LEADERSHIP
Juliana
Almanza
Chief of staff Associated General Contractors of California by Jennifer Fergesen
Juliana Almanza , chief of staff of the West Sacramento-based construction trade association Associated General Contractors of California , was born in Le Grand , a dot on the map in Merced County . Fewer than 2,000 people live there , mostly agricultural workers of Mexican and Central American origin . They tend the farmland that surrounds Le Grand on all sides .
“ Coming from a small town with parents who are fieldworkers , you almost feel like you ’ re miles behind ,” says Almanza , 33 , whose parents emigrated from the Mexican state of Guanajuato in the 1980s . “ One of my favorite parts of my whole story is that you don ’ t have to have all of those connections . You don ’ t have to have money . You just have to work really hard , have the motivation and the push to keep going , and take every opportunity that is offered to you .”
One of her first decisive opportunities was an acceptance to Sacramento State , where she studied business administration and ethnic studies and developed a fascination for human behavior . She decided to put down roots in the capital city and worked a series of retail jobs before joining AGC of California as a human resources administrator in 2014 . After a rapid succession of promotions , she assumed her current position in May 2019 .
Almanza never considered working in construction when she was a girl in Le Grand . “ But now that I ’ m in it , I just can ’ t envision any other career path at this point ,” she says . “ The construction industry has so much depth and breadth to it . … The members are building legacy , building these highways and bridges and tunnels and buildings that you can see , and I think that ’ s super impactful .”
As chief of staff for the 101-year-old organization , Almanza oversees statewide human resources , directs operations and serves as an extension of the office of CEO Peter Tateishi , placing her second in command of one of the largest trade associations in California . She is also treasurer and secretary of the Construction Education Foundation , a nonprofit run by AGC of California that provides outreach , resources and training for people entering jobs in construction .
Her goal is to foster diversity and inclusion both within AGC of California — by building a positive workplace culture and acquiring diverse talent — and in the construction industry as a whole through the organization ’ s outreach and recruitment support for its member companies . “ Diversity and inclusion is actually a huge passion for me , and I ’ m lucky enough that in my role , I get to live it ,” she says .
Women ( who make up less than 10 percent of the construction workforce ) and people of color in particular can benefit from the variety of career and leadership opportunities available in the industry , Almanza says . Through her leadership role with Construction Education Foundation , she is involved in outreach programs that raise the visibility of these opportunities , including Build California , a recruitment campaign that works to attract students and youth to jobs in construction ; the Construction Leadership Council for young professionals ; and several scholarship programs . She has also taken her passion for inclusion beyond the boundaries of the organization by leading culture training programs at national conventions .
“ In the construction industry specifically , we ’ ve had a level of commitment that we ’ ve never seen before around diversity and inclusion ,” Almanza says . “ As challenging as it might be to be a woman of color in industry , I think that is all moving in the right direction .”
MURAL BY KIRILEIGH JONES
36 comstocksmag . com | July 2021