SPOTLIGHT: Carla Matthews – CM Diversity Inclusion Compliance Consultant

Carla J. Matthews grew up in Dayton, Ohio in a very close and loving family with her mother Frances Young and 5 siblings. She is a devoted mother to her two children; daughter Ciera Matthews (grandson Seven) of Orangeburg, South Carolina, and son Ray Matthews II (grandson Jeremiah) of Stow, Ohio.

Carla graduated from Patterson Co-Op high school in Dayton, Ohio and secured a basketball scholarship to Sinclair Community College. Her talent, dedication, and love of the game lead to a basketball scholarship at the University of Akron (UA).

While attending UA and majoring in Civil Engineering, she joined the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) where her focus was on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics. Upon completion of the rigorous training, she became a commissioned officer and later promoted to 1st Lieutenant, 428th Quartermaster Company, Supply and Service Co., Direct Support and is now a Veteran of the United States Army Reserve.

She was the recipient of the 2019 Ohio Black Women’s Leadership Caucus award “Women Paving the Way”. Carla is a hardworking, boots-on-the-ground, forward-thinking entrepreneur. She is physically present to do the work, will adjust to surpass barriers, and overcome obstacles placed on her path. She has over 30 years as a vested journeyman with the Laborers’ International Union Local #894, and the first black female union steward for the tri-county coverage of Summit, Medina, and Portage Counties.

In June of 1987 Carla joined the Laborers’ International Union, Local #894. During a time when being a black female laborer in the heavy highway construction industry was not a favorable career choice, there were only a few laborers that looked like her and they systematically NEVER worked together. There were no mentors or support systems in place to help in this untraveled journey. Her presence in a predominantly white male industry was not welcomed.

The lack of acceptance in her workplace, daily negative comments and actions, excessive physical challenges, uncooperative co-workers, and the defeatist stereotypes she endured were in place to break her and make her quit. She knew that God had a different plan in place for her. The hurdles the industry had constructed and designed to break her made her stronger and more determined to succeed.

Her faith, continued prayers, and her military training had prepared her to withstand the forces she was facing. She exercised daily to improve her physical stamina, learned industry techniques and terminology, attended skills training at the Drexel J. Thrash Training Center, and continued to strive for greatness.

“Never let them see you sweat.”

Carla’s determination to be the best laborer became her work standard and soon the union recognized her drive and ambition. Co-workers acknowledged her professionalism and skills and finally welcomed her into the industry. She became the 1st black female labor union steward covering Summit, Portage, and Medina counties.

In 2014, Carla joined the staff at the Akron Urban League’s (AUL) Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) as the Compliance and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. She was contracted by the City of Akron (COA) to provide compliance monitoring and reporting on the $1.4 billion Akron Waterways Renewed (AWR) Project. Carla was one of the original program administrators for the COA’s monitoring systems (B2GNOW & LCPTracker) that tracked construction project business spending, diversity inclusion, and workforce participation.

She was on the contract vetting team that reviewed all of the submitted AWR contractor proposals. A few contractors were selected for the project’s short-list and included in the bidding process. Carla participated in the strategic planning, hosting, and facilitating of many outreach and networking events for the COA’s AWR project and MBAC trainings and events. She trained MBAC staff members, contractors, and some COA staff on the use of the monitoring software. Carla was also an Authorized OSHA 10-hour & 30-hour trainer and conducted certification training at AUL.

In 2019 Carla completed the required training and became one of the first lead facilitators for ‘Mortar at Bounce’. Mortar at Bounce is a small business accelerator exploring the many aspects of business ownership. It is a cohort-styled class focusing on the processes and development of small businesses. The participants in the cohort have the opportunity to pitch their business idea in front of community leaders and potential customers. In 2019 she started CM Diversity Inclusion Compliance Consultants (CMDICC).

100% minority & woman-owned multi-service compliance, monitoring, and reporting company. CMDICC delivers customized inclusion and compliance reports using diversity and workforce management tools that help construction project owners and contractors meet the goals established in the economic and inclusion plan. A specialized approach to project business-spend, workforce management, communications management, and enterprise content management leads to better regulatory knowledge-sharing collaborations, and process efficiency for customers. CMDICC is committed to excellence; drive and enthusiasm will assist in meeting established and contracted goals and requirements.

President and Co-founder of the Greater Summit County Minority Business Association (GSCMBA). GSCMBA assists in the stimulation, growth, and success of entrepreneurs in Summit County. Through innovative processes, partnerships, and collaborations, GSCMBA provides a platform to address challenges faced by disadvantaged, minority, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses.

Co-Founder of the Ohio Minority Business Association (OMBA). OMBA promotes economic growth and the competitiveness of minority-owned businesses in the State of Ohio through capacity building, outreach, networking, and advocacy. The vision is to promote a level playing field in the State of Ohio in which minority-owned businesses have an opportunity to scale, cultivate, prosper, and compete in contract opportunities.

Co-Founder and Strategic Partner of LeadSafeTeam Ohio (LSTO). Each founder is professionally trained, experienced, and licensed by the State of Ohio. LSTO performs Lead Inspections, Lead Clearance Examinations, Lead Abatement Contracting, and Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) projects throughout the state. We complete Lead Clearance Reports for each property per the guidelines established in the city’s Lead Safe Ordinance and Governed by U.S. EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting program.

Licensed ‘Lead’ professional. During the COVID pandemic, Carla researched paths to elevate her brand. In 2022 she decided to become a licensed lead professional and started completing courses at the Lianna Development Corporation. She became a State Licensed ‘Lead Abatement Contractor’, ‘Lead Risk Assessor’, ‘Lead Inspector’, and ‘RRP Contractor’. She is training to be an Accredited Lead Trainer with the State of Ohio and plans to support lead-safe innovations.

Carla is an entrepreneur that continues to develop new ideas and processes to improve the competitiveness of small businesses. She stated, “We provide value, and have an eminence impact on the changing demands of the market. Entrepreneurs joining forces is powerful and allows us to focus on real outcomes”. The way things have always been done – is no longer a part of her narrative. She will continue to ask public officials tough questions regarding diversity & inclusion and, support the best pathways to level the playing field for minority business