08/22/2021

CISCO Annual Luncheon - July 16, 2021

CISCO Annual Luncheon

The Construction Industry Services Corporation (CISCO) Annual Luncheon was held on Friday, July 16, 2021 at the Local Union #134 IBEW Hall in Chicago. The event featured a brief introductory presentation from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, as well as City of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as the Keynote Speaker. The program was also highlighted by the Scholarship Awards presentations and the Pride in Construction Awards recognitions. Also, representatives of Gateway to Learning (a school for adults with intellectual challenges and developmental disabilities located near Lincoln Square in Chicago) were on hand to assist as a "Thank you" to the industry for recent improvements / enhancements to their school done by union contractors and union labor as a late Summer 2020 volunteer effort. 

Senator Durbin congratulated CISCO on its continuing effort of promoting labor management harmony / strengthening the unionized construction market in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area.  City of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged the Scholarship winners and all the awardees.  She noted that the Chicago Works Capital Plan was in motion. It’s a Five-Year Capital Plan.  Its priorities were developed on needs-based condition assessments and data-driven processes conducted by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Department of Assets and Information Services (AIS). The plan promotes equity, public safety and year-to-year project continuity by funding repairs in every neighborhood aiming to reduce operational costs and addressing years of complaints about aging infrastructure, fleet and IT systems.  The Mayor also emphasized economic development advancement plans for various areas of the City, including, INVEST South/West, which is an unprecedented equitable development strategy to revitalize 10 historic neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides.  Mayor Lightfoot also reported that all applicable City projects will have PLAs.  She also noted that the M/WBE Construction program is undergoing several enhancements.

Here are the awardee highlights:

Four-year scholarship winners:
Bianca Arriaga – Latin School of Chicago; Parent – Roofers & Waterproofers Local 11.
Braiya Nolan – Williams Bay HS; Parent – Carpenters Local 1027.
Olivia Gardner – Plainfield North HS; Parent – Gibson Electric/Electrical Contractors’ Association of Chicago.

Two-year scholarship winners:
Kyle Strite – Oregon HS; Parent – Local Union 792/Concrete Systems, Inc.
Isabelle Schroedle – Joliet Catholic Academy; Parent – Carpenters Local 10.

Continuing Education scholarships:
Michael Chiaramonte – Elmhurst University; Affiliation – McWilliams Electric Company, Inc.

Michael Repel – City Colleges of Chicago, Kennedy King College; Affiliation – LiUNA – Laborers Local 1092.

CISCO’s Board of Directors recently determined which construction projects were winners in six different construction categories. Among a total of 20 entries, the top choices were:

New Construction – Chicago (+ $20 m): Navy Pier Hotel & Rooftop Venue; GC – James McHugh Construction. 

New Construction – Suburbs (+ $20 m): City of St. Charles Police Department; GC – Riley Construction.

New Construction – City/Suburbs (Under $20 m): University of Chicago Medicine River East Ambulatory Care Center; GC – Turner Construction

Infrastructure: CDOT Lake Front Trail Phase 2; GC – Kenny Construction

Rehabilitation: Chicago Riverwalk Esplanade & Marketplace; GC – F. H. Paschen 

Residential: NEMA Chicago; GC – James McHugh Construction. 

The other component of the Pride in Construction Awards is the individual awards.  Those three winners were: 1) Educator of the Year – Jill Nagel, Counselor, at St. Rita High School in Chicago; 2) Public Body of the Year – Cook County Housing Authority; and 3) Labor Advocate of the Year – State Representative Marcus C. Evans Jr.

Portions of this article were excerpted from the CISCO website.

_{Pictured are representatives of Gateway to Learning,
as they assisted Dan Allen, CISCO Executive Director (leftside of photo).}

_{Pictured above is U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.}

_{Pictured above is City of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.}

_{Pictured holding the plaque is awardee, Michael Chiaramonte, 
McWilliams Electric Company, Inc., as he received the Continuing Education award.}

_{Pictured is City of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressing the CISCO audience.}