If the number of tower cranes a city has erected on construction sites is an indicator of economic growth, then job opportunities shouldn’t be far behind. That’s probably why the Gary Sanitation District, in conjunction with the City of Gary, hosted a NWI Compliance Forum and Gary Residents in the Construction Trades Fair on September 28.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson opened the fair, which included a full program and a panel discussion moderated by the fair’s organizer, Tammi Davis, director of Compliance & Policy Engagement at the Gary Sanitary District. The twelve panelists were Thermon Donnelly, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance; Kathleen Sokolowki, DOL, Office of Apprenticeship; Kenneth Woodruf, Federal Highway Administrator; David Alyea, Indiana Deparment of Transportation (DOT); An expert from the Chicago Housing Authority, Section 3 HUD; Deway Pearman, Construction Advancement Foundation; Pamyla Fountain Brown, Turner Construction Company; Kenneth Rigmaiden, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); Randy Palmateer, NWI Building and Construction Trades Council; Roland Hunter, IBEW 531, Chair NEI Apprenticeship Coordinating Committee; Mark Kara, Operating Engineers, Local 15 Apprenticeship Program; and Larry Thomas, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
There were more than eight major participating contractors and apprenticeship programs. Once the fair portion of the program opened, guests had the opportunity to meet with panelists on a one-on-one basis to discuss their interests. The goal of the fair was to bring the jobs and training opportunities to the people of Gary.
(Photos by Ted Brown)