Stephanie Burns

As Turner Construction Company’s vice president of community and citizenship, Stephanie Burns leads initiatives to develop New York’s construction Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) community, positioning these businesses for growth and opportunity. Burns is responsible for strategic planning to cultivate a pipeline of students entering STEM fields, supporting the construction and engineering industries. She directs nearly 1,000 staff members to engage with the New York landscape in support of Turner’s community commitments.

Burns has led educational programs such as Turner’s YouthForce 2020 K-12 initiative, Young Women on the Horizon, Adopt a School, and YouthForce Scholarship programs. She has also established corporate educational partnerships, including ACE, Eagle Academy Foundation, and the Turner+Pratt Collaboration. To encourage employee community involvement, Burns created the Operation Giveback volunteer program, engaging more than 1,000 employees in outreach events.

For more than 20 years, Burns has organized and led training for New York’s MWBE community through the nationally recognized Turner School of Construction Management, covering topics such as estimating and bidding, marketing, scheduling, project management, safety, and project financing. As a mentor and advocate for women in construction, she founded and leads Turner’s Mark Your Mark Employee Resource Group, focusing on recruitment, retention, and professional development of women within the company.

Burns represents Turner at minority and small business conferences, addressing contract procurement and workforce participation, and contributes to Turner awarding more than 20 percent of its contract work annually to minority and women-owned businesses. She serves on the BTEA MWBE Leadership Council, Women’s Builders Council as vice chair, YMCA Board, and New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce Board. Burns has received industry awards and honors recognizing her leadership and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the construction industry.