On our Friday afternoon country roads drive, my mother-in-law (Laura) and I spotted several lone corn stalks growing amongst acres and acres of beans.  I have written about this scene before but the sight struck another chord within me as I continue to ponder the state of affairs of our participation program for minority and women-owned firms on our commercial construction sites in our marketplace. The challenge to thrive and survive was heavy for these few corn stalks.  It was pretty…

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Jobsite Culture “Establishing and maintaining a positive job-site culture means that everyone gets to experience a workplace that is inclusive and respectful.  We know what a good jobsite culture feels like–it’s the job that everyone wants to be on because it looks and feels welcoming.  We also know that good culture leads to a safer and more productive job, one that provides higher value to our clients and allows each and every worker to perform their best work. Everyone must actively…

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“There are times in life where the awesome majesty of God’s world rises up to greet you.  When reality seems of no meaning; when your mind reaches beyond; when simple words, no matter how poetic or flowing, fail to capture the feelings within.  When you realize with total absence of fear, that there is just so much to life…and your hopes, and your dreams come alive…and you feel no bounds…and you can fly…and you can fly…  RJU I woke up Wednesday…

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A As it says in the book of Ecclesiastes, there is an appointed time for everything under the heavens, a time to live and a time to die; a time to love; a time to laugh; a time to listen to political ads; and a time to vote.  Our time to vote across all states is less than a week away.  Yes, it is finally time to vote—I know what you are thinking–it seems like yesterday when the various campaigns…

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Tomorrow, I will wake up in a king size bread with clean sheets, fluffy pillows and a pocket full of fresh dreams.  The city of Kirkwood where I live is not at war or in need of financial assistance of any kind; my neighbors have food and drink on their table; playsets for the kids; and my friends and my family are free to approach the day as we see fit. Freedom.  A privilege we so often take for granted. …

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To all my DEI friends, Thinking about our meeting last week, I wanted to pass on some of my thoughts or maybe I will call them my wishes/goals/ideas/hopes for DEI movement in 2024. Here they be: Help to foster the type of welcoming jobsite culture that we talk about so frequently by raising the awareness and the importance of the term “EQUITY.”  I would love to see more of a “helpful” and “mentoring” attitude to making sure the MWBE firms that…

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N Looking back on the year that will soon come to a close, I feel good about what we were able to accomplish together in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion arena through PEOPLE and WBEDC. Delmar Divine came into our lives and provided us with a home for our work. TableTop discussions were born and gave us a reason to gather, mix, get to know each other and to learn a little bit about business ways in this ever-changing industry. …

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Whatever happened to PEOPLE meetings–those great gatherings of MWBE firms and majority owned firms mixed in with city, county, and industry professionals of every sort? The answer is simple, they were washed away by the great pandemic flood of 2020. What was not washed away though was the need for such gatherings. Come join me and the diversity representatives from the major GC’s/CM’s/Owners/City/Country in our first PEOPLE meeting since the early days of pre-pandemic 2020. This grand re-opening of PEOPLE…

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In these post pandemic times, I have decided to focus my PEOPLE meetings on smaller groups, which I am calling TableTop Discussions.  The meetings will be held at the new and beautifully furnished Delmar DivINe complex located at 5501 Delmar.  Yes, located on the north side of Delmar. My meetings will involve discussions of selected business topics and will be offered free of charge to the minority contracting community and all who wish to attend.  My goal is to bring…

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DEI thoughts by Ron Unterreiner of PEOPLE of Construction For all of us working in this segment of the industry we call Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the recent article involving management of HBD Company (now known as RHBD Company) was a swift kick in our collective sides.  This is not a story any of us want to read on the front page of the Post and it certainly raises the question once again as to whether this concept of MINORITY PARTICIPATION is…

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