DEI Forum Invites Construction Community to Promote Inclusion


BY CAROL EATON I


n March 2022, over 140 people from five different industry associations joined in an AGC of California (AGC) Diversity,


Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Forum meeting focused on women in construction. AGC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion


(DEI) Steering Committee launched the DEI Forum in fall of 2021 to encourage learning and sharing resources about best practices to foster a culture of inclusion in the construction industry. Since then, dozens of California construction pro- fessionals have participated in quarterly gatherings dedicated to discussions on inclusion.


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY-AUGUST 2022


Te March gathering featured a dy-


namic panel including Melissa Berg, Women in Construction Operations (WiOPS); Jean Bjork, Women Construc- tion Owners & Executives (WCOE); Lauline Mitchell, National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC); Sasha Reed, Procore; Meg Vasey, Tradeswom- en, Inc.; and Erin Volk, Build California. AGC created the DEI Forum in re- sponse to a recommendation report by the AGC DEI Task Force in 2020. With its emphasis on learning and engage- ment, the forum provides a safe space for participants to share in empathetic and


“I appreciated how genuine this conversation was and the energy and enthusiasm that the Steering Committee members brought. This is the first time I felt really safe at an AGC or industry event/meeting as a nonbinary person. It felt like community.” – Sara Luther, Unger Construction Co.


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