STAFF & LEADERSHIP
WCOE is focused on helping our members' businesses grow and prosper. Dedicated to creating a level playing field for women-owned firms in the construction industry, WCOE is proud to represent large and small woman-owned firms as well as executive women in policy making positions with some of the largest corporations in the country.
We have a prestigious reputation on Capitol Hill and use that clout to advocate for issues important to women who have entered the construction industry. Whether it is equal access to federal contracting opportunities, opposition to onerous federal regulatory burdens, support for expanding access to business financing, or participation in Congressional hearings, WCOE represents our members' business interests.
Lorraine is the President of LDA Compliance Consulting Inc. which promotes principled contracting in the construction industry. LDACC provides consulting services focused on all aspects of contractor compliance, monitoring and reporting. LDACC specializes in policy and program assessment and development, MBE, WBE, DBE, SBE, SDVOB and similar type programs, prevailing wage, Davis-Bacon, Buy America, EEO/AA, wage and hour compliance, ethics and compliance programs, codes of conduct, integrity monitoring and anti-corruption, training and education and investigations. She is a leading expert on small, women-owned, minority and DBE matters, programs and policy implementation and frequently lectures and conducts training on implementation of "best practices" for complying with those regulations.
Ines is the founder and president of INTEC Group, LLC, a specialized government contracting company focusing on construction services for the Department of Defense, including Department of the Army and Army Corps of Engineers. Ines has nearly two decades of experience managing design and construction of Government, commercial and residential projects. Throughout her career, she has provided oversight on multiple projects involving a broad range of construction types for numerous Federal Government Agencies to include US Army, US Air Force, NASA, and US Department of Homeland Security.
Dianna is the Owner and President of Richardson Hauling, Inc, a trucking company serving the Kansas City Metro area since 1993. Dianna believes in and has established excellent long lasting working relationships with many revered contractors and strongly values the work and dedication of her employees. Dianna is active in Associated Builders and Contractors KC, Unified Contractors of Kansas City, WCOE Kansas City Chapter, and also serves as the Chair of The Single Mom KC, a non-profit organization supporting single moms.
Elisabeth is the President of Kansas City Testing and Engineering, LLC, which offers Construction Materials Engineering and Testing, Geotechnical Engineering, Drilling, and Environmental Consulting services to clients in the government, municipal, public and private industries. She is certified by ACI and is one of few people certified by ICRI in the KC Metro. Her business background includes 10 years of large-scale project management with a Fortune 100 firm. Elisabeth has a degree in Accounting from the University of San Diego and an MBA from the UMKC Bloch School of Business. She and her husband have three young children and enjoy spending time playing with them and volunteering in the community.
Theresa Kern, President and sole shareholder of MA Rebar Services, Inc., one of the Chicago area's largest women-owned subcontracting firms specializing in all facets of reinforcing steel placement for the commercial, industrial, heavy and high-rise construction markets. For more than three decades, Kern has supervised her company's participation on some of Chicago's largest construction projects.
Molly Meek is an Account Executive with Holmes Murphy & Associates. At Holmes Murphy, we pride ourselves on selling "thinking", not insurance. In a nutshell, we sell the cumulative knowledge and experience that make insurance and businesses work better. It's a philosophy that's worked for us since our inception more than 85 years ago. As an independent brokerage, we serve business and industry leaders across the nation in the areas of property casualty insurance, employee benefits, captive insurance, risk management and loss control.
Karen Barbour, founder and president of The Barbour Group, LLC is a veteran of the surety bonding industry, starting her career in surety as a home office bond underwriter in 1985, where she is well known as an innovator and expert within the industry.
Dynamic. Groundbreaking. A force in the market. An influencer with a track-record of performance excellence, surety knowledge expert and hands-on builder of a powerful collaborative network of business ties. These are the hallmarks of a career underscored by a fierce commitment to enabling the competitive positioning and growth of client companies - and of a leader willing to go to Capitol Hill to drive legislation for the benefit of start-ups, small businesses and Fortune 1000 firms alike. She is the first bonding agent to win Maryland Small Business Person of the Year by the US Small Business Administration and the first to be inducted into the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program.
Deborah Wilder is the President of Contractor Compliance and Monitoring, Inc. a national prevailing wage consulting company. Based in California, with offices in Washington and Maryland, CCMI performs work in nearly 20 states. She is the author of three books on the topic and is recognized as a national subject matter expert. Deborah is a past President of WCOE, an attorney licensed in California and Oregon and a former Mayor and councilmember of Foster City.
BT Metals/ Bay Tank and Boiler Works is a family owned fully certified and professional fabrication and metal sales business. Founded by J. Chris Lovfald after WWII to meet the structural needs of the lumber and fishing industries. BT Metals recently expanded into the Metal Sales arena and serves as the only metal distributor in Eureka California. Bay Tank is now supplying metal to five separate markets, Energy, Construction, Defense, Transportation and Marine. Under the leadership of Lee Cunningham BT Metals is now expanding to service the entire west coast and the nation. The goal of our metal sales division is to be the diversity supplier for all things metal.
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Brenda Radmacher is a seasoned construction attorney who is a problem solver with expertise in dispute resolution of complex construction matters. Brenda leads the construction practice in California and the Western United States for Akerman LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm with over 700 attorneys across the country. Brenda's legal practice focuses primarily on construction law where we is called on as a counselor, litigator, and noted speaker. Brenda works with landowners, general contractors, developers, builders, and design professionals on a variety of issues including risk management, contract drafting and negotiation, payment and course-of-construction disputes, and various issues of litigation and dispute resolution. Brenda is one of the go-to attorneys to help clients in the built environment with legal challenges and finding solutions.
Sharon Alberts is President of Talus Construction, a site utility company that serves clients in the Bay Area of California. With more than 30 years in construction, Sharon has served on the board of directors for UCON (previously EUCA), former President of Women Construction Owners and Executives, California Chapter, and BART's Business Advisory Committee.
Scale Construction Inc. is a 29-year old owner-operated company located on Chicago's near south side. Scale seeks clients whose goals closely match those of the company; to build a quality product; safely, timely, and cost effectively. These client relationships are the basis for Scale's current success. Scale offers the finest construction management and engineering services from project's conception through completion. The firm is also a certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) construction manager and general contractor that can self-perform rough and finish carpentry and concrete.
Deborah Bradley Construction & Management Services, Inc. (DBC) is a full-service General Contractor and Construction Management Consultant to institutional and educational facilities, public agencies and authorities in New York City and throughout the Tri-State Area. Deborah Bradley established DBC in 1994. With over two decades of experience, DBC is recognized by the New York industry as one of the outstanding WBE firms in construction.
Lynette recently decided to go back into the Insurance Brokerage industry with HUB International. She will be in their Construction Group and will be providing service support to Construction clients. She brings a wealth of knowledge not only as being a previous Insurance Broker, but has spent the last 15 years as a Risk Manager in the Engineer and Construction industry. Her experience is not solely for work within the United States, but has worked with companies that were operating in many countries around the world. She brings 30+ years of knowledge and experience with insurance and risk management.