January 10, 2023 Messer Names Vice President of Economic Inclusion

Messer Construction Co. is proud to announce the promotion of Sonya Walton to Vice President of Economic Inclusion.

Cincinnati, Ohio – In this executive role, she will oversee strategies to continue the advancement of Messer’s supplier diversity efforts in coordination with the company’s 11 regional offices throughout the Midwest and Southeast. She also will continue leading mentoring efforts for women and people of color across the company.

“I am very excited to join Messer’s executive team,” Walton said. “Supplier diversity and community engagement are woven into Messer’s operations and core values. I am eager to drive this part of the company forward, as well as help pave the way for women and people of color for the future.”

Walton joined Messer in 2006, applying her expertise in supplier diversity, workforce diversity and community engagement to make the construction industry a better place for people from all backgrounds, including minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. Her efforts have contributed to Messer’s record-breaking spend with M/WBEs—increasing from $35 million (8%) in 2005 to $255 million (20%) in fiscal year 2022.

Walton is a Certified Supplier Diversity Professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She has been featured in the Who’s Who of Black Cincinnati publication and is a graduate of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Leadership Cincinnati USA & WE Lead programs; the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio’s Urban Leadership Institute; and the YWCA Rising Star Leadership Program. She received the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s 2020 Leadership award, as well as the Advocate of the Year award in both 2016 and 2019.

Walton serves as a Messer ESOP Trustee; a board member of Covington Partners and the Employee-Owned S-Corporations of America; and is a member of the ArtsWave Campaign Cabinet. Past community responsibilities included serving as Vice Chair of the 2022 ArtsWave Community Campaign, co-chairing the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s Local Advisory Committee, and serving on the board of Lighthouse Youth Services and the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati.

About Messer Construction Co.
Messer Construction Co. is a construction manager and general contractor that provides leadership for complex commercial construction projects in the Aviation, Federal/Military, Health Care, Higher Education, Industrial, and Science and Technology market segments. An employee-owned company, Messer’s transformational investment in its people, communities and innovative building solutions has enhanced the landscape of the 11 regions throughout the Midwest and Southeast in which its employees live and work. A local builder with national resources and expertise, the company has delivered value for 90 years through quality construction and client experiences, taking care to both exceed customer expectations and build long-term relationships.

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