At STO Building Group (STOBG), we celebrate our local heroes: the very men and women within the STOBG family who have proven their commitment to doing the right thing and serving the greater good. Whether near or far, on the job or in their communities, the STOBG Local Heroes go above and beyond the expected to help make the world a better place. Here are their stories.
STOBG Local Hero: Frank Quarrella, Ajax
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Our Safety 360° initiative teaches us to always be actively engaged in our environment and to look out for one another. Ajax Regional Safety Manager Frank Quarrella put that teaching into action when he was out to lunch with colleagues last October, by helping revive an elderly gentleman in the restaurant who had collapsed. Gary Spaw, Ajax Superintendent, was there that day and first noticed the gentleman in distress. He and Gilberto Carrillo, Field Engineer, helped clear a space on the floor so that Frank could perform CPR on the gentleman. Frank, a former EMT, moved the gentleman onto the floor, checked his breathing and pulse, and directed the restaurant staff to call 911. Ultimately, Frank moved him into an upright position, he regained consciousness, and Frank continued to monitor his vital signs until emergency response arrived to take over. Frank was nominated by Ajax’s Director of Risk Management, Marc Reeves, who was struck by how Frank didn’t hesitate to step up and help—even amid a pandemic—and stayed calm and in control throughout the situation. Gary Spaw says, “what impressed me was how calm Frank was through it all, which in turn, had a calming effect on the gentleman and his family.” For Frank, integrity means being honest and kind-hearted and taking action when you see something is wrong. Thank you, Team Ajax, for springing into action that day!
March 16, 2021
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As the pandemic has unfolded, the demand for food and other necessities has increased enormously. Rob Dias, Site Manager at Govan Brown in Toronto, wanted to help those in need. During the last few months, Rob has volunteered over 500 hours with Hand Up Toronto, which provides low-income communities in the greater Toronto area with care packages containing raw grains, ready-made meals, nutritional supplements, and hygiene necessities to sustain a family for approximately two weeks. Hand Up Toronto has helped alleviate food insecurity for over 16,000 people to date since the pandemic. Jenn McCoy, National Business Process Manager, and Rose Rencius, Senior National Marketing Manager, nominated Rob because of his commitment to giving back to his community and inspiring others to do the same.
March 15, 2021
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Michael Walsh, Vertical Transportation Engineering Specialist at LF Driscoll, who was nominated by Field Engineer Jared Lawrence. In 2009, Michael approached International Union of Elevator Constructors Local #5 in Philadelphia about forming a charitable organization to help disabled U.S. military service veterans lead independent lives by making their homes handicap accessible. The result was A Lift for a Vet, which buys and installs elevators, home lifts, stair lifts, or wheelchair lifts in the homes of disabled veterans from any era. Thanks to Michael’s work, A Lift for a Vet has installed systems for over 500 veterans across the country.
March 14, 2021
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With the Northeast being one of the first areas in the U.S. affected by COVID-19, many of the healthcare systems in New Jersey needed to respond quickly to be able to meet the unprecedented challenges of caring for patients and staff in a pandemic. Joe MacInnes, Healthcare Sector Leader at Structure Tone New Jersey, sprang into action, working with his team around the clock to provide PPE and install other critical equipment so that our healthcare clients could segregate and treat COVID patients. Joe was nominated by Erik Sletteland, VP of Business Development, who was inspired by Joe’s selfless dedication to meeting our clients’ needs and helping them care for others during the onset of the pandemic, when far less was known about the virus.
March 12, 2021
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Damon Renaud, Senior Superintendent at Structure Tone Southwest in Dallas, who was nominated by Project Executive Chris Lang. Damon and his wife Annette helped start a Community Breakfast program at their church, First Presbyterian Church of Garland, which has served breakfast every Saturday for eight years without fail, even amid the pandemic. And for the past 26 years, Damon has used his PTO time to lead a group of volunteers from Faith Ministry, a non-profit organization, into Mexico to build homes for families living in poverty. While the pandemic prevented him from leading a team this year, he sent the money that would have been used for his team’s travel expenses to Faith Ministry’s staff in Mexico so that they could continue to build homes.
March 11, 2021