of the company – because people will see the leadership qualities in you and you will go far.’” She originally planned to become a
doctor, studying pre-med at Tufts Uni- versity in Massachusetts while working full-time throughout college. During her junior year, Sullivan changed course, ultimately attaining degrees in sociology and Spanish. It was at this critical juncture that she realized how important intern- ships and hands-on experience were for helping people understand if that career was right for them. She moved back home to California
after graduation and at 24, welcomed the first of her now three children into the world. For several years she worked long hours as a retail store manager. “It was the hardest job I ever had, but it taught me about the value of people in any industry, how operations work, and how you can create partnerships and motivate people through community,” she recalled. A friend from a local disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) construction firm approached Sullivan to perform government and community relations work on the $1.5 billion Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Earthquake Safety Pro- gram. Drawn to the opportunity, she accepted her first job in the construction industry and hasn’t looked back. Leaning into her lifelong love of learn-
ing, Sullivan spent many lunch hours on the BART project learning everything she could about the industry by attending “lunch and learns” on topics ranging from how to read blueprints to how to use construction tools, digital software and more, eventually earning her project manager certificate. She went on to join a different DBE
firm, VSCE, Inc, managing government and community relations for the tri-venture contractor on phase one of the $2.3 billion BART Silicon Valley Extension project,
“A friend is someone who uplifts others, who helps guide and create partnerships in the world around them. I am truly honored and humbled to win this award, which affirms that lifting the people around you is what makes the world a better place.” – Sharla Sullivan
followed by nearly a decade of manag- ing communications and implementing educational programming related work at the East Bay Municipal Utility District. Sullivan joined Webcor in 2022 as
outreach and partnerships manager, where she delights in building solutions and bettering lives by leveraging her wealth of knowledge and expertise around community engagement, workforce de- velopment, and building relationships and partnerships within the industry. It was at VSCE that she first volunteered
with the ACE Mentor Program. (ACE stands for Architecture, Construction and Engineering – the three cornerstones of the construction industry.) Over the years, she has been instrumental in helping lead the program in the Oakland region, working closely with one of her own career men- tors, Emiliano Sanchez. Together, she and Sanchez, coordinator of career technical education trades and apprenticeships with Oakland Unified School District (2023 AGC of California Construction Education Friend Award recipient), have grown the Oakland ACE Mentor program team to one of the largest teams in the nation – with over 50 students, representing more than 17 local high schools, while guiding and promoting the next wave of architecture, engineering, and construction profession- als. Last year alone, Oakland team students were awarded 16 local and one national scholarships, and Sullivan was honored as one of the five national 2024 Engineering News-Record ACE Outstanding Mentors.
Sullivan’s introduction to AGC of
California was many years ago when she was working on a summer camp collab- orative program being run by AGC and ACE at San Jose State University. Since then, she has participated in a wide array of AGC Construction Education Foun- dation programs. Tat includes serving as a Build California Ambassador and representing Webcor as a speaker for AGC of California’s SUB Forums, hosting jobsite tours for students, attending job fairs, participating in Small Business Construction Expo (SBCX) events, and serving on the AGC of California DEIB Steering Committee, to name just a few. She continues to serve as a board member for Rising Sun Center for Op- portunity, as an ACE Mentor Program regional board member, and maintains a variety of other industry-facing roles. All these many volunteer efforts and indus- try collaborations – and particularly the many mentorships she has fostered and lives she has touched as realized careers in the industry – have inspired a strong sense of purpose and connectedness for Sullivan throughout her career. “I see myself as a conduit, connecting people and providing that space for men- torship and guidance,” she said. “To quote Ghandi, ‘We have to be the change we want to see in the world.’ I really, strongly believe that we are connectors to others, and that my purpose in life is to make sure that if I have these connections, I introduce people and opportunities.”
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