Making the Most of Our Opportunities

hat an honor for me to serve this year as board president for Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska! This is an exciting time to be in this state and in the construction industry.

AGC has a long, impressive history in Alaska. Beginning with this chapter’s founding 75 years ago, we have grown with the state. It is not an overstatement to say AGC has helped build Alaska.

Outgoing board president Brian Midyett deserves our thanks for all the hard work he put in over the last year. He leaves behind big shoes for me to fill. Fortunately, he also leaves behind an experienced, dedicated, and visionary leadership team. So, on the threshold of a new year, I know we are ready for all that lies ahead.

The construction industry’s rebound since the pandemic slowdown has been significant. Today, there is record investment in our local infrastructure, increased activity in the oil fields, and several generational mining deposits moving toward development. There is good reason for optimism.

These opportunities do not come without challenges. Commodity price volatility, workforce scarcity, and regulatory restrictions are all real issues facing our industry. Thankfully, we don’t face these challenges alone.

As the construction industry’s largest professional trade association, AGC of Alaska represents more than 600 general and specialty contractors, industry suppliers, and service providers. That gives us a loud voice.

As your new president, I am committed to using that voice to build on the good work and advocacy of all those who came before me.

My long association with this fine organization has shown me that the members of AGC represent the best of Alaska. That’s why I believe so strongly in the value of AGC membership.

Joining AGC is the best possible way to ensure that your voice is heard on the numerous issues affecting your daily construction-related business activities. There truly is strength in numbers, and membership provides that clout.

I was introduced to the benefits of AGC membership early in my career, when I became the president of the AGC student chapter at UAF and received its scholarship to help me complete my engineering degree. This kind of campus outreach remains personally important to me, but it also has professional significance today as we struggle, industry-wide, to keep positions filled and the wheels of progress turning.

To that end, our Education, Training, and Workforce Development Committee will continue to be busy this year. Committee leaders have done an outstanding job workshopping new ideas and building on existing outreach programs. Whether students are interested in accounting, management, or the trades, it is our intent to open the eyes of kids, parents, and educators to all the different career paths available to them.

University of Alaska President Pat Pitney has been a strong partner in this effort, too. Working with past AGC President Meg Nordale, President Pitney has challenged our industry to raise $400,000 while offering a $400,000 match to directly invest in the university’s construction management programs. Initial results from investments to date in outreach and marketing the programs to Alaskans have seen year-over-year enrollments increase by 75 percent across all campuses, and I am excited by the prospect of getting it over the finish line in the coming months.

Another program we can all be proud of is We Build Alaska. Under the able guidance of Ruby Oatman, AGC’s director of training and workforce development, the program connects job-seekers with employers and effectively promotes construction industry opportunities.

AGC of Alaska is in a strong position. We have generated solid momentum in recent years under the steady leadership of Executive Director Alicia Amberg. With a vibrant and engaged membership brimming with new ideas, AGC is energized.

I know the importance of continuing to harness that momentum. But I also know that it will require an army of dedicated member-volunteers. Our association cannot succeed without them.

Whether it be by helping out at an event or serving on a task force or committee, there is always a need for volunteers. It is up to us to get our employees involved and promote the benefits of volunteer work with AGC.

I look forward to the coming year and working alongside you to continue building Alaska.