Recalling early comments that she “didn't belong here,” Taveras is proud she has “come from nothing into the middle class.”

Black executives in the industry are pushing to increase the ranks of minorities beyond federal mandates. “The word 'minority' means 'less than,' so when people say 'minority firm,' they subconsciously think 'less than' before they know the firm's ability,” says C. David Moody, CEO of C.D. Moody Construction Co., a Lithonia, Ga., contractor. A former architect at Bechtel Power, he started his firm in 1983. “I'm living a dream doing what I've wanted to do since I was 11. I never let my race or what others thought about my race stop me.”

“I’m living a dream doing what I’ve wanted…since I was 11. I never let my race stop me.” C. DAVID MOODY, CEO C.D. MOODY CONSTRUCTION CO., LITHONIA, GA.

The firm, with $75 million in 2010 revenue, is part of a joint venture selected in June to build the $125-million National Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta. “Certainly, minority requirements have helped fuel the push, but contractors just signing their names to contracts and not performing likely aren't around anymore,” says Brent Darnell, an employee development consultant to industry.

Gregs Thomopulos, the Nigerian-born chairman and CEO of Stanley Consultants, Muscatine, Iowa, says federal diversity mandates partly fueled a color drain in industry boardrooms.

He also worries about the lagging enrollment numbers of black engineering candidates. Noting a visionary boss who hired him 40 years ago, Thomopulos has seen a lot of progress over the years. “But people relate to those who are like themselves, and this shows in hiring and promotion preferences,” he says.

Adds Paul King, a veteran activist for black contracting, “When blacks advance, they give credence to a company and confidence to younger blacks seeking careers. If you don't see one, it's hard to believe you can be one.”