The construction industry is facing a national labor shortage, impacting everything from new home construction to major commercial projects. With the industry needing to add about 500,000 net new workers for the conceivable future, Wambui is making sure no stone is left unturned and that everyone feels welcome.
Serving as Fonatine’s first director of diversity, inclusion, and community impact, she initiates projects that energize the next generation of builders and ensure they reflect the richness and diversity of the communities they come from. She leads the company’s Fontaine Community Foundation, whose mission is to build partnerships that invest in the community. In 2024, the foundation invested in 32 Worcester organizations and generated $122,033.
Wambui works to guarantee Fontaine adheres to the state’s public construction project bidding requirements by initiating contracts with minority- and woman-owned businesses, an often heavy-lift when combining the size of a project with the finite number of certified businesses. But Wambui doesn’t need state regulations to persuade her to connect with diverse suppliers—she knows a diversified workforce is the key to Fontaine developing facilities that meet the needs of their entrusted communities.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
