Message from AGC MA Board Chair
Bill Aalerud
It’s an honor and a privilege to be sworn in as the AGC MA Board Chair on this 87th year of the Association. I am humbled to follow the footsteps of those who have preceded me. I’ve been very fortunate to have been part of AGC MA since the early ‘90’s. The past two years have been simply extraordinary. AGC MA and our member firms worked together to develop a set of COVID-19 protocols enabling our jobsites to operate safely during the pandemic. During this period, we also faced together the challenges of unprecedented societal disruption, celebrated the career of Bob Petrucelli’ s retirement after 34 years of service with AGC MA and we welcomed John Ferrante as the new CEO.
It’s with great enthusiasm that I announce the priorities and the continuance of ongoing initiatives at AGC MA for the next two years and beyond:
Workforce Development – The workforce shortage is still one of the largest challenges facing our industry today. AGC MA’s Workforce Development Taskforce has successfully completed the pilot year of the Building Advancement Externship (BAE) program. The Taskforce is ramping up the program to have a total of 20 Externs this coming year with the mission to inform and educate the participants, through this immersive program, that we are a STEM industry that offers life-long, lucrative careers. Those educators in turn will build awareness and help to eliminate the misperception our industry currently carries to students, parents, educators and their colleagues. Our goal is to turn the workforce development efforts into measurable gains at the employment level.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) – The death of George Floyd was a turning point for our society, our industry and each one of our organizations. I believe Workforce Development and DEI are joined at the hip. Adding Marion Jones, AGC MA’s Director of Workforce Development and Inclusion is critical to the success of our current efforts including the BAE, AGC MA’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, and Building Women in Construction (BWiC).
Health and Safety – There was a time when Safety in the construction industry primarily meant being aware of and addressing the hazards at the jobsite that could cause physical injury. This is no longer the standard. Not only do we need to be acutely aware of those hazards that can cause physical injury, but we also need to be trained and to be aware of how to properly address those hazards at our workplaces that can cause emotional and mental injury. The Health and Safety umbrella is expanding, and it will have an influence on our ability to effectively address the Workforce Shortage.
Sustainability – The world is changing. The climate crisis is driving some of this change. AGC MA members are building Net Zero Energy facilities, building to Passive House standards, and using mass timber to reduce the embodied carbon in our buildings. Regulations are going in place to completely electrify our buildings to significantly reduce carbon emissions. AGC MA’s newly established Sustainability Advisory Committee will help better prepare AGC MA member firms, as a collective whole, on how we construct buildings in the years to come in a sustainable way.
I look forward to collaborating with my Board peers and our membership in continuing to deliver the value you have all come to expect and deserve from your AGC MA membership.
I am always open to suggestions. Feel free to contact me or any of the AGC staff with ideas or suggestions-I hope to hear from you soon.
Bill Aalerud
Executive Vice President, Columbia