As today’s infrastructure programs grow more complex, effective labor relations and community outreach have emerged as essential to successful project delivery.

With more than 20 years of experience in labor compliance and community engagement, STV’s director of labor relations and community outreach for its program management/construction management (PM/CM) team, Lizette Rodriguez, take a proactive, relationship‑driven approach that helps owners, contractors, unions and local communities work together with clarity, accountability and long‑term trust.

1. How do you build durable trust across workers, management and community partners – and why does it matter for project delivery?

Trust is foundational to labor stability. I build it through consistency, transparency and follow-through. From day one, I set clear expectations – whether they relate to labor requirements, compliance obligations or community commitments.

Workers expect fairness. Contractors want predictability. Communities need accountability. When people see their concerns being heard and addressed objectively and on time, trust develops naturally.

That trust becomes a stabilizing force throughout the project lifecycle. It reduces disputes, supports smoother workforce coordination and creates a collaborative environment where issues are identified and resolved early. For owners, that means fewer disruptions and a stronger path to successful, on-time delivery.

2. How do you stay ahead of evolving labor regulations?

Labor regulations shift quickly, especially across wage requirements, apprenticeship standards and state or federal compliance mandates. Staying ahead of these changes is essential to protecting project schedules and funding.

I maintain close working relationships with agencies such as the State Department of Industrial Relations and the U.S. Department of Labor, allowing me to clarify changes quickly when codes or interpretations shift. I continuously review updates to labor codes, wage determinations and enforcement guidance, and translate them into field-ready direction for project teams.

Compliance should be clear, not confusing. My goal is to keep teams prepared rather than reactive, ensuring projects remain compliant, on schedule and aligned with regulatory and funding requirements.

3. Why does early positioning and risk alignment matter?

Early involvement allows me to integrate labor requirements, workforce strategies and compliance needs before a project breaks ground. One of the clearest examples comes from a confidential healthcare client in the West region, where I led early labor compliance planning and worked closely with internal teams to align our approach with the client’s priorities and risk tolerance. That early positioning established trust, differentiated our value and laid the groundwork for a successful partnership.

4. How does community outreach become a driver of project success?

Community outreach is most effective when it’s integrated into project planning – not treated as an optional task. When local hire goals, workforce development strategies and apprenticeship pathways are built into early planning, the project benefits from both compliance and community buy-in.

A great example comes from a project where I supported labor compliance efforts by providing clear guidance, responsive issue resolution and detailed compliance documentation as part of the project oversight. This integration of compliance and outreach strengthened long‑term trust among agencies, workforce partners and local stakeholders.

Community engagement isn’t a checkbox. Done strategically, it becomes a measurable driver of stability and delivery success.

5. What capabilities should project owners expect from a best-in-class labor relations team today?

Today’s labor relations environment requires both deep technical knowledge and strong interpersonal skills. From my perspective, project owners should expect a labor relations team that provides:

• Clear communication – especially when navigating complex or competing priorities.
• Regulatory fluency – including labor laws, project labor agreements, prevailing wage requirements and funding-linked compliance standards.
• Issue identification and de-escalation – catching challenges early and guiding stakeholders toward fair, practical solutions.
• Adaptability – because regulations, workforce dynamics and community expectations continue to evolve.

These capabilities help projects stay predictable, compliant and aligned with workforce and community expectations.

6. How does your work add value to STV’s projects and clients?

As part of STV’s PM/CM team, I focus on integrating labor compliance rigor and community outreach into complex infrastructure programs. Most recently, this approach supported STV’s work on Santa Barbara County’s North Branch Jail Expansion, where our team is providing project labor agreement (PLA) management and labor compliance support, helping align County labor agreements with Community Workforce Agreement protocols while supporting a complex, multi-phase expansion. This work helps clients navigate evolving regulatory environments, mitigate risk and build strong workforce partnerships that support successful project delivery.

Across California and the western U.S., where labor requirements and community expectations are becoming more complex, these efforts help position projects for long-term success. I also support projects in justice, education and healthcare, where early coordination around labor compliance and community engagement is increasingly essential to meeting schedules, budgets and public expectations.