Diverse Business Leaders 2020: Sal Valadez, LiUNA – Missouri Kansas Laborers' District Council
In his work for LiUNA (Laborers’ International Union of North America), Sal Valadez is the representative for diversity, outreach and marketing for Missouri-Kansas Laborers' District Council. Valadez, 68, promotes workforce development and education among underserved immigrant and ethnic communities, and developed a coalition of nonprofits and health providers to address their unmet health care needs.
What makes you a diverse business leader? When faced with a new project, I always try to approach it with this in mind: Who is being left behind and why? It is always important to have diverse opinions and partners in whatever we do, and it is our responsibility to include voices from our region’s diverse communities. I am fortunate to work for the LiUNA Missouri & Kansas Laborers’ District Council, an organization that is committed to diversity, inclusion and equity. It is reflected in our workforce, in our actions and support for our members, for all workers and their families, and for our underserved and underrepresented communities. Our approach is to build relationships based on mutual trust and respect. This broadens our opportunities to collaborate on issues of mutual concern.