Allied Alphabet

On February 23rd, 2021, CSI Portland hosted a virtual JEDI Town Hall event called Allied Alphabet. The JEDI Committee invited representatives from several local associations active in the promotion of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to introduce us to their groups- their mission, programs, upcoming events; and how others can get involved. Committee chair, Juan Coronel served as emcee of the evening and also shared the CSI PDX JEDI mission and an update on our committee goals.

Below, we share highlights from each organization and links so you can learn more!

You can view the entire JEDI Town Hall program on our YouTube Channel!

Oregon Tradeswomen

Communications + Marketing Director: Mary Ann Naylor

Oregon Tradeswomen is dedicated to promoting success for women in the trades through education, leadership, and mentorship. Programs include:

• Pathways to Success - An 8-week, women-only, pre-apprenticeship class to help women prepare for a high skill, high wage career in the trades.

• Tradeswomen Organized for Outreach, Leadership and Support (TOOLS) - Builds the leadership skills of tradeswomen to advocate for equal representation for women in the trades.

• Events such as Tradeswomen Leadership Institute, Diversity Summit, trade happy hours, hands-on career fairs, and 'Build with Us' fundraising event.

• Advocacy work for a safer work environment.

Oregon Tradeswomen moved into a new space in March of 2020, and then successfully transitioned to online learning formats due to the pandemic; they hope to be training in their new space later this year!

PDBG - Professional Development Business Group

Executive Director: Kenechi Onyeagusi

PBDG is a construction trade association that exists to improve the business conditions for disadvantaged, minority-, women- and service-disabled veteran-owners (DMWESBSDV or COBID certified firms) that provide direct or indirect services to the construction industry. 

PBDG provides advocacy, access to contract opportunities, education, training and mentorship to ensure the success of COBID certified firms.

CSI Chicago chapter EDI Committee

CSI Chicago EDI Committee Chair: Rachel Nava

• We have diversified chapter events to include more women and minority speakers.

• Upcoming roundtable to how to empower, develop, and encourage underrepresented people in AEC.

• Working to increase member diversity and increase knowledge among contractors and subs; partnered with a local organization, Hire 360, which works to hire contractors and subs.

• Partnering with Chicago Mobile Makers that teaches youth about architecture. We plan to bring more events to the youth in Chicago.

• Forming partnerships with the Chicago chapters of NOMA and Women in Construction

• Planning another chapter meeting to discuss how to design to various abilities, which will coincide with a presentation with a visually impaired architect to share his story.

• Looking into accommodations for people with physical, visual, or auditory challenges so everyone can participate in events.

Partners in Diversity (PiD)

Executive Director: Mari Watanabe

The mission of PiD is to create a competitive advantage for the region by attracting, retaining, and developing diversity influencers and professionals of color. The vision is for a thriving, diverse, and welcoming community in which all people can work and live.

Partners in Diversity (PiD) operates as an affiliate of the Portland Business Alliance Charitable Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and seeks to address employers’ critical needs for achieving and empowering a workforce that reflects the rapidly changing demographics of the Pacific Northwest. We accomplish these goals through educational programs, job postings and distribution of information for CEOs and for those who work in human resources or in diversity roles. PiD also helps recently relocated professionals of color connect with the multicultural community through major networking events such as our signature Say Hey! event, civic engagement opportunities, social media, our website and personal relationships.

 Ways to help! Sponsor or host an event; share programs with coworkers who can benefit, refer a professional of color to be a Say Hey! Honoree, ask PiD to give presentations to employees.

NOMA PDX - National Organization of Minority Architects, Portland Chapter

Chapter President: Pooja Kashyap

The mission of NOMA PDX is to empower local creatives, amplify underrepresented experiences within the design community, and advocate for social justice, equity, and equality through design achievement, community engagement, and professional development.

Current Initiatives:

• Build Membership Base

• Call to Action

• Project Pipeline

• University Outreach

Ways to help! Join the new Portland chapter and be part of the conversation.

NAWIC - National Association of Women in Construction

Pacific NW PR/Marketing Chair and Salem Chapter VP: Juli Foscoli

Portland Chapter President: Charris Sonne-Phinney

NAWIC promotes women's advancement and growth in the construction industry through education, support and community involvement.

NAWIC Portland chapter is celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2021! Meetings are held on the third Thursday (except March due to WIC week). NAWIC offers scholarships focused on trades.

Juli has been leading an effort with the NAWIC Salem Chapter and AGC to assist with a Shed Build project for the Santiam Canyon Rebuild Coalition.

Ways to help! Contact Juli@southtownglass.com to donate time or money to the Santiam Canyon Rebuild Coalition.

Constructing Hope

Executive Director: Pat Daniels

The mission of Constructing Hope is to rebuild the lives of people in our community by encouraging self-sufficiency through skills training and education in the construction industry. Constructing Hope serves people of color, people coming from incarceration, and low-income adults. A youth summer camp provides skills, motivation, and construction career pathways.

 Constructing Hope’s goals:

• Help the long-term unemployed attain sustainable careers

• Increase workforce diversity

• Reduce recidivism

• Meet hiring needs in the construction industry

Ways to help! Volunteer to be a social media ambassador, trainer, mentor, or tutor; donate via corporate sponsorships or Hope Society membership; support while you shop via Amazon Smile and Fred Meyer Community Rewards Program.

Safe from Hate

Dave Wright with Hunter Davisson

Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for use on City-owned construction projects www.cbanw.com

A terrible incident of racism on a Portland job site in May of 2020 prompted Andersen Construction to come up with a jobsite culture pledge consisting of four pillars:

• We will enforce a zero-tolerance policy

• We will implement and expand positive jobsite culture education on all our jobsites

• We will continue to work with our community partners to support and recruit diverse talent

• We will cultivate retention and leadership development efforts

"While these four commitments are not the complete answer, we believe they are important, concrete steps toward building safer and more productive workplaces. We hope our list of signatories will grow, and we invite other construction industry leaders to join us. Let us come together to make good on the inherent promise that all of our people should be able to bring their best selves to work and unleash their full potential. By working together within our industry, we can cultivate meaningful and critical change."

Andersen then invited subcontractors, community partners and organizations to sign on to this pledge. Monthly meetings are hosted where trade workers share jobsite experiences.

Dave added, “the goal of Safe from Hate is to create a welcome environment, where no one feels discriminated against. We can't have justice, equity, and diversity without inclusion first.”

LatinoBuilt (LB)

Program Manager Natali Pardo

LatinoBuilt (LB) is a trade association for Latino Contractors in Oregon founded in 2019. A 501c(6) nonprofit whose primary purpose is to support and empower Latino-owned businesses in construction. LB works with partners within the community to address the current inequities and connects contractors to public works project opportunities.

SafeBuild Alliance, and LatinoBuilt partnered to develop Safety Starts Here, a new bilingual campaign for the Portland Metro area market to support safe workplaces in the construction industry.

Monthly training sessions are offered in English and Spanish. Workshops are recorded and available on the LatinoBuilt YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6CZ52w31kcmNhFrf0a-sww

OAME - Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs

Membership Services Office Manager: Kenyatta Trice

OAME is a non-profit, tax exempt membership organization with a mission to promote and develop entrepreneurship and economic development for ethnic minorities in the State of Oregon & SW Washington. The 850 member association is a collection of entrepreneurs, public agencies, partner non-profits and large businesses. The mission is directed toward eliminating discrimination and racism.

OAME is an all-inclusive organization and encourage everyone to live by the motto: “Everybody’s In, Nobody’s Out.” OAME provides the following services to help businesses:

• Free Technical Assistance and business counseling

• Access to Capital, including SBA microloans

• Clearinghouse, a program that matches small businesses with contracting opportunities

• Incubator office spaces at below market rates

• Large bi-monthly networking meetings to promote business growth

'Coffee and Issues' conversation, hosted monthly in Portland and Eugene, are open to the public, as are the monthly 'Contractors and AEPT (Arch/Eng/Prof/Tech) meetings'.

Port of Portland Mentor Protégé Program

The Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) strives to produce a broad base of high quality, competitive and profitable companies through incremental improvement. The three-year program pairs each participating COBID certified small business with two mentors who work with the small business to develop a strategic plan specific to the needs of the small business and overcome obstacles the firm is facing. The Port facilitates monthly team meetings and provides a wide array of free technical assistance during the firm’s participation in the program.

AGC - Associated General Contractors - DEI committee

Executive Director: Mike Salsgiver

DEI is not new to AGC and AGC members have started and supported numerous DEI efforts listed here, but there is still more to do. Since last summer and the Safe From Hate initiative, AGC has hosted meetings with GCs to discuss policies and actions to take. 'Third Thursday at 3' gatherings started last month, under the banner of Safe From Hate, and brings together other groups, including NAMC, Latino Built, and others.

AGC collaborates with many organizations to push forward on driving education, discussion and doing better as an industry. AGC internally started a DEI counsel, which met in early February and is dedicated to DEI efforts and partnering with other groups to support this mission.

AIA CoEDI - American Institute of Architects, Committee on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Chair: Kelly Chanopas Vice Chair: Octavio Gutierrez

It is the mission of the AIA Portland Committee on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (CoEDI) to better reflect the global & demographic richness of our population through advocacy for under-represented groups in our profession.

Keystones of our mission include:

• Supporting firms in attracting, developing & retaining the best talent

• Providing mentoring opportunities at all phases of the professional pipeline, beginning with early education (K-12)

• Facilitating connections to the broader community.

• Promoting the value of design and its contributions to and from society.

A4LE - Association for Learning Environments, JEDI Committee (formerly CEFPI)

National Co Chairs: Julia Hawkinson, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, WELL AP & Ross Parker, ALEP

Region Manager: Donna Robinson, CCM, CMP

A4LE is committed to addressing the entrenched systemic inequities that have long permeated our professions, learning environments, and society. We recognize that organizations are stronger and more effective when they truly reflect the diverse populations they serve. A Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee has been established to provide leadership in furthering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion for all A4LE members and communities we serve. The ultimate goal is to create better learning experiences, better learning environments, and a better world.

The purpose of the Committee is to ensure that every A4LE member and community we serve are provided the opportunity to participate, share, and obtain the tools and knowledge necessary to understand the importance, value, and benefits of a diverse and equitable Association at the chapter, regional, national, and global levels; identify ways that we can take meaningful action; and foster and implement changes and opportunities for all involved in education.

Ways to help! Sign up to be a mentor or sponsor for the SchoolsNEXT Design Competition: https://www.a4le.org/A4LE/Programs/SchoolsNEXT_Design_Competition/A4LE/Programs_Awards/SchoolsNEXT/SchoolsNEXT.aspx?hkey=98e831e4-814d-45ec-9612-0b47701443b4

Hennebery Eddy - Literary Allies Program

Associate Principal and CSI Portland President: Alexander Lungershausen

Hennebery Eddy started a DEI Book/Media Club in 2020, called Literary Allies. In an office discussion on Juneteenth 2020, a desire was expressed to increase awareness amongst staff on DEI issues in society. They decided to take an approach to create a book and media club. Mission is to foster an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are valued and sought after amongst colleagues.

The committee typically identifies a film or show, a podcast, a book, an article, etc. on the subject and if you want to participate, you can immerse yourself as much as you like. Questions are included to prompt thought and discussion. Topics so far in the bi-monthly series have included:

• Racism in the Justice System

• Racism in Education

• Exclusion & Discrimination in the Built Environment

NAMC - National Association of Minority Contractors

NAMC-Oregon COO: Molly Washington

NAMC is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1969 to address the needs and concerns of minority contractors. The organization’s mandate, “Building Bridges—Crossing Barriers,” focuses on construction industry issues common to African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, and Native Americans.

NAMC partners with AGC on educating and training minority contractors to further their business; and offers numerous opportunities, support, and resources, including:

• Professional & Training Development

• Networking

• Technical Advocacy Assistance

• Contracting & Procurement Information

• Mentor/Protégé Opportunities

ADA and Accessibility Resources

Digital barriers should be considered, similar to physical barriers. Accessibility should never be an afterthought. Is your website accessible? CHeck out the Accessible Website Toolkit: www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/ch5_toolkit.pdf

Visit www.portland.gov/civic/disability/disability-resources for links to Portland-specific resources.

WorkSource Oregon

WorkSource Oregon is an employer program offering free auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities, and free language assistance to persons with limited English proficiency.

Workforce and Business Coordinator, Vocational Rehabilitation: Kim Alejo kim.a.alejo@dhsoha.state.or.us

Veterans Resources

Veterans Employer Representative: Sean Kelso Sean.a.kelso@oregon.gov

Veterans Service Organizations at the Portland Regional VA Office

• DAV Portland www.davmembersportal.org/chapters/or/01/default.aspx

• National Association for Black Veterans www.nabvets.com

• Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs www.oregon.gov/odva

Other Veteran Groups

• Modern Military Association of America www.modernmilitary.org

• Returning Veterans Project www.returningveterans.org

• Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA) www.transveteran.org

• Veteran Overland www.veteranoverland.org

• Veterans for Human Rights www.vfhr.org

• Vetworx PDX www.vetworkpdx.com

Wrapping up, we posed some questions for thought and future discussion:

• How can we all contribute to diversification of the A/E/C industry?

• What can we do in our companies to promote JEDI?

• What do A/E/C companies need in regards to these topics? What is lacking?

• What can CSI PDX do to support allied groups, companies and individuals?

We want to thank our generous event sponsors: Tony Divincenzo with Imaginet Technologies and Dave Wright with Hunter-Davisson, Inc. We also want to thank everyone who presented and attended! We hope you will join us at the next Town Hall event slated for May 18th.