Mortenson has partnered with COBID companies since its first project in 1984. Its Community Participation Program is based on the foundational principle of intentional outreach, including workforce diversity and internship opportunities.

Its strategies include creating awareness of upcoming projects through collaborations with the National Association of Minority Contractors, Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs, Building Connected and other organizations.

“We know that ‘pay when paid’ does not work to the advantage of diverse firms,” said Dan Mehls, vice president and general manager of Mortenson’s Portland office. “We work with each firm to prioritize a 30-day payment period.”

In regard to strategic-sized bid packages and diverse business set-aside scopes, Mortenson typically sets aside subcontracts with a dollar value of $50,000 and under for COBID bidders. It partners with the Port of Portland, SafeBuild Alliance and Professional Business Development Group in mentor-protégé programs to share best practices in construction and business coaching.

As part of Mortenson’s diversity, equity and inclusion journey, it worked with trade partner OEG to offer an opportunity for an electrical apprentice who is a military veteran with PTSD to work on a local health care project. Safety accommodations were made for the veteran and his service dog, including dog-friendly safety goggles and a cart for the veteran’s tools and miscellaneous materials. The cart’s bottom shelf housed a bed for the dog to rest nearby.

Mortenson’s employees volunteer regularly at the Community Transitional School in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood. The school plays an important role in the community by providing educational services to children who are houseless or face housing insecurity.

Among other support, Mortenson partners with the school to lead a supply drive each fall, which raises money for everything from COVID-19 protective supplies to Chromebooks. In 2021, project teams across the city raised $9,000 for the Community Transitional School Supply Drive.

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BRIC Architecture, a COBID company and Oregon’s largest women-owned architecture firm, boasts a staff that is 50 percent women. One-third of its leadership team are women of color, and more than 20 percent of its staff are people of color.

“While we’re certainly proud of the representation we’ve cultivated, we recognize that there is still work to do,” said Karina Ruiz, founding principal. “To continue to dismantle the systemic racism in our industry, BRIC’s leadership has committed to radically different hiring, recruitment and retention policies.”

These include partnering with historically Black universities and architecture programs with diverse populations to share professional opportunities with BIPOC students. BRIC assembles diverse candidate review panels, hides certain resume elements to combat bias, and has developed a consistent set of interview questions and objectives to evaluate candidates.

Dedicated to building relationships and active outreach, BRIC has connected with emerging COBID companies through organizations such as the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Partners in Diversity and the National Organization of Minority Architects Portland chapter.

Examples of the firm’s ability to track and exceed its clients’ COBID utilization goals include Portland Public Schools’ Long-Range Facility Plan, which had an original certified business utilization goal of 18 percent. BRIC achieved 62 percent.

For the Newberg School District 2020 bond projects, the original certified business utilization goal was 20 percent. BRIC achieved 66 percent, and COBID firms made up 50 percent of the subconsultant team.

BRIC also seeks opportunities to build a pipeline of BIPOC youth and young women who are interested in architecture. It works alongside programs such as Your Street Your Voice, Wild X Project, Girls Build, ACE Mentors and Architects in Schools.

In partnership with Your Street Your Voice and Adjaye Associates, BRIC created “Designing for Equity,” which provides an eight-week paid opportunity for high school students in Portland’s Albina community.

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As a white woman and daughter of one of Perlo’s founders, Elissa Looney recognizes that she has great privilege and understands that with that comes great responsibility. Her involvement in the COBID community ranges from advocacy for women in construction as past president of CREW Portland to membership with the Associated General Contractors Diversity and Inclusion Committee, philanthropic work and internal DEI initiatives.

One of her strategies is to raise awareness of unconscious bias. Looney compiled extensive research and created a DEI presentation for Perlo’s executives and directors that focuses on unconscious bias and how to recognize them in daily interactions with team members.

Looney started a Women in Construction blog series that interviews Perlo female employees about their experiences working in a predominately white, male industry. She also has pushed for a stronger emphasis on NAWIC’s Women in Construction Week, reaching out to Perlo’s male employees to talk about the value women bring to the industry.

At the age of 23, Looney was the only female project manager at Perlo and created its Special Projects Group, a department that surpasses $21 million in annual revenue. She pushed to hire and supervise two more female project managers, and ensured they were getting the same opportunities for growth that she was afforded.

“Elissa took me under her wing as a new project manager with no experience in the construction industry,” said Whitney Peterson. “Her guidance and mentorship have helped me to grow and excel in this industry. Elissa goes over and beyond to make women feel valued and ensure that their voice is heard.”

Looney is pursuing a more robust COBID subcontractor recruitment program by creating a tracking system, checking for licensing, making sure qualified subcontractors are added to the bid list, and building Perlo’s mentorship program for COBID companies.

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As developer Killian Pacific sought to strengthen its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, it turned to NAMC-Oregon to learn more about equity analysis and how to better implement those measures into its business practices.

“In addition to minority-owned subcontractor relationships, NAMC was invaluable in bringing insight on how best to incorporate DEI into our contractor RFP process and general contractor agreements,” said Michi Slick, Killian Pacific’s director of development.

“NAMC was able to provide critical input on how to ensure success for the projects by supporting all parties involved – general contractor, subcontractors and owner – as well as methods for allocating and managing risk,” she added.

Killian Pacific implemented these practices in two recent projects, Volta and Ninebark, with immediate success. Volta is an adaptive reuse of an electrical industrial warehouse at 1709 S.E. Third Ave. Originally constructed in 1940, the building will provide 30,000 square feet of Class A office space for project designer Bora and other tenants.

Killian Pacific updated its contractor bidding process and established inclusive jobsite training, expectations and agreements. The general contractor, Turner Construction, committed to a 41 percent MWESB participation rate, and at least 25 percent of hard costs have been awarded to subcontractors that are majority owned by underrepresented communities.

In addition, construction teams have participated in monthly DEI trainings and workshops. Killian Pacific established ongoing collaborations with Turner and Bora around its social impact goals and tracking progress and learnings.

Through Ninebark, a new 246-unit multifamily development near Camas and Washougal, Washington, Killian Pacific is voluntarily providing affordable housing options to meet the community’s needs and overarching equity goals.

Killian Pacific also committed to Ninebark achieving multiple sustainability certifications, including Salmon-Safe and Fitwel, and is aiming for Net Zero in recognition of water quality protection, wellness in design and energy conservation.

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This large-scale project for the Port of Portland provided prime opportunities to engage and grow the capacity of minority-owned, women-owned, small businesses and disadvantaged firms.

To maximize participation by COBID firms, scopes of work were scaled appropriately. By creating smaller packages that fit the capacity and abilities of more MWESB firms, PACR awarded work to 76 contractors and 15 designers totaling more than $2.4 million. Among other examples, PACR provided an opportunity for JE Dunn Construction to mentor the project’s COBID landscape and irrigation trade partner.

“They picked up an incomplete and poor-quality installation from a previous partner, corrected all issues and finished their scope of work,” the firm stated. “They were awarded further scopes on enabling work, and eventually became the successful bidder on the main landscape and irrigation package – over $1 million – as well.”

Since then, the trade partner has used JE Dunn as a reference on other bids and projects. JE Dunn has been called by three separate general contractors asking for information about them and seeking recommendations.

A project with the size and visibility of PACR has the ability to make lasting change. The goal is to continue to help communities of color build their abilities and capabilities. It has offered COBID firms the opportunity to gain experience and grow their reputations on a very complex project.

In addition to fostering lasting relationships that can provide mentorship and assistance to help COBID firms continue to grow and build their bottom lines in the future, the PACR project “unearthed an opportunity to educate additional large-scale providers of the importance of inclusion and the benefits of diversity of their own teams as well,” JE Dunn stated.

“The new relationships and partnerships built on PACR can continue into future projects and have lasting effects for the community,” JE Dunn added.

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From building backyard forts to constructing several pieces of furniture, Josh Guerra has always loved designing things. Architecture is a natural fit because it allows him to combine his passions for art and applied science.

“As an industry professional and outspoken person of color at Otak, Josh has taken significant efforts to educate and inform the team members of Otak regarding appropriate strategies and methods for addressing equity, diversity and inclusion,” said colleague and designer Zaq Dohallow.

Guerra’s background includes education in philosophy and etymology, which have equipped him with the skills necessary to approach the subject of DEI with an academic lens. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, industrial and product design, and graphic design from the University of Notre Dame. He earned his master’s degree in architecture from Texas A&M University.

Professionally, Guerra excels at providing team support in technical areas while also participating in the firm’s Equity and Inclusion Committee to contribute to the ways the firm addresses inequities identified in the architecture and engineering professions.

“Otak is a multidisciplinary firm, and Josh has been able to collaborate with team members from other disciplines to assist in understanding how to address equity and inclusion concerns firm-wide,” Dohallow said.

Guerra’s project portfolio with Otak includes Hyatt Place, a mixed-use building in the Pearl District. The 23-story building will house a Hyatt Place Hotel on the first 11 floors, topped by 12 floors of housing and amenity space.

He stays busy outside of work supporting his community of St. Johns, volunteering for Friends of Trees, playing an active role in Design Week and assisting with transition housing villages in Portland.

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With 42 percent of its staff women and people of color, Walsh’s dedication to workforce diversity and inclusion of MWESB/SDVBE firms is rooted in its 60-year history of building and contributing to vibrant, inclusive communities.

On every project, Walsh engages its well-developed bid database and trusted community relationships with PBDG, NAMC-OR, OAME and LatinoBuilds. It also holds mentoring programs for subcontractors and Section 3 businesses.

Afton Walsh leads the company’s community outreach and, as a builder herself, is trained in anti-bias and micro-aggression avoidance. She is dedicated to building trust with COBID firms and often applies her construction knowledge through mentorship.

In 2000, Walsh joined forces with O’Neill Construction Group to create O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders (OWCB), which builds on both companies’ strengths and enables O’Neill to learn about processes and programs necessary to succeed on larger-scale projects.

“We partner with companies looking to improve the communities in which we live and work,” said Jennifer Cornilles, Walsh’s corporate marketing director. “Affordable housing is our main market sector, offering critical housing for those in dire need. Many of our employees serve on boards in efforts to inform construction programs in the area and provide guidance.”

In addition to its work with pre-apprenticeship programs, Walsh has invested in programs that promote construction careers to area youth. These include its partnership with Benson High School’s CTE program, which brings Walsh’s project engineers into the classroom each week to develop relationships with students and educate them about career opportunities in the trades.

Walsh also is a partner in EmpowerHER, a workforce development program based on the premise that students decide the one thing in their neighborhood they would want to change through design. Then industry members and companies combine efforts to offer a community-based design and construction workshop to make that change happen.

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Located in the tidal floodplain of the Columbia River Estuary, the 15-mile-long Elochoman River is home to runs of steelhead, Sitka spruce swamps, complex forests and tidal wetlands. Columbia Land Trust began working there in 2004 when it purchased 185 acres and, since then, has been restoring wetlands and forested areas.

Its RFQ for the current floodplain restoration project sought a qualified and inclusive design-build team to support the project from concept to completion. Construction is slated to begin in June.

Jeremy Tjaden, owner of Evergreen Developers, recognized Columbia Land Trust for its partnering excellence and noted that the organization fosters an inclusive environment where engagement in industry associations and direct practice of inclusion for underrepresented professionals makes way for great opportunity.

“On the representation perspective for the project as a whole, all parties of the winning team are underrepresented within our communities. This capacity is above and beyond any effort we have been a part of to solicit and hire certified firms,” he said.

Tjaden added that, from a technical standpoint, Columbia Land Trust has taken the team of certified firms well beyond the metropolitan boundary and into the tidal reaches of the Elochoman Valley. The project provides a rare opportunity for owners, scientists, engineers and contractors to interact and understand the complexities of designing and building floodplain and tidal enhancements for endangered species.

“This project, through the design-build RFQ, gives the underrepresented community a chance to collaborate with industry professionals and owners not commonly associated due to standard sequencing of a project from the perspective of its entirety,” he said. “It also offers great wages for members of the COBID community, as federal wage rate requirements apply.”

The process also mitigates technical issues common to projects sent to bid after design by allowing stakeholders to discuss standard practice.

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Jeremy Tjaden, owner and president of Evergreen Developers, began his career about two decades ago as a laborer for a Sandy-based earth moving and utility corporation. From there, he worked his way into pipe laying and operating equipment.

During that time, he took a season to operate snowcats at Mt. Hood Meadows and joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves as a heavy equipment operator. Those experiences proved invaluable as he established Evergreen Developers in 2017. The COBID company performs site work on private and public jobs and specializes in earth moving, underground utilities, habitat restoration and storm water mitigation.

“During almost a decade of equipment consulting, I found that seeking out and managing resources was exciting, fun and valued,” he said. “I started Evergreen Developers so I could leverage experience and knowledge to create opportunity for my family and others.”

As a member of the National Association of Minority Contractors-Oregon, Evergreen is committed to strengthening other subcontractors within the COBID community and helping them grow.

In late 2019, Columbia Land Trust posted an RFQ that solicited a design-bid-build team to restore tidal reaches within the Lower Columbia Estuary. Evergreen Developers engaged with design firm Inter-fluve to develop a 100 percent underutilized lineup of professionals, which exceeded the RFQ representation requirements for diversity and ultimately received the RFQ award.

Evergreen provided site assessments, design review and feasibility studies during the design-bid-build approach, which led to a reduction in estimated production time by 37 percent. Evergreen’s understanding of the site conditions and best practices allowed the company to find more than $250,000 in cost reduction savings.

“As Evergreen expertly demonstrated, these value-engineered solutions create a win for all stakeholders and provide an excellent avenue for minority contractors to grow their businesses and expertise,” said James Cador, NAMC-OR’s program coordinator.

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Scott Ashford is credited with transforming the recruitment, hiring, faculty advancement, and promotion and tenure practices to make unprecedented progress in the representation of and support for a broadly diverse faculty in OSU’s College of Engineering.

Ashford also led the college in changing its curriculum to better incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion, increasing accessibility of education through greater online offerings, and new scholarship opportunities for traditionally underrepresented students.

“These efforts to advance DEI throughout the college and its curriculum have influenced the larger engineering profession, as OSU engineers carry this unique dedication to incorporating DEI in all aspects of their engineering work,” said Julie Ann Brandis, OSU’s executive director of strategic partnerships.

Among several initiatives, Ashford led the college in creating and delivering several new and revised faculty development workshops to promote inclusive and equitable practices in its education and research activities. This academic year, the college has coordinated multiple inclusive teaching workshops specifically targeting new faculty, but available to anyone in the college.

As a result of Ashford’s change in recruitment efforts, the percentage of women on the faculty has increased substantially. As of January, nearly 26 percent of faculty – more than 50 individuals – are women. This puts the college among the top public engineering colleges in the country in percentage of tenured or tenure-track faculty who are women.

In 2019, the American Society of Engineering Education selected the college as an “exemplar” recipient of a Bronze Award in its inaugural ASEE Diversity Recognition Program. In 2017, the college’s School of Civil and Construction Engineering won the Women in Build Award from Build magazine.

Personally, Ashford has been recognized with the Society of Women Engineers Rodney D. Chipp Memorial Award, specifically for his contributions to the acceptance and advancement of women in engineering professions.

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