Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Construction Forum STL will present its first ‘Building Tomorrow Awards’ Oct. 14 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown St. Louis. The first awards will recognize outstanding contributions in four of the major area that Construction Forum STL was formed to address: Diversity, Working Relationships, Regional Unity, and Workforce Development.

This event is a fundraiser for the Construction Forum Education Foundation, benefiting research and K-12 STEM education focused on construction. 

Recipients are:

RON UNTERREINER, founder PEOPLE 
Construction Forum St. Louis Board of Advisors’ Award

Ron Unterreiner has been instrumental, through his “non” organization, which he calls PEOPLE, in introducing minority contracting firms to major players in the construction industry. With Ron’s guidance through PEOPLE, many meaningful business relationships have been formed and nurtured and maybe more importantly, many great friendships have been established between minority contractors and owners and majority contractors. He has engaged many of our industry’s largest players, such as Alberici, McCarthy, BSI, Tarlton, and S.M. Wilson in this effort

ABE ADEWALE, President ABNA
Building Tomorrow Diversity Award

ABNA is known as the "United Nations" of the engineering world having a staff makeup that is representative of nearly every continent, who speak nearly 20 languages, and represent at least four major faith traditions.When ABNA recruits for a position its leaders look far and wide into the community utilizing a variety of professional and social organizations as resources for candidates. Employees themselves will often recommend people from within their close circles of influence who often reflect their own ethnic diversity. ABNA further embraces and supports these diverse populations within the organization by encouraging volunteerism in the community and supporting causes that are near and dear to the employees

BRUCE HOLLAND, CEO, Holland Construction
Working Relationships

Bruce Holland has been a pioneer and regional leader in building labor builder/owner relations for more than 40 years. In addition to serving in leadership roles to promote the growth of the region (St. Louis Chamber, RBC, Leadership Council), Bruce Holland is a recognized leader in labor builder owner relations. He has been a leading supporter of PLA’s, bringing together the primary goals of labor, builders and owners on projects and has facilitated financing partnerships between the AFL-CIO HIT and area apartment project owners.  

CHRIS REICHERT, CEO Stifel Bank and Trust
Regional Unity

Chris Reichert led the successful effort to create and launch the new Contractor's Loan Fund which will be a major game changer for minority contractors in the St. Louis marketplace. His guidance of this effort and his consistent perserverance the past two years was instrumental in making this new capital loan program for minorities a reality. 

JAY BOLEACH,  Career & Technology Education Instructor, Ferguson /Florissant School District 
Workforce Development

Jay Boleach has worked diligently to help promote the trades at the high school level. We have had the pleasure of hosting his group of instructors and educators at our facilities to explore career opportunities in construction. He has helped his students understand that there are careers in advanced manufacturing, health care, logistics and many other industries. His efforts have lead to other programs with the Pattonville and Normandy school districts.