AGC of California members embraced a volunteer event for Shriners Children’s Hospital. “It was great team building, and we


really felt like we had an impact,” Gallau said of this year’s event. “Te highlight was probably the last half hour, when we had to move quickly to get through like a quarter mile long line of cars (to re- ceive the food distribution.) Te Martha’s Kitchen staff really enjoyed the urgency we brought to it. Being in construction, we know how to organize a nice little production line and a logistical flow. Everyone who went had a really good time, and the people we were handing out food to were so appreciative.”


Statewide Effort for Shriners Children’s Hospital On a statewide level, AGC of California members embraced a volunteer event for Shriners Children’s Hospital. Member companies including Blois Construction, Granite Rock, Imacorp, and others created cards for children filled with drawings, stickers and well wishes. Speaking on the impact, Michael Wea- graff, associate director of philanthropy


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024


business & foundation giving at Shriners, commented, “Te cards that you donate are for those who are here at the hospital for long periods of time. Te fact that they can get a birthday card on their birthday and feel like a child reminds them that they are a child. It seems it’s a little thing for us, but for them, it’s a huge thing.”


College2Construct Taps Power of Mentorship Another way AGC of California Emerging Leaders and Student Chapter members are working in collaboration to create a better industry is through the asso- ciation’s newly launched mentoring program, College2Construct (C2C). The program fosters professional


growth for both college students and members of the Emerging Leaders Acad- emy by connecting aspiring professionals with experienced industry leaders. It aims to provide students with practical knowl- edge and insight while also enhancing the leadership skills of EL program leaders. Te Spring 2024 cohort saw nine mentor/


mentee pairs go through the program. Te upcoming fall cohort is expanding to include more participants to meet the growing demand. One mentor/mentee pair from C2C’s


first cohort with high praise for the pro- gram includes Yevgeny Kutsar, a senior estimator at Turner Construction who brings over a decade of experience to the mentorship role, who was paired up with Jaime Villasenor, a senior construction management student at CSU Sacramento. “I’ve always been driven by the op-


portunity to share what I’ve learned with the next generation,” said Kutsar, who in addition to his work at Turner is also an adjunct professor at CSU Sacramento. “Joining College2Construct felt like a nat- ural extension of this passion.” Te two meet regularly to discuss a wide range of topics on the construction industry. For his part, Villasenor said the men-


tor/mentee program has opened a new window into the industry and what he can expect as a new entrant once he completes his education and embarks


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