More than 100 industry leaders and stakeholders came together June 25 for ABC's fourth annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit to discuss the value of diversity in construction and promote the association's mission within diverse groups.

Cathy Padalino, senior vice president at , and Laura Lapidus, risk control director at , kicked off the summit with a session on workplace harassment prevention. 鈥淭here鈥檚 sexual harassment under the law, and then there鈥檚 just bad behavior.听 Your first step as an employer is to manage the bad behavior,鈥� said Padalino. Both speakers emphasized the importance of leadership鈥檚 role in preventing harassment, as well as the impact harassment can have on the company鈥檚 reputation and bottom line.

In a keynote address, Robb Wong, associate administrator of the , shed light on the critical role small businesses play in job creation. 鈥淚f a large business wins a contract, they shift the staff. If a small business wins a contract, they hire,鈥� he stated. Wong also emphasized that while minority business certifications are important in winning work, contractors should always lead with quality, not just credentials.

Leadership development professional Jennifer Brown delivered the second keynote address of the day, underscoring the need for diverse groups to have allies in the workplace so that they don鈥檛 feel the need to 鈥渃over鈥� aspects of themselves to be accepted. 鈥淒iversity of thought leads to innovation,鈥� Brown said. She encouraged individuals to be authentic in who they are, and to bring their own unique value to their organizations.

Joanne Brooks, vice president and counsel at , shared insights on the importance of a surety bonding relationship in business development. Brooks said that the number one reason contractors fail is by taking on too much work, and a good surety relationship can go far in helping a business properly manage the amount of work it takes on while leaving room for growth.

Another panel spotlighted diversity efforts at the local 老牛影视level, featuring Jimmy Greene of the , Brian Sampson of the and Mike Henderson of the . Each shared how their organization is working toward achieving ABC鈥檚 goals of expanding diversity and inclusion initiatives, delivering best practices and addressing the workforce shortage.

The summit concluded with a panel on best practices in supply chain diversity, with both subcontractors and general contractors sharing their perspectives on best practices MBE firms can bring to the table in the pre-construction and construction processes. Panelists from the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area included Donna Venerable Davis, CEO of , a woman-owned full service cleaning company; Carolyn Ellison, director of marketing, citizenship and community engagement for ; Linda Graves, vice president of diversity and community affairs at ; Brad Lewis, corporate director of supplier diversity at ; Gregory Malcolm, founder and president of roofing company ; and Cristina Vena, president and CEO of , a telecommunications and electrical company. The moderator was 老牛影视National Diversity Committee member Kirby Wu, CEO of .