Message from the National NAMC President

Message from the National NAMC President

NAMC Achievements in Excellence!

As NAMC continues to celebrate a pivotal and very exciting time in our 43 year history, I thought it fitting, as National President, to share with you the recent activities and accomplishments of our organization that demonstrate NAMC’s commitment to service and excellence in all that we do.

First, we concluded an outstanding September Board Meeting with the following objective as the operational driver for all Strategic Plan Initiatives going forward:

“Create Value for Membership by Developing Successful Paths to Pursue, Win and Execute Projects. Build a valued network of contractors and owners/partners as well as strategic alliances to promote contract opportunities, resource development and advocacy issues that facilitate access to jobs.”

To date, the second 90-day start in October has been a very busy and productive month for us with a few exciting highlights to announce:

• Welcome!On behalf of NAMC National, we would like to extend a warm welcome to our two new Executive Team members,Shirita Turner, NAMC Executive Operations Manager andJennifer Daniels, NAMC Executive Administrative Assistant in our National Office in Washington, DC. They will be central to executing the activities of our Strategic Plan for coordination, communication, programming and member data compilation. We are confident that both of our new team members will advance our strategic goals with the spirit of excellence
• We are moving!Effective November 1, 2012, the new NAMC National Office will be located at The Barr Building, 910 17th Street, NW, Suite 413, Washington, DC 20006, Phone: 202.296.1600, Fax: 202.296.1644. Visit the office next time you are in Washington, DC. The team will be setting up most of the month of November but will be fully live with phone, fax and internet service day one! Thanks for the invaluable support of Frank Chiaramonte (NAMC Board Member & Sergeant-at-Arms) and Project Engineer, Mike Cowan. As we get settled, we will make plans for an Open House in January, 2013.
• Field Operations Underway!We are exceptionally pleased to announce that Mr. Robert Brewer has agreed to serve as the new NAMC Executive Business Manager. In this role, Bob will be our “boots” on the ground establishing a clear communication link between National and the Chapters by engaging them in their respective markets to assess network capacity, build the capacity database, provide strategic direction in developing a qualified network of members, as well as facilitate contract opportunities. We will officially launch starting January, 2013. We are thrilled that Bob’s retirement from Southwest Gas has afforded NAMC such a privileged opportunity to expand an awesome relationship into new directions. Thank you Bob for your long-standing commitment to serve NAMC!

Blazing New Trails Around the Country

Thank you to all of the NAMC Chapters that have extended an opportunity for me to speak at their respective events. The enthusiastic reception to both me and the leadership message for NAMC has been overwhelmingly positive. Here are the highlights:

The Georgia State Chapter of NAMC has been blazing a successful trail that demonstrates our legacy of excellence in leadership from the inception. The Georgia Chapter hosted another successful Hard Hat Awards Banquet in September. This event recognized the accomplishments of key individuals and saluted the NAMC Hall of Famers and scholarship recipient for their excellence in achievement. I was honored to have the Hard Hat Awards Banquet as the first opportunity to be Keynote Speaker as National President!

Our New York State Association of Minority Contractors (NYSAMC) also demonstrated a standout showing in their commitment to excellence by hosting their 15th Annual Awards Dinner. We were honored by the presence of keynote Speaker Peter Rivera, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor along with other honorees and members of the construction community. I was most surprised to receive the Trail Blazer award which we will display in the NAMC Office. Thank you again New York, for your tireless effort in representing NAMC’s legacy of inclusion through education, advocacy and leadership.

Greetings were sent to NAMC’s Southern California Chapter for their 13th Annual Awards Dinner! This year’s event theme was “Strategic Pathways to Innovative Growth” which represents and supports the direction and renewed vision for our illustrious organization. NAMC’s Southern California Chapter will also serve as our Host Chapter for the 2013 NAMC National Conference to be held in Los Angeles, California June 19 -21, 2013. I look forward to seeing all of you at this event to share useful information that will advance our strategic mission. This year’s conference theme is “New Directions, New Opportunities in Transportation, Healthcare and Energy”.

The National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) interviewed me on their National Blog Talk Radio Show. The interview provided an opportunity for me to talk about the construction industry, how this became my career, provide insight to emerging contractors and share my vision for NAMC. The link is below for your listening pleasure:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nabwic/2012/10/03/nabwic-talks

Next stops:
South Carolina Chapter, Columbia, SC – November 8th
Upper Midwest Chapter, Minneapolis, MN – December 1st

Legislative Update:
Look for the coming NAMC response to the USDOT proposed rule changes. These are important changes that address enforcement, monitoring, small business participation and personal net worth changes. NAMC General Counsel, Lisa Colon Heron (LCHeron@smithcurrie.com), is preparing the NAMC response. Please forward any comments to her by October 31st. The responses are due by November 5th. UPDATE: The comment period has been extended to December 24th. Please provide your comments as quickly as possible. We do not want to wait until the last day to respond.

There is much excitement and renewed commitment for the new direction and opportunities for NAMC members. Find your place in the vision and join us on this journey of Achievements in Excellence!

Gloria