Joan Archie, Executive Director of Construction Compliance at the University of Chicago Medical Center, has been named compliance officer of the year by the Black Contractors United organization.
Archie, who also works in conjunction with the Medical Center’s Urban Health Initiative, received the award for her “dedication to marketing, promotion and sustained development of women- and minority–owned businesses,” wrote Edward T. McKinnie, BCU president. McKinnie added that through Archie’s efforts “numerous small businesses will have realized the opportunity to compete successfully in the construction economy.”
The award was presented at the BCU’s annual awards dinner, held Oct. 28 at the InterContinental Hotel Chicago. BCU is a Chicago–based association whose core mission is to assist African American contractors achieve parity in the marketplace.
“We are extremely proud of Joan’s continued leadership efforts to help the Medical Center actualize its goals as it relates to woman– and minority–owned construction firms throughout the greater Chicago area,” said Quin R. Golden, Associate Vice President for Strategic Affiliations and the Urban Health Initiative.
Recent project milestones include the Comer Specialty Care Project, suites in the hospital that provide specialty care for pediatric patients, which achieved a minority– and woman–owned business utilization goal of 70.52 percent at its completion. The New Hospital Pavilion Project, more than a third complete, has achieved a utilization goal of nearly 45 percent.
This is the second such compliance award Archie has received from BCU; in 2002, she was honored while a director for the Chicago Urban League. There, she helped to develop and implement the Medical Center’s Construction Compliance Initiative, which helped minority and woman–owned firms maximize economic benefit through Medical Center construction projects. In 2006, Archie also received the organization's Silver 25 Award, in 2006, which highlighted 25 people who were instrumental in the development and utilization of minority– and woman–owned firms.
Archie said she was honored to earn the BCU award. “I’m very excited about what we do here at the Medical Center. We work very hard to ensure that we are open and inclusive. Having a commitment toward diversity is the right thing to do and makes great business sense.”
Archie said for nearly a decade, each construction project the Medical Center has met or exceeded utilization goals with minority– and woman–owned businesses.
—Prof. Kunle Odunsi
