Approximately 130 building industry professionals in Oregon and Southwest Washington gathered Friday to celebrate people, organizations and project teams at the 91视频’s annual Building Diversity event.

Attendees engaged in networking, dined, and watched as 21 honorees were recognized at the Oregon Golf Club in West Linn. The 91视频 handed out awards to trailblazers for equality, companies that have created a path for underrepresented groups, agencies that have made an impact upon the people, companies and communities they serve, and projects that provided opportunities for inspiration, motivation and action.

Eight individuals who received awards were: Rebekah Kilgore, senior purchasing agent for Hoffman Construction; Afton Walsh, community outreach director and project manager for Walsh Construction, and co-manager of O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders; Shannon Horton, designer for Holst Architecture; Shannon Williams, senior long-range planner for the city of Vancouver, Washington; Tami Chen, senior associate and project architect for NBBJ; Lindsay Verdugo, senior community empowerment specialist for Mortenson; Martell Dyles, senior manager of diversity and inclusion for JE Dunn Construction’s West region; and Leon Araiza, president and owner of Advanced Tribal LLC.

The 10 companies that received awards were: Deacon Construction LLC, O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders, Howard S. Wright Construction, Stacy & Witbeck Inc., LEVER Architecture, ACMS Northwest, David Evans and Associates Inc., NAMC Oregon, Diverse Works, and Colas Construction.

Also, three project teams received awards: Yaquina Hall, Lincoln High School, and Ninebark.

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The Daily Journal of Commerce will recognize 46 outstanding women in the architecture, engineering, construction and related support industries on Oct. 26 during its 10th annual Women of Vision event at The Sentinel, 614 S.W. 11th Ave., in downtown Portland.

Women of Vision is the region’s preeminent recognition and educational program that supports the women who are shaping the built environment with their technical skill, leadership, mentorship, community involvement, and influence in creation of opportunities in the industries for future generations of women.

This year’s Lois Cohen Lifetime Achievement honoree is Alison Davis, who has served 25 years as executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Oregon. The Industry Impact Award will be presented to KPFF Consulting Engineers partner Anne Monnier.

New this year are Circle of Excellence winners. These honorees have previously received WOV awards and are being recognized again for their leadership in the industry. This year’s winners are Kathleen Stuart, founder and CEO, Stuart Collective; Tiffani Penson, people and culture manager, city of Portland; Melynda Retallack, owner, Ink:Built Architecture; and Jessie Steiger, senior project manager, Klosh Group.

This year’s Women of Vision award recipients are:

• Shelly Alexander, project manager and senior transportation engineer (roads and highways), David Evans and Associates Inc.
• Kelly Amador, senior project manager, senior associate roads and highways, David Evans and Associates
• Janique Bacharach, CEO, Bacharach Construction
• Anna Backus, associate and civil project manager, KPFF Consulting Engineers
• Stephanie Balbin, senior job captain, SERA Architects
• Susan Barnes, principal, director of architecture, Skylab Architecture
• Stephanie Coyle, vice president, Hoffman Construction
• Carol Duncan, CEO, General Sheet Metal
• Tonie Esteban, principal, BRIC Architecture
• Katie Hall, principal architect, PIVOT Architecture
• Isis Harris, owner and journey electrician, 3v3ryday Grind LLC and IBEW Local 48
• Jodie Inman, chief engineer, city of Portland
• Ashley Johnson, carpenter journeyman lead, Mortenson
• Amber Kelel, director of business development, Systems West Engineers
• Kristine Kennedy, president/owner, Highway Heavy Hauling
• Beth Lavelle, sustainability manager, SERA Architects
• Stacy Lewallen, controller, Fortis Construction
• Lauren Loosveldt, associate principal, Opsis Architecture
• Kate MacKinnon-Kiser, manager of engineering and construction, TriMet
• Ryan Matthews, superintendent, Walsh Construction
• Amanda McCaffrey, estimator, Lease Crutcher Lewis
• Caitlin McCann, marketing manager, Lorentz Bruun Construction
• Carissa Mylin, principal, SERA Architects
• Kristy Nelson, strategic talent partner, Swinerton
• Elizabeth Nye, executive director, Lan Su Chinese Garden
• Shaneka Odom, operations engineer/major projects engineer, Federal Highway Administration
• Sarah Olbekson, senior director of HR, Skanska
• Donna Olson, manager of project finance operations, Mortenson
• Amanda Owings, business unit leader for transportation and infrastructure, Otak Inc.
• Elissa Peters, PE, project manager, PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc.
• Nita Posada, director of interiors, principal, Skylab Architecture
• Heather Randol, facilities director, Portland State University
• Brittany Shreiner, principal, Holst Architecture
• Margaret Steinhilber, senior project architect, Otak Inc.
• Lillian Stevenson, CEO, Berrien Concrete
• Diana Strassmaier, partner, Aldrich CPAs + Advisors
• Karen Tatman, principal engineer, Consor
• Saretta Tillmaand, project architect, Otak Inc.
• Andrea Wallace, owner, Ink:Built Architecture
• Heather Wills, senior vice president, WSP

Judges for this year’s entries were several previous WOV winners 鈥� Bernadette Donald, senior construction inspector and construction manager with Emerio Design; Debbie Hutchins, vice president of business development with Skanska; Janine White, safety manager and senior environmental/regulatory specialist with PBS Engineering and Environmental; Laurie Kendall, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter; Libby Winter, community affairs coordinator for transit equity, inclusion and community affairs at TriMet; Melinda Dailey, former executive director of the Northwest Utility Contractors Association and 2022 WOV Lifetime Achievement honoree; Miranda Wells, project manager with the Oregon Department of Transportation; and Seyon Belai, CEO of Zana Construction 鈥� along with 91视频 Event Manager Michelle Kreitzer.

Sponsorships are still available for this year’s event. To learn more, contact publisher Bill Gaier at bgaier@finance-commerce.com or Michelle Kreitzer at mkreitzer@dailyreporter.com. Tickets to the event will be available soon at /event/women-of-vision/.

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The Daily Journal of Commerce has opened the nomination period for its annual 鈥淏uilding Diversity鈥� recognition program that celebrates and examines diversity, equity and inclusion within the local building industry. The 2023 virtual program will take place live on Thursday, March 30, and honor individuals, companies, agencies, and projects that have created value for their clients as well as the industries and communities they represent.

The core function of this program is to share the innovative initiatives and methods the honorees have used to overcome systemic barriers that affect numerous professionals in the building industry. Learn more about the event at聽/building-diversity/.

The 91视频 is eager to hand out more of its 鈥�Building Diversity鈥� awards and is inviting the community to nominate local leaders, organizations and projects that are advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in architecture, construction, engineering and related industries. To submit a free nomination, visit . The deadline is Friday, Feb. 10.

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The Daily Journal of Commerce on Wednesday honored its 2022 Women of Vision Award winners. The awards honor women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington via technical skill, leadership, mentorship, community involvement, and promotion of industry diversity.

The in-person celebration took place at the Sentinel Hotel in Portland. Emily Pilloton-Lam, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Girls Garage, was the keynote speaker.

Two special awards were given during this year’s event. Melinda Daily of NWUCA received the Lois Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award and Laura Kerr of Stoel Rives LLP received the Jean Richardson Industry Impact Award.

Other honorees were:

Seyon Belai, ZANA Construction

Amanda Blankenship, David Evans and Associates

T茅jara Brown, FFA Architecture and Interiors

Barb Casey, Kennedy Restoration

Bernadette Donald, Emerio Design

Maria Ellis, Oregon Department of Transportation

Mahsa Eshghi, MacKay Sposito

Kimberly Farris, State of Oregon Apprenticeship and Training Division

Kathy Fry, Mayer/Reed

Mackenzie Hart, Swinerton

Meghan Herteg, Walsh Construction

Amanda Hills, ZGF

Debbie Hutchins, Skanska

Amanda Ingmire, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Britni Jessup, Rowell Brokaw Architects

June Kalkhoven, Oxbow Construction

Rebecca Kerr, CIDA Architects & Engineers

Kendra Lackey, Amaterra

Ali LaManna, Portland CSI

Berenice Lopez Dorsey, Home Energy Life Performance (H.E.L.P.) Group; Move-In Ready LLC; LatinoBuilt Association & Foundation

Vicki Lourwood, Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty Company

Kelsey Machuca, Cresa

Kendall Miller, Interlaken

Sonya Miller, Hoffman Construction

Kristen Mohr, PACE Engineers

Mary-Rain O’Meara, Central City Concern

Heather Oden, Ball Janik LLP

Paula Parrott, Apex Companies LLC

Brandi Pine, Walsh Construction

Cindy Regier, Independent Electrical Contractors of Oregon

Erin Reome, SERA Architects

Amelie Reynaud, Hacker Architects & Interior Design

Shelli Romero, Oregon Department of Transportation

Michelle Schulz, GBD Architects

Carolyn Sizemore, Mortenson

Sarah Slaughter, Rosendin

Laura Squillace, Green Hammer

Kathleen Stuart, Stuart Collective

Kimberly Sutton, Port of Portland

Keisha Thomas, Mazzetti

Christina Villeneuve, GRI

LaRae Wakeman, Anchor Insurance & Surety

Sarah Weber, Hacker Architects & Interior Design

Miranda Wells, Oregon Department of Transportation

Janine White, PBS Engineering and Environmental

Millicent Williams, Otak

Michelle Willis, David Evans and Associates

Margaret Wilson, Scott Edwards Architecture

Libby Winter, TriMet

Jessica Woodruff, Community Development Partners

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Sustainable Building Week is returning to the Portland-metro area in 2022. Beginning Oct. 10, experts and organizations representing sustainability 鈥� including architecture, design, construction, education and community planning 鈥� will lead and participate in a wide variety of events in person and/or online.

Six years ago, co-founders Terry Campbell and Webly Bowles saw the need for a collaborative space where industry professionals could connect to positively impact environmental sustainability in the region. Campbell and Bowles believed they could provide a platform for like-minded experts to learn about the work being done outside of their expertise, Campbell said.

Since its first year in 2018, Sustainable Building Week has hosted 108 events for an estimated 2,500 attendees. Collaborators design their own events, which differ each year. But themes often repeat, such as wildfire 鈥� this year one event will spotlight a film about living with the threat of wildfire.

Attendees can sign up for individual events, which will take place in the Portland area, virtually or in both formats. Admission for most events 鈥� primarily building tours or presentations 鈥� is free, with nominal fees charged for specialized training and select opportunities.

Bowles said she is most excited about the large number of events this year. Some include: a tour of zero-energy and 鈥減ath to zero鈥� homes led by Solar Oregon (Oct. 8-9; $25-$60); a tour of new homes showcasing sustainability, comfort and durability (Oct. 14-16; $25); a cluster of quick, informal presentations featuring sustainable schools (Oct. 12; free); and a panel discussion on reimagining schoolyards (Oct. 11).

To see a full list of events and register for them, visit .

鈥淭here’s a new heightened interest this year,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淭he environmental issues we’re facing are not going away.鈥�

This past spring, organizers launched a companion event called Sustainable Building Monthly: a series of short talks at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in the PAE Living Building. Presentations introduce projects, and there are opportunities for networking.

鈥淲e’re very passionate about sustainability,鈥� Bowles said. 鈥淭here’s a lot of passion in Portland.鈥�

Representatives of several disciplines return to Sustainable Building Week year after year. They include AIA Oregon, Oregon Green Schools, Portland Materials Transparency Collaborative, Solar Oregon, U.S. Green Building Council, the Portland chapter of American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Electrify Now, and ZERO Coalition.

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The Daily Journal of Commerce has announced its Women of Vision Award winners for 2022. The awards honor women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington via technical skill, leadership, mentorship, community involvement, and promotion of industry diversity.

An in-person celebration will take place Oct. 26 at the Sentinel Hotel, 614 S.W. 11th Ave., in Portland, from 5 to 8 p.m. Emily Pilloton-Lam, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Girls Garage, will be the keynote speaker. There will also be a cocktail hour, a smirk photo booth, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and award presentations.

Individual tickets cost $125. Learn more and register by visiting /women-of-vision/. Learn about sponsorship opportunities by contacting Bill Beyer at 503-802-7232 or bbeyer@djcOregon.com.

Two special awards will be given during this year’s event. Melinda Daily of NWUCA will receive the Lois Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award and Laura Kerr of Stoel Rives LLP will receive the Jean Richardson Industry Impact Award.

Other honorees are:

Seyon Belai, ZANA Construction

Amanda Blankenship, David Evans and Associates

T茅jara Brown, FFA Architecture and Interiors

Barb Casey, Kennedy Restoration

Bernadette Donald, Emerio Design

Maria Ellis, Oregon Department of Transportation

Mahsa Eshghi, MacKay Sposito

Kimberly Farris, Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter

Kathy Fry, Mayer/Reed

Mackenzie Hart, Swinerton

Meghan Herteg, Walsh Construction

Amanda Hills, ZGF

Debbie Hutchins, Skanska

Amanda Ingmire, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

Britni Jessup, Rowell Brokaw Architects

June Kalkhoven, Oxbow Construction

Rebecca Kerr, CIDA Architects & Engineers

Kendra Lackey, Amaterra

Ali LaManna, Emerick Construction

Berenice Lopez Dorsey, Home Energy Life Performance (H.E.L.P.) Group; Move-In Ready LLC; LatinoBuilt Association & Foundation

Vicki Lourwood, Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company

Kelsey Machuca, Cresa

Kendall Miller, Interlaken

Sonya Miller, Hoffman Construction

Kristen Mohr, PACE Engineers

Mary-Rain O’Meara, Central City Concern

Heather Oden, Ball Janik LLP

Paula Parrott, Apex Companies LLC

Brandi Pine, Walsh Construction

Cindy Regier, Independent Electrical Contractors of Oregon

Erin Reome, SERA Architects

Amelie Reynaud, Hacker Architects & Interior Design

Shelli Romero, Oregon Department of Transportation

Michelle Schulz, GBD Architects

Carolyn Sizemore, Mortenson

Sarah Slaughter, Rosendin

Laura Squillace, Green Hammer

Kathleen Stuart, Stuart Collective

Kimberly Sutton, Port of Portland

Keisha Thomas, Mazzetti

Christina Villeneuve, GRI

LaRae Wakeman, Anchor Insurance & Surety

Sarah Weber, Hacker Architects & Interior Design

Miranda Wells, Oregon Department of Transportation

Janine White, PBS Engineering and Environmental

Millicent Williams, Otak

Michelle Willis, David Evans and Associates

Margaret Wilson, Scott Edwards Architecture

Libby Winter, TriMet

Jessica Woodruff, Community Development Partners

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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.

鈥淲e know that 鈥榩ay when paid’ does not work to the advantage of diverse firms,鈥� said Dan Mehls, vice president and general manager of Mortenson’s Portland office. 鈥淲e work with each firm to prioritize a 30-day payment period.鈥�

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-prot茅g茅 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.

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

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 鈥淒esigning for Equity,鈥� 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.

鈥淓lissa took me under her wing as a new project manager with no experience in the construction industry,鈥� said Whitney Peterson. 鈥淗er 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.鈥�

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.

鈥淚n 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,鈥� said Michi Slick, Killian Pacific’s director of development.

鈥淣AMC was able to provide critical input on how to ensure success for the projects by supporting all parties involved 鈥� general contractor, subcontractors and owner 鈥� as well as methods for allocating and managing risk,鈥� 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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