HOUSTON, Oct. 18—ABC Greater Houston Chapter (ABCGH) announced how its members are creating the right conditions to strengthen an inclusive and diverse workforce during Construction Inclusion Week, which runs Oct. 18-22.
The ABCGH Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee is responsible for evaluating, recommending, and implementing D&I programs and trainings, working with related committees to make D&I an integral part of ABC, informing the membership of D&I developments, and conducting campaigns to increase member awareness of the need to operate in a diverse and inclusive manner.
“In the last year, through leadership support and the efforts of the D&I Committee, ABCGH has increased its membership from just below 8% to now 12% Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBE),” said Bill Brown, Project Manager at Austin Commercial and Chair of the ABCGH Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “Our goal is for ABCGH to hit a goal of 25% to align ourselves with the current demographic of the Greater Houston Area for MWBE companies in construction.”
The ABCGH D&I Committee aligns its Mission and Vision with the pillars of the national organization.
“We have established several subcommittees which focus on a variety of key areas including recruitment and retention; diversity and inclusion, safety and workforce education; events; and political advocacy,” said Brown. “Our Diversity Resource Group is made up of liaisons who are assigned to various ethnic groups throughout the Greater Houston market including Women, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, Veterans/Disabled, LGBTQ+, and Hispanic/Latino communities.”
ABCGH also realizes the importance of recognition for those who go above and beyond the call to recruit, promote, advocate, and retain those attract to the industry, and has established several key events to bring awareness such as Excellence in Construction Diversity and Inclusion Awards, Diversity and Inclusion Membership Breakfast and Mixers, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Team Building and Construction Inclusion Week Luncheon
“ABC Greater Houston’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee is making excellent strides to be a resource for the construction industry,” said Russell Hamley, President of ABC Greater Houston. “ABC is proud that we are specifically reaching to new minority and women owned contractors to give them the advantages of ABC membership. The D&I committee has been working hard and has accomplished all the goals we set this year. Together, we can continue to be an industry that is diverse and inclusive.”
“Construction Inclusion Week is an invitation to every member of the 7.4 million construction workforce to unite to advance inclusion, diversity and equity,” said ABC Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Tia Perry. “Achieving an inclusive, equitable and culturally competent workforce that is welcoming to all people is the essence of the merit shop philosophy, and ABC Greater Houston is creating the appropriate conditions that appeal to an inclusive workforce.”
ABC’s diversity outreach is led by the association’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee, which was established in 1999 as a key component of ABC’s value proposition to develop people, win work and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work. Visit diversity.abc.org to learn about ABC’s IDE strategy.
About Construction Inclusion Week: Construction Inclusion Week harnesses the collective power of the construction industry to build awareness regarding the need to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry. For more information, visit constructioninclusionweek.com.
