In 2019, he joined his mom, wife and


younger brother at Ghirardelli Associates, as a safety representative and construction inspector. When the company recently became a member of AGC of California, he welcomed the opportunity to become a Build California ambassador. Being part of the ambassador program


allows Butcher to share his story with young people at outreach events such as one at Oakmont High School that he recently attended. Just like some of the students he talked with there, Butcher knew that college wasn’t the right choice for him out of high school. “Not everyone is going to college – but


it’s not just McDonald’s or the military,” he said. A career in construction is a viable choice. “Tis is a solid option to buy yourself a house, a nice car and to have all the things that you want to have to live comfortably.” Butcher offered this advice to young


people: “You don’t have to have a college degree; you just have to listen twice as much as you speak. Tat’s a hard lesson I had to learn, but it’s the best lesson I ever did learn.” He said he admires Build California’s


efforts to address the industry’s workforce needs. “I’ve seen a lot of people talk about how to help kids get into apprenticeship programs or how to fill empty apprentice- ship program seats. But Build California is actually doing something about it,” he said. “Te program is the first one I’ve seen in existence that’s actively moving on anything right now.”


Diana Gonzalez, Turner Construction Diana Gonzalez has always been passion- ate about volunteering and sharing her story with others – especially with girls and young women who may not be aware of the many well-paying and rewarding opportunities that are available to them


“We have industry leaderswho are very excited to give back and whowant to be part of something bigger that is ultimately going to change the future of our industry. Our ambassador programhas really helped Build California spark enthusiasmand interest statewide.” – Abigail Palomares, Senior Build California Manager


in the construction industry. Growing up in the small Yuba County


town of Wheatland, CA, Gonzalez said she never pictured herself pursuing a career in construction even though she comes from a family of laborers, carpenters and electricians. She started college at Chico State planning to pursue a degree in elec- trical engineering, but soon moved over to civil engineering and eventually to the school’s construction management pro- gram, which she found to be a perfect fit. It was at Chico State that she first got


involved in Build California, as well as serving as a founding board member of the women in construction group. After graduation, she joined Turner Con- struction’s Sacramento office, where she recently moved into the role of business development engineer. As a Build California ambassador,


Gonzalez takes every opportunity to make a difference. She recently attended a career event at Wheatland High School (her own former high school) and found it gratifying to connect with students


and offer input on what it’s like to work in the construction industry – especially as a female. “Girls would come up and say ‘oh, I take metal shop class here,’” she said. “I shared some of the information I know about the growing numbers of women in construction and how it’s a booming industry – just really trying to encourage them to consider it as a career choice.” Involvement in the Build California


program has been well worth the time in- vestment, Gonzalez added. “Even if you just influence one or two people, it is definitely worth it. Younger people are drawn to (Build California), and the whole program is just so eye-catching and interactive – especially having that platform on social media where it is so easy to use.” In the coming year, Gonzalez plans to get even more involved in outreach groups, both internally at Turner and with continued active involvement with Build California. “It is a passion of mine to spread the word about the opportunities in this career path,” she concluded.


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY-AUGUST 2022


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