The awards were presented to small business owners and the Burns & McDonnell associates who worked with them on a series of projects.

A core tenet of Burns & McDonnell is cultivating and maintaining a diverse workplace and supplier base.

Michelle Word, the firm’s manager of supplier diversity, said, “Each year, Burns & McDonnell is proud to formally recognize the teamwork that our managers and subcontractors demonstrate. All are key to the successful implementation of our projects, proving that business diversity works here.”

The engineering firm has racked up $862 million in spending with small and diverse firms in the last two years. A quarter of all purchase order expenditures have been awarded to diverse businesses during that time frame.

The Tuck Kansas City Program is the nation’s first corporate collaboration effort to provide scholarships that send diverse business owners to the two-and-a-half day Tuck Executive Program at Dartmouth. The program helps the participants develop managerial skills for growing their businesses. The two area business owners awarded 2017 Tuck scholarships are Ronnie Owen, Rowen Elevator, and Rafael Garcia, Garcia Architecture. The Kansas City corporate collaboration that makes the scholarships possible was also recognized:

• Phillip Yelder // City of Kansas City, Missouri
• Kate Narboneta // DST Systems
• Mark Smith // Hallmark
• Valerie Coyazo // KCP&L
• Joyce Christanio // Sprint
• Michelle Word // Burns & McDonnell

Here’s a lineup of the companies and Burns & McDonnell associates who were honored.

Multiple Aviation Projects, Kansas City, Missouri
Kimberly Robinett // Trekk
Joe Davis //Custom Engineering
Morris Hervey // TSi Geotechnical
Jason Fuehne // Burns & McDonnell, Aviation & Federal

Multiple Projects, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Kansas City District
Morgan Subbarayan, PE // CTI and Associates
Chris Winkeljohn, PE // CTI and Associates
Tracy Cooley // Burns & McDonnell, Environmental Services
Raghu Arora// Burns & McDonnell, Environmental Services

South Coast Paper WHQ Operations Support
Kenny Loyd // South Coast Paper
SuZanne Witter // Burns & McDonnell, Operations

Open Road Tolling Program Management Illinois Tollway Authority
Vernal Stewart // SE3
Jason Wenberg // Burns & McDonnell, Transportation

Gordie Howe Bridge, Detroit, Michigan
Gayl Turk // Blaze Contracting
Andrew Wedekind // Burns & McDonnell, Transmission & Distribution
Charles Sun // Burns & McDonnell, Construction Design/Build
Michelle O’Neill // Burns & McDonnell, Construction Design/Build
Brandon Logan // Burns & McDonnell, Construction Design/Build

Smart Sewer University
Councilman Jermaine Reed // City of Kansas City, Missouri
Andy Shively // City of Kansas City, Missouri
Phillip Yelder // City of Kansas City, Missouri
Leonard Graham // Taliferro & Browne
Vernal Stewart // SE3
Lisa Garney // LMG Construction
Ajamu Webster // DuBois Construction
Jason Parson // Parson + Associates
John Pruss // Burns & McDonnell, Water

Kansas City’s Smart Sewer Program is a $4 to $5 billion infrastructure project that is constructing hundreds of wastewater infrastructure projects between 2010 and 2035. It is the largest in Kansas City history. In 2013, Smart Sewer University was launched as a joint venture between the city’s water and human relations department. The venture provides training and development to local business owners, minority contractors and city staff to develop skills necessary for each of the Smart Sewer Program’s projects.

For information about Burns & McDonnell’s supplier diversity program, visit burnsmcd.com/WorkWithUs.