Sandya Dandamudi, president of Chicago-based GI Stone, has been honored with the prestigious Albert Friedman Award for 2022 by the Greater River North Business Association (RNBA).
“We take great pride in giving back to the River North community, where our office and shop are located and where many of our projects become reality,” Dandamudi said of GI Stone, one of the country’s leading commercial stone suppliers, fabricators and installers.
“One of our company’s primary missions is supporting pre-apprentice programs that expose people of different racial, gender and economic backgrounds to the stone-setting trades,” she said. “The end goal is that these students will be qualified to pass the exams required to enter the Bricklayers & Stone Masons Union Local 21, which offers an excellent start to a career in construction, as well as great pay and benefits.”
Dandamudi is working with St. Paul Church of God in Christ Community Development Ministries’ (SPCDM) three-month pre-apprentice program, which prepares hard-to-serve, historically underrepresented minorities to enter the trades. The marble setters and finishers do not have a formal apprentice program, as this skill is traditionally a very specialized craft handed down within families. By working with SPCDM, Dandamudi hopes to not only create a sustainable path for training new stone workers, but also hire potential apprentices and teach them the craft within her own company.
The Greater RNBA was founded in 2020 with a mission to raise money to support, enhance and improve the River North community and local businesses. Dandamudi was honored at Greater RNBA’s Albert Friedman Awards Breakfast, held June 21 at Maggiano’s Ballroom, 111 W. Grand Ave., Chicago.
This year’s Albert Friedman Award honored Dandamudi for her philanthropic efforts and her contributions to the River North community. The award was named after Albert M. Friedman, chairman and CEO of Friedman Properties, who has focused his career on revitalizing the River North community.
Dandamudi serves on River North Residents Association’s development and land use committee, advising the aldermen on proposed neighborhood projects. As board vice president for ReVive Center for Housing and Healing, Dandamudi has recruited construction leaders to become supporters, volunteers and board members for ReVive, which serves Chicago’s at-risk homeless. She is also a trustee and vice chair of The DuSable Museum of African American History; an advisory board member for the new National Indo-American Heritage Museum; a member of Chief, a network supporting women leaders; and a member of Vistage, the world’s largest executive coaching organization for small businesses.
GI Stone recently sourced, fabricated and installed stone for several high-profile commercial renovation and new-construction projects, including Tribune Tower Residences, One Chicago, Cirrus Condominiums, Four Seasons Hotel renovation, the hotel portion of St. Regis Chicago, Salesforce Tower, Fulton Labs at 400 N. Aberdeen, 167 Green Street office building, Nobu Hotel Chicago, Circle Park Apartments and Prairie Shores Apartments.
About GI Stone:
Founded in 1995, GI Stone is a commercial stone provider specializing in sourcing, fabrication and installation of interior and exterior custom stone to clients nationwide. Based in Chicago’s Hubbard Street industrial district, with clients in markets throughout the country, the company sustains strong relationships with local and international stone providers to source the highest-quality raw materials available. GI Stone provides fabricated stone products to developers and contractors for upscale commercial developments, consulting with architects, engineers and interior designers to shape the stone into elegant finishes and execute the owner’s vision. A short list of GI Stone’s high-profile projects includes One Bennett Park, Optima Signature, NEXT Apartments, No.9 Walton, Fulton East, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. For further information on the company, please visit www.gistone.com.
