Colorado Real Estate Journal - December 3, 2014
Swinerton Builders will contribute the lead gift to start an endowment for CM Cares, an initiative at Colorado State University designed to instill students with leadership abilities beyond technical and managerial skills needed to be successful in the construction industry. Swinerton has supported the program, which pairs students with community members with unmet needs for construction-related projects, for the past two years. Endowing CM Cares will provide a dependable budget to improve CSU’s ability to give students opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others while also putting into action lessons they learn in the classroom. Swinerton also has committed to helping CSU raise the rest of the funds needed to fulfill the endowment’s overall goal of $1 million, which will provide approximately $45,000 annually for students to use on their projects and sustain operations of the CM Cares program. CM Cares is delivered primarily through the Construction Leadership course. Students must apply to and be accepted into the course and are then assembled into teams to complete assigned construction projects in the community. “The Swinerton Foundation is particularly passionate about supporting programs that build leaders in our fast-paced, constantly evolving industry,” said Gary Rafferty, Swinerton president and chief operating officer. “Our industry is in need of leadership and it is through mentorship and education programs such as CM Cares that today’s young builders will learn early on the crucial elements to turn their passion for construction into a lifelong career.”