TRAINING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MENTORING & COACHING
BONDING AND LEGAL REFERRALS
Our Expertise
It’s no secret—diverse construction firms have been unable to gain traction in the commercial construction industry, an industry that is dealing with a severe skills shortage at every level. With billions of dollars in construction projects going on in communities throughout the country, far too many diverse businesses are locked out...not at the table to bargain for, identify and connect with the right opportunities to evolve their businesses.
When the founder, Suzanne Stantley, realized that the lack of these businesses’ ability to build upon the American dream of inclusion and prosperity was due to their lack of insights into the industry's processes and best practices, she knew exactly what she had to do. She leveraged her more than thirty years of marketing, combined with a proven ability to connect with people and parlayed these attributes to establish the Construction Development Institute. To show her sincere commitment to helping businesses overcome major barriers that have prevented them from gaining a foothold on major contract dollars, she also became a surety bond agent.
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The Construction Development Institute creates customized programs designed to prepare both developing and established construction firms increase their capacity to compete and bid on contracts let by private or government entities.
Through direct, focused professional technical assistance our services build competencies that will enable participating disadvantaged, minority, veteran or women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) to compete for prime and subcontracting opportunities on roadways or vertical construction projects.
Our Commitment to Results
The Team
Suzanne F. Stantley
Founder & President
Suzanne began her career in marketing immediately after receiving an MBA. She climbed ladders. She shattered glass ceilings. Hers is a remarkable career which started with a tenure at Leo Burnett USA, the largest advertising agency in the world at the time, working with Fortune 500 companies Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Kraft Foods and US Navy.
Her mission is to assist as many diverse firms as possible, regardless of where they reside, gain greater knowledge of the processes and procedures needed to win and manage million-dollar commercial construction contracts.
Director Financial Services
Experienced Accounting and Audit Professional with a master's degree in accounting and 10+ years of experience analyzing financial reports, business and processes, and controls to ensure proper guidelines are followed. Outstanding analytic, oral, and written interpersonal skills in communicating effectively with all levels of the organization and producing clear, concise reports which provide key insight for Senior Management, Investors, and other External Parties. Application proficiencies include MS Office Suite, Investran, Oracle NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, Salesforce, Google Suite, Gusto, BILL, Expensify, and Adobe Professional.
Zach Petit
With a career spanning nearly 20 years in construction, operations, and project management across several construction sectors, companies and roles. He has a deep understanding of the challenges construction companies face every day in the battle for success. He knows how difficult it is for owners to focus time and resources towards evaluating, developing, and keeping successful business processes and management strategies.
Zach is actively involved in training, mentoring and coaching.
Kevin Dooling
Manager Client Engagement
Kevin Dooling has been in the commercial/industrial construction industry for over 12 years, primarily as an estimator. He has also assisted in project management, project sales and equipment sales. He has gone through every phase of the pre-bid process. This includes discussing projects on a conceptual level, budgeting through the various design phases, evaluating value engineering options and descoping potential bidders as an owner’s representative.
Kevin is actively involved in training, mentoring and coaching.
Manager Client Services
Dennis Murphy
Blake Bretz
Trainer & Mentor
During his career, Blake has been responsible for multiple concurrent large and technically detailed projects. He has exceptional organization and time management skills.
He has worked as a Construction Manager, Project Manager and Project Engineer.
Trainer & Mentor
Kyle's expertise includes being a seasoned Project Manager Professional (PMP) with an extensive background in scheduling. His background includes a focus on structural steel, heavy highway, and curtainwall fabrication. He also has experience as a scheduler in support of program management services for the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) $2.0 billion reconstruction and widening of I-95.
Kyle Corneau
Trainer & Mentor
Kazina Henderson
Kazina is an experienced Project Engineer with more than 20 years in the construction industry. She has a keen understanding of many processes that enable a firm to succeed in the commercial arena.
She also provides certified payroll, back-office support and certifications.