Building Conversations

Leaning Forward: Advancing Women in Construction

What does it truly take to advance women in construction—not just recruit them, but retain, support, and elevate them into leadership? In this episode of Building Conversations, Claudia Healy—STO Building Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer—sits down with NAWIC CEO Sheronda Carr and Northeast Regional Director Jillian Penkin to unpack the real retention challenges—bias, culture, and the difference between mentorship and sponsorship.

Ask the Expert: Construction Procurement with David Hamilton

In this Building Conversations Ask the Expert episode, David Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Construction Procurement Solutions, answers listener questions about construction procurement and the evolving strategies reshaping how projects are delivered. From industry fragmentation and supply chain complexity to direct manufacturer partnerships and technology-driven visibility, Dave explains how modern procurement approaches help reduce risk, improve cost certainty, and keep projects on schedule. Tune in to learn how smarter procurement decisions create more control, transparency, and better outcomes for clients.

The Precon Playbook: How Early Strategy Shapes Project Success

In this episode, Greg Dunkle, Chief Operating Officer at STO Building Group, sits down with three pre-construction leaders—James Mezzadri, Estimating Manager at Structure Tone New York, Troy Addis, Senior Vice President at LF Driscoll, and Kurt Thomas, Vice President of Business Development at Layton Construction—to discuss how pre-construction sets the tone for project success. They explore how early collaboration builds client trust, drives schedule and cost certainty across sectors, and how tools like VDC, pull planning, and shared platforms help teams stay aligned from estimating through delivery.

Ask the Expert: The State of the Construction Labor Market with Greg Dunkle

In this Building Conversations Ask the Expert episode, Greg Dunkle—Chief Operating Officer at STO Building Group—answers listener questions on one of the industry’s toughest challenges: the national labor shortage. From the 500,000-worker gap to rising wages and shifting demographics, Greg breaks down how today’s workforce trends impact project cost, schedule, quality, and safety—and what clients should be asking when selecting a contractor.

Ask the Expert: Inside the World of Compliance with Leah Ramos

In this episode of Ask the Expert on the Building Conversations podcast, Leah Ramos, Senior Vice President of Ethics, Compliance, and Audit at STO Building Group, breaks down the biggest myths around compliance and explains its true role in protecting integrity, reputation, and trust. From managing integrity-related risk and guiding teams through new markets, to vetting subcontractors, navigating bidding processes, and ensuring ethical practices across the supply chain, Leah shares how compliance works behind the scenes to help projects succeed.

Innovation Expo: Buildots

In this episode of STO Building Group’s Innovation Expo Series, host Rob Leon sits down with Jessica Herrala, Regional Vice President of Buildots, to explore how Buildots is transforming progress through AI and computer vision.  

 

Leading from the Field: Lessons from the Superintendent Roundtable

From fostering collaboration to sharing best practices, this episode goes inside the STO Building Group Superintendent Roundtable. Join Greg Dunkle, STOBG’s Chief Operating Officer, as he sits down with two Roundtable members—Ernie Tessein, General Superintendent at Structure Tone Philadelphia; Brian Bernhoft, Construction Manager at Abbott Construction—along with Superintendents Academy participant, Matthew Persico, Superintendent at Structure Tone New York. Together, they explore evolving industry challenges, their personal paths into the industry, and the unique value the Roundtable brings to field leaders across STOBG.

Innovation Expo: Day 2+

In this episode of STO Building Group’s Innovation Expo Series, host Rob Leon sits down with Alex Rothman, co-founder and CEO of Day 2+ and Michael Sci, STOBG’s Senior Vice President of Facilities Construction Services to explore how this next wave of construction technology is reshaping scheduling, material tracking, field communication, site-scanning robotics, and more.   

 

Synergy on Site: Exploring IPD (RE-RELEASE)

Ever wondered how modern construction delivery methods are reshaping the industry? Join Chris McGinnis, Senior Project Manager at LF Driscoll, Mike Dikon, Vice President at LF Driscoll, and Steve Greulich, Associate VP of Capital Projects for Penn Medicine, as they explore how Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is transforming collaboration, boosting efficiency, and redefining success on projects.

Ask the Expert: The Power of AI in Construction with Rob Leon

How is artificial intelligence transforming the way we build? In this episode of Ask the Expert, host Rob Leon, Chief Innovation Officer at STO Building Group, explores how AI is reshaping the construction industry—from streamlining project workflows to turning massive amounts of data into smarter, faster decisions.