MESSAGE
am honored to introduce myself as the incoming Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska president. First, I would like to thank Past President Sarah Lefebvre for her friendship, tireless volunteerism, and commitment to AGC Alaska. Sarah has been a bold, effective leader, and we cannot say enough good things about her time serving this role. Thank you, Sarah. Also a big thanks to Alicia and all the AGC staff for all they do.
Our incoming executive board is made up of these dedicated volunteers:
- Marcus Trivette: Vice President, Brice Inc.
- Saigen Harris: Secretary, F&W Construction
- Carrie Jokiel: Treasurer, ChemTrack Alaska
- Dave Johnson: Associate Member, AS&G
- Luke Blomfield: Contractor at Large, Davis Constructors and Engineers
Your executive board represents diverse interests across the construction industry. Much like AGC serves all member types, so does the executive board. Today, the “E-board,” as they are also known, is made up of a civil general contractor, two building general contractors, a heavy industrial general contractor, an environmental contractor, and a major supplier to the construction industry.
As the board evolves, we will continue to maintain member-wide representation. I also want to welcome the newly elected board of directors, who are listed on page 34 of this magazine. Also, a special congratulations to Dave Johnson and Jim St. George for achieving life board status this year. Their commitment to AGC and the construction industry is impossible to overstate.
I have had the special privilege of being involved in AGC in two states, Alaska and Hawaii, for about twenty years. Even with two decades of membership, the real value of AGC was not driven home to me until about five years ago. Why? It is when I became active in advocating for our key issues at both the state and national level and witnessed firsthand how effective the organization is in ensuring decision-makers understand our issues. We carry a big stick in Alaska; with six hundred members and millions of industry dollars invested in Alaska, our elected officials rightfully need to know how they can help keep our industry strong. On the national level, AGC speaks with a voice of 27,000 members. That fact is not lost on our US senators, representatives, and members of the administration.
So, how can you get involved? We encourage all members to join committees and otherwise be active in the chapter. This kind of service not only boosts your career and business but provides the added benefit of improving the entire industry. Clearly, balancing the demands of personal and professional life is hard. Depending on where you are in your career, you may not even have free time. This is as good a reason as any to maintain your AGC membership; doing so ensures staff and volunteers are advocating on your behalf when you cannot. AGC is your frontline defense against policies, legislation, taxes, and regulations that hurt our industry. It is also the frontline offense in advocating for our industry and projects, as well as creating solutions with our state and federal government. In this way, we function as an extension of your business.
As we look ahead to a new year, here is an abbreviated list of topics we are monitoring:
- Essential workforce
- Waters of the United States
- Workers’ comp reform
- COVID vaccine mandates
- OSHA reporting standards
- Build America Buy America reform
- Davis Bacon reform
These issues are literally just the first few I was able to summon from memory in less than one minute. The reoccurring theme with all potentially problematic issues is this: AGC is tracking them before they hit and trying to educate our legislators before they act. Then when a bill, executive order, guideline, etc. is introduced, AGC springs into action. Much like public safety personnel respond to emergencies, AGC acts like a first responder for the building industry, immediately advocating on your behalf.
Workforce development remains a hot topic for the construction industry in 2023. AGC of Alaska has been on top of this issue and plans to expand the amount of time and resources dedicated to it. About a year ago, AGC launched our new workforce development website: WeBuildAlaska.com. The site is designed to be a “one-stop shop” for info, training, and job opportunities for joining Alaska’s construction industry. The goal of the WeBuildAlaska campaign is to attract, activate, and engage the next generation of Alaska’s construction workforce.
Our Education, Training, and Workforce Development committee has also been working hard to complete AGC’s strategic goal of developing a pilot program to promote construction as a career and implement the program within a local school.
Membership with AGC is your key to tapping into Alaska’s vast construction industry network. We provide all members with essential tools and resources to grow their business and enhance the people, productivity, performance, and perception of your organization. We do this by living our mission daily: advocate, educate, promote. Join us and get involved. Together, we are an unstoppable force.