JG
When Julissa Gutierrez was appointed New York’s chief diversity officer last summer, she was tasked with registering more MWBEs and reaching the state’s ambitious 30% MWBE contract utilization goal – which New York nearly did, with the state announcing in December that 29.51% of its contracts had been awarded to firms owned by women or minorities in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. An expert on Latino issues and civic engagement, Gutierrez previously held key roles with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund.
2. Jonnel Doris & Dynishal Gross
Commissioner; Deputy Commissioner, Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity, New York City Small Business Services
Suffolk Construction
Suffolk Construction is one of the top industry players in Boston, where it’s headquartered, but it has also been steadily expanding its presence in New York, where Charlie Avolio has been leading the charge. Avolio, who previously worked at Turner, joined Suffolk Construction in 2016 as the company opened a new office in New York City and launched its bid to gain a share of the local market. He works closely with Will Whitesell, New York’s chief operating officer.
22. James C. McKenna
President and CEO, Hunter Roberts Construction Group
A civil engineer by training, James C. McKenna founded Hunter Roberts Construction Group in 2005 and built it into what is now a top 10 construction firm in the New York area. The company, which also has offices in Philadelphia and New Jersey, is the construction manager on Barry Diller’s conversion of Pier 55 into “Little Island” park jutting out into the Hudson River. The company has also been a partner on an ar