WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT

Opening Doors to Careers in Construction

  • APRIL 30, 2026
  • DALLAS, TX

The DEC @ Shops at Red Bird
3662 West Camp Wisdom Road; Dallas, TX 75237

CHECK OUT THE RECAP VIDEO:

The Blueprint

for Tomorrow

Built Today.

View the Highlights View the Full Gallery

momentum built for the future.

On April 30, 2026, the DEC at RedBird served as a backdrop to connecting ready-to-work talent directly with the construction industry leaders shaping North Texas.

with support from Workforce Dallas.

We brought together a

career-ready generation of talent.

View the Engagement

the blueprint is now a reality.

Hosted by  Turner Construction Company and  PRAXIS Strategic Consulting: Participants explored high-demand jobs, networked with industry leaders, and forged connections vital to their success in the construction industry.

the summit featured:

CAREER FAIR

Direct connection with top employers, trade partners, and industry associations ready to recruit talent. This was an essential networking platform for our summit participants.

WORKFORCE

PANELS

Firsthand accounts from successful professionals who have navigated various career transitions and advancements within construction.

agenda.

2026 Summit Highlights & Straight-Talk Panels

9:45 AM – Doors Opened/Registration/Networking


10:30 AM  – Welcome & Kick-off


11:00 AM  – Construction, Workforce & Economic Mobility Panel

This featured midday conversation brings together leaders from education, public sector, and industry to explore the direct connection between construction, workforce development, and economic mobility.


As North Texas continues to experience significant growth, the demand for a skilled and prepared workforce is beyond a construction industry concern, it is a defining factor in the region’s long-term economic sustainability. This session will examine how careers in construction and the built environment create accessible, high-impact pathways to stable employment, upward mobility, and generational wealth.


Panelists will share perspectives from their respective sectors, highlighting how education systems, workforce programs, and industry leaders must work in alignment to meet the scale of opportunity ahead. The conversation will ground big-picture ideas in real-world impact: connecting infrastructure, development, and community outcomes to the people who power them.


SPEAKERS

 • Byron Sanders: Dallas ISD Trustee

 • Lynn McBee: City of Dallas Workforce Leadership / Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas

 • Louis J. King II, President and CEO of OIC of America

 • Kendyll Locke : Chief of Staff, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett

 • Nick Barker: VP, Turner Dallas Business Unit

 • Asheya Warren, PRAXIS Strategic Consulting - moderator


12:00 PM – 12:55 PM -

Resource Fair & Career Connections: Career Fair & Exhibitors Continued


1:00 PM – 1:55 PM - Pathways to Work Now: Attracting, Training & Hiring Talent in Construction Careers Panel


SPEAKERS

  • Maddie Moxley, Quality Labor Management
  • John Miller, Self Perform Turner 
  • Kevin Thompson, Turner Construction
  • Louis J. King II, President and CEO of OIC of America
  • Carmen Gaines, Turner Construction - moderator


Resource Fair & Career Connections: Career Fair & Exhibitors Continued



Thank You to Our Exhibitors & Sponsors

View the Exhibitors

real connections, real impact.

The 2026 Workforce Development Summit would not have been possible without the construction leaders who stepped up to bridge the talent gap.


By investing in the summit, our sponsors and exhibitors provided direct hiring visibility to a resilient, job-ready workforce, cementing their reputation as champions for local economic mobility.