RANDOLPH, MA– NEI General Contracting announced that Andre Barbour, the company’s diversity and inclusion director, has been named to ENR’s National Top 20 Under 40 for 2024 as well as their New England “Top Young Professionals” list.
Barbour helps to drive the participation of local, emerging women- and minority-owned construction firms on all NEI projects, as well as create an expanded recruitment and workforce development drive to hire workers from the communities where projects are located.
Barbour’s efforts to promote equitable workforce utilization in construction has resulted in hundreds of people from local communities being employed on construction projects over the past five years. Since he joined NEI, the company has constructed over $400 million in affordable housing in the city of Boston. With Barbour’s dedication and commitment to equity and inclusion, over $170 million (43%) has gone to minority-owned businesses and over $50 million (13%) has gone to women-owned businesses.
The ENR “Top Young Professionals” program recognizes individuals who are not only industry leaders, but also passionate about their communities, bringing energy and innovation to the regions where they live. Barbour will be recognized at ENR’s Emerging Leaders Forum, and he will join an impressive roster of twenty A/E/C all-stars who have achieved a great deal at a relatively young age.
“Andre has been a force of nature for our company since joining NEI, and has helped fuel significant opportunities for business owners within historically underserved populations,” said Joe Rettman, President, NEI General Contracting. “This latest recognition for Andre comes as no surprise to those of us that work with him, but we are excited for the industry at large to see how impactful his work has been.”
Andre is actively involved with many community-based organizations, vocational schools and career training programs and institutions. He actively serves on the City of Boston’s Black Men & Boys Commission, is a Chairperson for Building & Property Maintenance Vocation program at Madison Park Vocational Technical High School and has recently been appointed as a Board Member for the Massachusetts Minority Contractors Association.
