Origins of the Forum
On April 18, 2011, publisher Tom Finan, a third-generation member of the region’s construction industry and fifth-generation St. Louisan, wrote and disseminated a white paper outlining a strategic plan for the formation of a “St. Louis Construction Leadership Forum”. This document became the blueprint for what has evolved into Construction Forum.
The Need for Change
The 2011 document noted, “Our construction industry is based on traditions and relationships. Unfortunately, those traditions and relationships have become tarnished and fractured in the past few years. Bluntly, what worked in the past is no longer working. Change is necessary if we are to have any possibility of recovery or growth.”
The white paper, later developed into a business plan proposed candidly addressing the issues with racially- and economically-inclusive dialogue, assembling statistical evidence, and identifying tasks for collective pursuit.
Laying the Groundwork and Early Challenges
Key elements of the proposed Forum included executive summits, an aggregating website, and original academic-guided research.
The primary issues that the proposed Forum would address would be centered around workforce (both union and non-union), project collaborative environment, regionalism, and inclusion/diversity.
The 2011 document was never implemented, largely because key industry stakeholders wanted to steer the conversation and the agenda of the nascent organization. Ironically, the delay worked for the better.
Launching the Forum
In late 2012, attorney Joe Blanner, founder of a networking group based on an online platform, suggested revisiting the Forum concept to Tom Finan. In late 2013, with three other founding board members, the Forum was launched as Construction Forum STL, a 501(c)4 member-less civic nonprofit.
Three weeks later, 350 persons attended the Forum’s first program at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Since then, over 7 million emails have been sent. The website receives over 250,000 page views per year. There have been over 10,000 event registrations.
Ongoing Recognition
Over the six years following its founding, the Forum received recognition, awards, and media coverage for its work in diversity/inclusion, regional collaboration, public policy, workforce, immigrant/refugee support, and mental health.