PROVIDENCE, RI Gilbane Building Company announces that Linda Graves has been named as Vice President of Diversity and Community Affairs. As a ten-year veteran with Gilbane, Graves will serve in this National leadership role positioning Gilbane's diversity and inclusion efforts as a comprehensive strategy to achieve business and workforce commitments.

In her role, Graves will be responsible for developing and implementing Gilbane's community benefits commitments within key markets and promoting and engaging with historically under-utilized businesses, minority, women-owned, small and local business enterprises. She will work with local project teams in understanding and defining the needs and expectations of clients, while strengthening Gilbane's relationships with key stakeholders and trades to enhance contracting opportunities for local businesses as well as cultivate active participation with industry organizations and associations which promote inclusion and training opportunities.

"As a member of our Management team, Linda brings hands-on best practices and lessons learned to maximize diverse business utilization strategies for all of the clients we serve, projects we undertake, and markets in which we work," said Dennis Cornick, Executive Vice President and Global Director of Sales and Marketing. "Her commitment and dedication is unmatched, and will result in our firm elevating our position to the next level as an industry leader in this area."

A passionate community and industry advocate, Graves serves as the Co-Chair of the African American Women's Fund Project in partnership with The Women's Fund of Greater Milwaukee. She is also an active member of the American Contract Compliance Association (ACCA), where she earned her Certified Compliance Administrator (CCA) designation, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from California State University. She serves on Gilbane's internal diversity council IDEA, which supports the company's commitment to diversity in the workplace.

Graves recently completed her tenure as a member of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) board of directors and executive committee. She continues her involvement through the Major Corporate Partner Group.