Published on November 23, 2021
The third class of graduates from the Beck School of Construction was celebrated at the City Council meeting on Nov. 9 after completing a nine-month program, which began in February 2021.
The Beck School of Construction is a partnership between the City of Fort Worth and The Beck Group, the integrated architecture and construction firm. The program provides comprehensive training sessions to help Business Equity Firms increase their industry knowledge, grow their expertise and become more competitive in bidding on construction projects.
This year’s Beck School of Construction class contained 21 students, who graduated in October 2021:
- Jamie Williamson, Agape Contracting.
- Evelyn Molina, All Janitorial Professional Services Inc.
- Conrad Alvarez, AMEX Electric.
- Patrick Gills, Arigold Electric & Construction Inc.
- Craig Baker, BAC Consulting.
- Cecil E. Collier, CDT Environmental LP.
- Jose Benitez, Centro Resources.
- Michael Olaleye, Chrome Heating & AC LLC.
- Abel Saldana, CMTS LLC.
- Terry Lacy-Little, Eagle Barricade LLC.
- Armando Salazar, ES Construction LLC.
- Maria Schneider, Firefly Earthworks.
- Kelly Eubanks, KEE Concrete & Construction Inc.
- Tamara Brown-Walker, Krewe Logistics.
- Willis Hunt, Krkonos & Cephi LLC.
- DeAynni Hatley, Lady Liberty Group LLC.
- Abdullah El-Bey, Sharkbrite LLC.
- Tarvia Bills-Hardison, Tarvia Bills.
- The Cleaning Lady LLC.
- WG Jones, Triple J Design and Construction.
- Cheryl Jones, City of Fort Worth.
- Walter K. Newman, City of Fort Worth.
“We’re incredibly proud to celebrate another year of partnership with the City of Fort Worth,” said Scot Bennett, regional director of The Beck Group’s Fort Worth office. “Together, we applaud the 21 participants who are graduating from the nine-month-long program. They diligently attended our classes, engaged with our speakers and jobsite tours, showing remarkable commitment. It’s an honor to help them grow their businesses now and into the future.”
Christina Brooks, chief equity officer and director of Fort Worth’s Diversity and Inclusion Department, said: “This public-private partnership focused on capacity building for our local Business Equity firms and is a great example of how working together produces tangible economic impact in our community. The growth we’ve seen from Business Equity firm cohort alumni has been extraordinary. The bar has been set, and we are excited about the future possibilities.”
Robert Sturns, director of the city’s Economic Development Department, added: “It is so exciting to see the ongoing investment that both the city and Beck Construction are making in building MWBE capacity in Fort Worth. This innovative program is a testament to the public-private partnerships that can occur in the city and our desire to support our minority-owned firms.”
Photo: Mayor Mattie Parker and city staff were on hand to celebrate the 2021 graduates during a City Council meeting in November.