Hosted by the National Association of Minority Contractors DFW at Globe Life Field, these leaders were recognized for their leadership and service to community

ARLINGTON, TX, UNITED STATES, October 31, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Association of Minority Contractors in Dallas-Fort Worth (NAMC DFW) hosted its third annual Golden Shovel Awards & Business Expo on Thursday, October 27, at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The business expo began at 4 p.m. with the gala following at 7 p.m. There were 410 people present at the event. The day’s events fostered momentous collaboration between local businesses and professionals in the construction industry.

The business expo featured 34 vendor booths and allowed for two and a half solid hours of networking, a core activity of NAMC DFW. It was kicked off with a warm welcome from City of Arlington Mayor Jim Ross.

The dinner began with remarks from NAMC National’s President, Wendell Stemley, followed by an introduction of the night’s MC, DeDe McGuire, host of K104-FM's “DeDe in The Morning,” by NAMC DFW Board Chairman, Gradlin Franks. The invocation was given by Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans followed by a musical set from Susan Carol, singer-songwriter and Fort Worth native.

NAMC DFW’s Vice Chair, Shandra Colón, introduced Deryl McKissack of McKissack and McKissack, BET’s 2021 Black Business Icon award-winner. McKissack gave a thematic keynote address about perseverance through challenges saying “You won’t break my soul,” in which she described her family’s unique journey through five generations of work in the construction industry and shared her personal story of sacrifice and determination to become the remarkable success story we see today.

A call-to-action speech was then given by USDOT representative, Shelby Scales, regarding the Justice 40 initiative in which 40 percent of the total Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act bill spend will address disparities in climate impact, transportation, health, environmental, and other economic disadvantages. Scales charged the hundreds of attendees to get involved on the federal level with the USDOT’s infrastructure initiatives and planning, “NAMC, I'm asking you to help USDOT. We need you at the table. We need your membership at the table. We need to hear from you. We need to hear about the good stories that are happening, but we also need to hear about your challenges as well. We cannot do it all by ourselves, as we know."

The event was recognized by important public figures such as Congressman Marc Veasey and Texas State Senator Royce West. Congressman Veasey extended warm wishes to NAMC DFW in a proclamation addressed to the Chapter and read aloud on stage by an aide in his absence. He ended his remarks by saying, “As the United States Congressman for Texas Congressional District 33, I wish you continued success on your mission.”

In a letter reprinted in the digital program, Senator Royce West congratulated NAMC DFW, and its founder, Demetria Bivens, adding, “It’s an exciting time for minority businesses and contracting, a time of unprecedented population and economic growth driving the DEI efforts and pushing for greater minority participation in more industries.”

This year’s theme – “I Am NAMC!” – iterates each members’ expression of the organization’s ideals of advocacy, education and access within the construction industry. The Golden Shovel Awards formally recognized corporations that embody the ideals of leadership and service to our community.

Winners for each category are as follows:
Transformation of the Year: Skystream Aerial;
Community Outreach and Diversity Advocacy: AT&T;
Project of the Year: Moody Center for Breast Health PHHS;
Major Corporate Partner of the Year: McCarthy Building Companies;
Public Entity of the Year: Dallas Independent School District;
Supplier of the Year: Fast Signs-North Arlington;
Contractor of the Year: The Crowther Group;
S/MWBE Firm of the Year: Butler and Butler Construction;
Safety Excellence Award: JE Dunn Construction;

And, the tenth award was preceded by a heartfelt acknowledgment that brought tears to the award recipient's eyes as Demetria Bivens presented it with palpable passion and gratefulness:
Golden Shovel’s Champion Award: Christina Brooks.

Special remarks on stage by the Golden Shovel sponsor, Kenneth Alexander of Vanguard Holdings Group, and Demetria Bivens helped close the event.

NAMC National President, Wendell Stemley, who gave opening and closing remarks later commended those who contributed to the success of this event. “First, I want to acknowledge the awardees. Each of them was recognized for their contributions in our industry. Next, I want to thank the DFW chapter for doing a great job of bringing all components of our industry together for this event. From architecture to engineering to construction to suppliers, large or small, they made sure we had the right people in the room. With that, it was great seeing our national and local dignitaries, major corporate partners and MWBEs networking at the business expo and dining together at the awards gala, because we need them all to succeed. And I strongly believe some of the success that lies ahead started at the Golden Shovel Awards,” Stemley said.

NAMC DFW Board Chairman, Gradlin Franks said, “I am very thankful for all the support of the municipalities, businesses and organizations who attended the event." NAMC DFW looks forward to hosting its 4th Golden Shovel Awards next year and continues to accomplish its mission of providing access, advocacy, and contractor readiness for its members.

ABOUT THE NAMC DFW CHAPTER
Founded in 2016 by Demetria Bivens, NAMC-Dallas Fort Worth (501c3 & 501c6) advocates for a diverse membership to access Contracts, Resources and Increase Readiness within the construction industry through collaboration with interested stakeholders. NAMC DFW is focused on providing pathways to success that require lean management, increased productivity, and the utilization of cutting-edge technology. Visit the website at NAMCDFW.org to learn more.

ABOUT NAMC
Founded in Oakland, California in 1969 by Raymond Dones and Joseph Debro, the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) is the leading trade association dedicated to promoting the full participation of minority-owned, women-owned, small business enterprises and disadvantaged business enterprises (M/W/SBE/DBE) in the construction industry. Through a network of local chapters and in collaboration with strategic and corporate partnerships, NAMC assists members with building capacity by providing access to opportunity, advocacy, and contractor development training.

Event Contact:
Gary Shearod, admin@namcdfw.org
682-252-4466

SOURCE: NAMC DFW Chapter (namcdfw.org)

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