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Joel Andersen, chief executive officer with Andersen Construction, calls Kelly Kupcak a tireless promoter of diversity, equality and inclusion in the construction industry, noting she takes an active part in supporting all women in the field even if they are not connected to her organization.

鈥淪he works tirelessly to grow the awareness within our community but in a loving and compassionate manner, meeting people where they are and then looking to grow with them on their journey,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he has been instrumental in the growth and development of the Safe from Hate campaign. I am so proud of the work that she does, with never thinking one moment about herself.鈥�

Andersen described an incident that took place on a jobsite in May 2020 that involved one of OTI鈥檚 apprentices and two others who were not part of its program. He called the incident 鈥渃ompletely unacceptable鈥� and said he reached out to Kupcak 鈥渂racing for impact.鈥�

鈥淲hat I received on the other end of the call was the most compassionate individual I鈥檝e come across. In the eye of the storm, she maintained her cool and was ready to stand with me and walk with me on what has become an incredible journey,鈥� he said.

Andersen met with Kupcak and the three apprentices and Kupcak engaged each of them in the conversation with strength and compassion.
鈥淣one of that was her job, but she cared and it showed through,鈥� he noted. 鈥淜elly is doing the work because she wants life to be better for everyone. She is an incredible example of servant leadership.鈥�

Kupcak, who joined OTI in 2017 after working for Chicago Women in Trades and has more than two decades of nonprofit management experience, also is leading the RISE Up (Respect, Inclusion, Safety and Equity) training for the region.