

Outside of work, Kendall is a devoted father and a legendary New York Jets fan. He recalls buying tickets to a game for him and his kids and arriving at his seats only to find someone else had tickets for the same seats. When a stadium manager arrived to address the problem, he and his children were given field passes. “We ended up on the Miami Dolphins sideline, but it was still one of the coolest experiences I ever had, my kid and I, and unlimited food, on the sidelines.”

He has mentored his daughters – one a medical student at UC Davis, another with a dual major in biology and international health at the University of Rochester - and his son, Joshua Green, has even followed in his footsteps into Webcor as a journeyman carpenter.

Kendall spends his weekends on new business ventures, recently opening a couple of spas with his wife, whom he married only recently. He is a man who believes in continuous improvement, whether learning to swim at age 40 (encouraged by his daughter) or mentoring young protesters on how to convey a message without resorting to violence at a demonstration.

“I attend protests to support the cause, but also to mentor attendees,” he says. “The purpose gets overlooked when a demonstration turns violent.”

As he looks toward the future, Kendall’s goal remains as grounded as the dirt he landed on 30 years ago. "I want my legacy to be that I was a genuine, caring person who looked out for people," he says. "In the field, they’re looking for someone genuine. You can't just act like it; they have to feel it".

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Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) readers have spoken: Marketing Manager Brandon Blum's photo of the SFO International Terminal Building (ITB) Roof Upgrade Project was voted as the Feb. 2 cover image! ! THANK YOU to everyone who spread the word and took the time to vote.

• Click here for the ENR article and ENR Photo Contest winners’ gallery.
• Brandon’s photo won ~40 percent of the vote, beating out nine winning photos that ENR's judges had selected from 1,100+ submissions.

This honor is a testament to Brandon's raw talent and passion for storytelling though photography, as well as to the remarkable work our crews are delivering at SFO.

Executive Assistant Sandra Blanco has lost count of the times people have brought up her hair.

Over the last two decades, she’s heard it all: “How do you wash it?” “How long did it take to get done?” “Is it fake?” “It looked better when it was curly.”

“Sometimes, people would just start touching my hair,” she recalls. “One person told me that my hairstyle reminded them of a basketball player who also had locs. I knew who they were talking about—his hair looked nothing like mine.”

The people who most often made such brazen comments? Her colleagues at her last company.

“Most of the comments and questions came from coworkers I’d never seen or met before, as there were thousands of us in a single location,” she says. “One time, I was chatting with three women from my team—all of whom were white—when one of them, who lived in Walnut Creek, said she was upset that her kids were making friends with children who lived in Pittsburg, which has a large Latino and Black population. She even said she told her kids to ask other students what city they were from before becoming friends with them because she didn’t want them  associating with kids from Pittsburg. At the time, that’s where I lived. Even now, it hurts to think about that conversation.

“I think it really said a lot about that company’s culture. It would have been amazing to have an ally back then—someone to advocate for me, especially when I wasn’t in the room.”

In late 2024, Sandra’s company informed her they’d be relocating her to Houston, TX. It felt like the perfect time to explore other options—she was tired of her coworkers’ microaggressions, and she had no interest in leaving the Bay Area.

After telling her longtime friend, Prequalification Analyst Chanelle Jones, about her situation, Chanelle encouraged her to apply for the executive assistant position at Webcor’s Alameda office. If the opportunity worked out, Chanelle assured her, she’d be spending her days in a healthy work environment with respectful, empathetic colleagues.  

• Throughout the interview process, Sandra realized everything Chanelle had told her was true. She felt comfortable with everyone she met—no judgmental stares, no thinly veiled racist comments.

She received Webcor’s offer letter a few days later. After 18 years, she decided it was time to take the leap and leave her former company.

Settling into the Alameda office felt effortless—like a wave of relief washing over her. Throughout her first week, she was warmly welcomed by her Alameda teammates and executives: EVP/Chief People Officer Mei Lin Wolff and CFO/CAO/Sr. EVP Matt Reece. For the first time, she felt genuinely accepted—even embraced—by her colleagues.

• Nearly a year later, she has yet to hear a single unwelcome comment or question about her hair. “My Webcor coworkers don’t make the statements or ask the questions my last ones did,” she says. “Here, I’m actually given room to comfortably exist as myself.”

Her first few weeks flew by as she continued learning about Webcor and befriending more coworkers. Little did she know, she’d soon find a whole new level of community in Webcor’s Black employee resource group (ERG)—The Collective.

Finding Trust & Community in The Collective

When Sandra joined her first Collective call, she was immediately struck by the frankness and openness of the members’ conversations. No topic appeared to be off-limits.  

“As I sat there and listened, something in me immediately settled,” she recalls. “I loved the unique blend of personalities and the progressive, forward-thinking mindset everyone brought to the discussion.”

Since that first meeting, her fellow Collective members have become much more than coworkers. They’ve supported her through difficult times, celebrated with her during joyful ones, offered thoughtful professional advice and guidance, and reminded her she always has a safe space with them.

• “They feel more like family than colleagues,” she says. “I don’t know if I’d feel as grounded without the community and connection they provide.”

When The Collective’s leaders (HR Specialist Dante Robinson, Outreach and Partnerships Manager Sharla Sullivan, and Assistant Quality Manager Melanie Walker) nominated Sandra to represent them at Webcor’s ERG-led Construction Inclusion Week (CIW) panel last October, she didn’t hesitate. The opportunity to represent the group that had given her so much was an honor she couldn’t pass up.  

On Oct. 14, she joined representatives from Webcor APAC (Asian-American/Pacific Islander ERG), Webcor Q&A (LGBTQ+ ERG), Fuerza (Latinx ERG), and Women of Webcor for a candid discussion led by Sr. Director, Insurance & Risk Management Andy Stoelting. As she nervously awaited her turn to speak, she realized her anxiety was far outweighed by her determination to educate attendees—on the significance of ERGs like The Collective, on the ways Black people’s reality differs from others’, and on the simple fact that people from various cultures and backgrounds exist at Webcor and deserve to be respected.

• “I’m Afro-Indigenous, born in Nicaragua, and for much of my life, people have made assumptions about who I am,” Sandra says. “Many assume I’m African-American; even within the Latino community, I’m often not immediately recognized as Latina. It’s a reminder of how complex our identities are and how important it is to create spaces where all of who we are can be acknowledged and embraced.”

As Sandra voiced her thoughts to Andy’s questions on cultural identity and The Collective’s indelible impact on her employee experience, she locked eyes with Matt Reece and Mei Lin. Both executives had shown up to not only support Sandra in person but learn from her (and her fellow panelists’) perspectives and experiences.

“Seeing Matt and Mei Lin in the audience felt incredible,” Sandra says. “Their support truly meant everything to me.”

As she rounds out her first year at Webcor, Sandra looks forward to exploring new ways to “bridge and deepen the connection” between Webcor’s Latino and Black communities and recruit/retain more Black employees—a Collective goal particularly close to her heart.

• “I’m committed to being an aspiring leader, staying true to who I am, and finding solutions to obstacles The Collective may have,” she says. “My door is always open to anyone in The Collective who needs help or encouragement.”

Webcor: The Perfect Culture Fit

After being treated like an outsider for nearly 20 years, Sandra’s first year at Webcor has felt like a breath of fresh air. Everyone from her fellow executive assistants (EAs) to her colleagues at the Alameda office have welcomed her with open arms and offered their support—without a single ignorant comment.

• “Here, I feel like every part of me is accepted: my identity, my hair, my presence, etc.,” she says. “It’s my first time experiencing such a true sense of belonging in a corporate environment.”

As Webcor’s newest EA, Sandra credits the entire EA team for going above and beyond to set her up for success and ensure she feels confident in her new role. “Sr. Executive Assistant Tanja Huni has helped me tremendously in learning how to get things done properly here!” Sandra says.

However, no one has shown up for Sandra quite like Dante, who’s had her back since day one. That day, shortly after signing into Workday to complete her new hire trainings, she was faced with several technical issues that went over her head.

“Dante stepped in with patience, kindness, and a genuine willingness to help,” Sandra recalls. “Since then, he’s supported me in more ways than he probably realizes. Dante, I hope you’re reading this!

“Dante’s inclusive leadership during The Collective meetings is the reason I attend every single one. He shows no bias, welcomes different perspectives, and creates a space where everyone feels valued. He’s been there during difficult moments in the office by simply listening, offering support, and helping me navigate challenges.

“In December, he guided me through the process of taking a two-week medical leave, showing the same positivity and professionalism he brings to everything he does. His attitude is consistently uplifting. Truly, he’s a superstar. Webcor is incredibly fortunate to have him, and I look forward to seeing where his career grows from here.

“I’m so thankful to be here at Webcor and to have found such a special community in The Collective. Every member is insightful, intelligent, and excited to contribute something valuable. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”

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