Ryan Patrick Rio, 26
Assistant superintendent at Skanska
Growing up in Elverson, Pa., in a family of carpenters and heavy equipment operators, Ryan Patrick Rio learned early about the kinds of sacrifices that rank-and-file construction workers make every day.
After earning a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University, Rio spent a few years in the Washington, D.C., area working with contractor CBG Building Company. He worked on a large, mixed-use development in northeastern D.C. called Eckington Yards, which involved nearly 700 apartments across four buildings. Rio helped manage the subcontractors and oversee the interior fit-outs on one of the rental buildings, including hanging drywall, painting, installing utilities and cabinets, and handling final punch list items.
In spring 2022, Rio decided to move to Hoboken, N.J., to live with his girlfriend and start a new gig at Skanska. In his 18-month tenure with the firm, he’s worked on the East Midtown Greenway and Andrew Haswell Green Park, together a 1.8-acre public esplanade that runs from East 54th to East 61st streets. The esplanade’s waterfront path is all new construction, and involved drilling caissons into the East River and laying a precast concrete structure on top. On top of the precast shell, Skanska installed a grid of small plastic cylinders that are installed in the soil and help distribute groundwater to the surrounding plants and trees.
At Skanska, he also participated in the Green Sticker Initiative aimed at raising awareness of depression and suicide among construction workers, who have one of the highest suicide rates of any trade in the U.S.
“A lot of the workforce is older men, guys who were raised on the idea that you don’t talk about your feelings or what’s bothering you,” said Rio. “The idea is that we have a green sticker on our hardhat, and we give presentations to the guys and girls on the job sites; and let them know we’re here if they need to talk, if they’re struggling with a mental health or substance abuse issue.”
Outside of work, Rio says he likes to snowboard, play tennis, hunt (back home in Pennsylvania) and play intramural kickball.
