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Volume 5 Issue 16
November 19, 2007
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New MBE Secretary to Address GC Council
Dec 4 Meeting at ABC
Luwanda Jenkins, special secretary for the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs, will meet with members of the General Contractors Council on Tuesday, December 4 at 8 a.m. This will be the first meeting between ABC on Tuesday,December 4 at 8 a.m. and the secretary since Sharon Pinder, who served under Governor Ehrlich and briefly under Governor O'Malley. Members will be very interested to hear what plans the secretary has for the construction industry in 2008 and beyond. "We are trying to build a bridge with the administration," said ABC's Mike Henderson. "We had some concerns with this office dating back to the Ehrlich Adminstration. But still, we were able to build a positive working relationship. They gave us a place at the table to make our concerns known. We are hoping to do the same with Secretary Jenkins." If you are a general contractor, and would like to attend, please contact Lauren Blumberg.
Member of Distinction Recipients Announced
Presentation of Awards: Feb. 2, Winter Gala
ABC's Board of Directors has announced the recipients of its annual Members of Distinction Awards. These awards will be presented at the 2008 Gala, February 2 at the Visionary Arts Museum.
Lifetime Achievement:
Blase Cooke, Harkins Builders, Inc. (posthumous)
The life of J.P. Blase Cooke, president and CEO of Harkins Builders, Inc., is a Horatio Alger story of the construction industry. He joined Harkins Builders as a $3-an-hour laborer and rose to present and owner of the company. He transformed his conditions from poverty to wealth and from success to significance through his hard labor, personal initiative in all areas of life and commitment to people. Blase was a staunch supporter of ABC throughout his career and exemplified American business and the merit shop philosophy. In Baltimore, Blase is recognized as "the individual most responsible" for persuading the Archdiocese to open its work to merit shop contractors. Today, thanks to his leadership and initiative, the preponderance of Archdiocese work is performed by merit shop contractors. He supported countless and charitable projects over the years, both personally and involving Harkins.
Education:
Richard Peirce, RK Peirce
For the past ten years, Richard Peirce has not only formed the core of ABC's management education efforts, but he has become THE core. Not only does he teach everything from the popular 30-Hour Project Management Academy to the Crew Leader Academy, but he also developed two new programs: The Estimating Academy and the Scheduling Academy. Rik's vast experience in this industry covers project managements; scheduling; dispute resolution and estimating. Year after year, he is voted ABC's most popular instructor. For several years, as ABC fought to establish a comprehensive management training program, Rik literally volunteered hundreds of hours of his time, refusing any compensation.
Political Action:
Bruce Talbot, Advantage Group
There have been changes over the years in leadership at ABC--but there remains one constant. As chair of ABC Baltimore's Political Action Committee, Bruce has overseen a program where we were once near the bottom in terms of dollars raised, both locally and nationally, to the point where the chapter now raises tens of thousands of dollars for its state PAC, and has become one of the Top 5 producing chapters nationally. Bruce is passionate about the merit shop and along with PAC treasurer John Therres, zealously guards ABC's integrity when it comes to deciding whom the chapter will support politically. Unlike other organizations, ABC will not contribute just to gain access to a politician. ABC only donates to candidates and office holders who share our core beliefs of free enterprise and open competition.
Got Employees Who Don't Know the Industry?
Dec 18: Construction 101 a must for new employees
This a great opportunity for you to send those people in your office who do NOT have a background in construction. Students are brought into the construction process and develop an appreciation of what is most important to a working contractor's office. Employees who benefit the most from this program, include: secretaries, bookkeepers; insurance agents; sales professionals; marketing specialists; IT professionals and more. (click her to find out more and to register).
Help Us Ring Out the Year!
Join us December 13th at the Baltimore Museum of Industry for our annual Holiday Network. Donations to Villa Maria are encouraged. (click here to register) | |
  
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December 7 - Labor Law Update, 9-12 PM presented by Maury Baskin, ABC's General Counsel @ ABC Baltimore. Contact Danielle Hardy for more information. 
