Backend Category: Career Development Initiative

Join us at MCAA’s 2023 GreatFutures Forum and Get a Head Start on Hiring Your 2024 Interns and New Hires

Join us September 28 – 30 at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee for MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum! Check out the forum website to learn more about the program, job fair, hotel, and registration.

Forum Website

Registration is complimentary for all students, faculty, local affiliates, and MCAA members! The fall is the best time to hire for both summer internships and full-time employment and MCAA can’t wait to see the employment connections materialize throughout the conference.  

Congratulations to Alayna Trautman, Recipient of the 2023 Ferguson WiMI Scholarship

Alayna Trautman is studying construction management at Alfred State College and is one of two recipients of the Ferguson – Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarship. Ferguson underwrites these scholarships which recognize high-achieving female students working towards a degree relative to the mechanical industry.

Alayna has been an active member of her student chapter by serving as both Secretary and Vice President. Next year, Alayna will take on the role of Student Chapter President. She has been interning with MCAA Member, D.V. Brown and Associates since 2021 and will continue on with her internship this summer as a Jr. Project Manager.

“Five years after graduation I see myself as a successful project manager with a mechanical contracting company. I’d like to work on multiple capital improvement projects and provide mentorship to young female students the way I was mentored. I will also continue to be an active member of the local, state and national MCAA chapters to show my commitment to the association that assisted in my growth by sponsoring scholarships to college students.

The mechanical side of construction is something that intrigues me on how all intricate details and facets come together. Watching a project go from nothing to final completion is amazing to me. The way project managers collaborate to ensure timelines are met and cooperatively work with other contractors is true partnership.

For the past two years I have had the opportunity to intern with D.V. Brown and Associates during the summer and college breaks. This experience has reinforced that I was making the right choice.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Alayna on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Internship Guide: New 4-in-1 Resource

The MCAA Career Development Committee has created a new tool for members looking to start or improve their internship program, but might not know where to start.  These four short documents are intended to be stand-alone resources, but can be combined into a more comprehensive Internship Guide. 

Internship Best Practices
• How to attract interns, tips for setting them up for success and how to prepare for day 1 (employer side)

Industry Orientation Day
• Follows a successful program on what to do with new interns (local association side)

Hot Sauce Guide
• Task list that meets interns where they are in skill level vs their year in school

Hire Me October
• Highlights from four unique programs, plus additional MCAA internship resources to explore

View Internship Guide Resources

Already hired your intern?  Don’t forget to submit an Internship Grant. 

MCAA wants to hear about ALL of your mechanical contracting interns and revised the previous application process for 2023 to ensure program success is being rewarded and celebrated.

Part 1: MCAA members with one intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant. One form should be filled out for each intern.  

Internship Grant Form – Part 1

Part 2: For companies successfully converting an intern (from their part 1 list) to a full-time new hire, a $500 gift card will be mailed to the company to present to their new hire. These new hire conversations are now unlimited, but the name of the new hire must be included on a part 1 list from an MCAA member company to be eligible. 

Internship to New Hire – Part 2

Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted once per calendar year, per intern.  Please note that Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the new hire’s full-time start date.

Congratulations to Ali Ritvo, Recipient of the 2023 Josam Endowed Scholarship

Congratulations to Alison Ritvo, the recipient of the Josam Endowed Scholarship. Josam Company established this annual scholarship for a sophomore in an MCAA Student Chapter, pursuing a degree in construction management, mechanical engineering or a similar field. Provided that all qualifications are met each year, the yearly recipient will continue to receive the scholarship during their sophomore, junior and senior years of college.

Alison is studying construction management at Kent State University and intends to graduate in December 2024. This summer she will be working at Southland Industries as a Mechanical Project Engineer Intern.

“When I first joined my school’s MCAA Student Chapter, I had little knowledge of what the mechanical area of construction entailed. After this year, I realized that mechanical is everything. It is part of every building and really is the heart of every project. Mechanical construction is doing great with mitigating risk and saving waste by doing prefabrication and using BIM technologies. Sustainability is important to me because I am a LEED Green Associate and I plan on getting my LEEP AP as well. I love how sustainable mechanical contracting can be and I am extremely excited to work for my first mechanical company this summer.

Five years after graduation, I anticipate working in a leadership position in the construction industry. I want to continue to grow my skills every day and with new experiences and projects that I am working on. I hope to build not only buildings, but connections with people. I would like to continue to be a part of organizations that help me build my network and knowledge base like MCAA and NAWIC. I see myself working at a company whose values align with mine and allow me the opportunity to have a mentor and/or I can mentor others.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Alison on this prestigious scholarship and thank Josam Company for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Jakob Balgemann, Recipient of the 2023 DEWALT Patriot Scholarship

The DEWALT Patriot Scholarship, now in its second year, was created to recognize two veterans, or those who are currently serving in the United States Military, who have valiantly served their country and have chosen to enter a career in the construction industry. Thank you to DEWALT for honoring our military and to our scholarship recipients for their service to our country. These two special scholarships were presented at the MCAA Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Phoenix on March 29th by Jake Sullivan (U.S. Marine Corp Veteran) and Jon Howland (U.S. Navy Veteran).

Jakob Balgemann served in the United States Marine Corps from 2016 – 2020 where he maintained and operated approximately 20 variations of radio networks across multiple platforms of equipment. He supervised and led teams across multiple deployments for the purpose or rapid response force for embassy reinforcement training and was awarded meritorious promotion for performance during 2 deployments.

Jakob will be graduating in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University.

“I selected the word Perseverant to describe myself because this describes me as a person, as well as how I choose to live my life. Throughout my childhood and young adult life, I was fortunate to have excellent role models that demonstrated this trait to me and this was reinforced and built upon my life throughout my time in the Marine Corps.

Working for a Mechanical Contractor would appeal to me because of the challenges that are presented as well as always working in an environment that is changing and evolving. Whether it be technology or challenging circumstances to accomplish a task, this draws my attention because of the satisfaction of figuring out a way to accomplish a task and executing the plan in order to make things work correctly.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Jakob on this prestigious scholarship and thank DEWALT for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry, as well as for recognizing the courageous service of our country’s Veterans.

School’s Out for Summer! 

Classes are officially finished for the year and student chapter members are on the hunt for new opportunities.  Now is an excellent time to post your Fall ’24 internships (or to catch a few stragglers still for summer employment).

How to Post an Entry-Level Job or Internship

  • Login with an MCAA username and password
  • Click on the job board within the Career Development page
  • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting
  • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh
  • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month
  • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume
  • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume
  • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process
VIEW JOB BOARD

Tell Us About Your MCAA23 Intern & New Hire Successes

Did you successfully hire an intern or full-time new hire in 2023? We’d love to hear about it! Reach out to MCAA’s Michele Hoffman at mhoffman@mcaa.org. 

Congratulations to Macy Deck, Recipient of the 2023 Foster McCarl, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Macy Deck, a May 2023 graduate who studied Mechanical Engineering at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, was awarded the Foster McCarl, Jr. Memorial Scholarship at MCAA23 this past March during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast. This national scholarship honors Foster McCarl, Jr.’s many contributions to advancing the mechanical contracting industry, including his efforts towards establishing what is now known as the John R. Gentille Foundation (JRGF). McCarl’s Inc. is the scholarship sponsor.

Macy co-founded her student chapter, which was officially chartered during the Phoenix convention. Macy previously interned at MCAA Member, Icon Mechanical and their sister company, iENG Design and is excited to start her career there full-time this summer.

“There are so many exciting changes with technology and in the structure of the construction industry that I’m thrilled to be a part of. During my summer internship, a project was assigned to all the interns called the Intern Innovation Project. The purpose of the project was for each intern to find an inconvenience in the company that could be improved upon and then to present it to a panel of judges. At first, I had trouble coming up with ideas and a mentor suggested that I try to standardize certain methods of HVAC designing. Standardizing required gathering senior mechanical engineers to agree on what should be done. At the end of my internship, I was shocked to find out that I had won the Intern Innovation Project award.

My project brought together employees with unique and vast experiences to decide on a common ground. Through this experience, I realized that my strength is promoting collaboration. Construction projects succeed only when people communicate and collaborate effectively to build a building.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Macy on this prestigious scholarship and thank McCarl’s Inc. for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations to Mesa Kelly, Recipient of the 2023 Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship

Marissa (Mesa) Kelly, one of the two recipients of the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship. The Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey established these scholarships to honor the memory of Alan P. O’Shea, it’s former Executive Director, and to memorialize his many contributions to the mechanical contracting industry. The scholarships were presented by Richard Tomaiko (MCA of New Jersey President) and Phillip Petillo (MCA of New Jersey Executive Director).

Mesa is the Recruitment Chair for her student chapter at the University of Nebraska (Omaha campus) and will be graduating from their five-year program with a Master’s in Architectural Engineering in May 2026. She’s currently interning with MCAA Member, Grunwald Mechanical Contractors & Engineers in Omaha, NE.

“I really like the atmosphere at my company and the work that I’m doing. I love that I’m doing actual work and not just typical intern work. I have always known that I wanted to be an engineer, but that sounded kind of boring to me, but then I found Architectural Engineering and I instantly knew this was the degree for me. I joined the MCAA student chapter because I knew I wanted to go into the mechanical emphasis and that the student chapter provides unique opportunities that I would not get with other student groups.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Mesa on this prestigious scholarship and thank the MCA of New Jersey for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Congratulations May Graduates! 

Post a job on the MCAA GreatFutures Job Board to grab the attention of our new spring graduates who are still looking for full-time employment. 

Internship Grant – Part 2

For companies successfully converting an intern from their Part 1 list (Internship Grant) to a full-time new hire, a $500 gift card will be mailed to the company to present to their new hire.  New hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must have been previously included on a Part 1 list from an MCAA member company. 

Internship to New Hire – Part 2

Go to the Internship to New Hire Application

Don’t forget, the Job Board is a great place to post internships too!

Once you successfully hire your intern, fill out the Internship Grant – Part 1 Form and then come back to fill out Part 2 after they graduate and you hire them full-time! 

Go to the Internship Grants Application

Congratulations to Joani Lico, Recipient of the 2023 Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship

The Trimble Future Estimator Scholarship was developed to recognize a student not only interested in mechanical contracting, but specifically for a student with an interest in being a mechanical estimator upon graduation.

For the past few years Trimble has donated complimentary use of the Trimble Estimation MEP software for our student chapter competition teams. Likewise, this new scholarship was awarded to a student chapter competition Final Four team member and future estimator, Joani Lico.

Joani is the President of his student chapter at Fairleigh Dickinson University and will be graduating in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology. Previously, Joani interned with MCAA Member, Industrial Cooling Corporation (Metuchen, NJ) where he assisted the senior estimator in calculating labor hours, created proposals, and performed take-off bids for mechanical projects ranging from $50,000 – $2,000,000.

“Looking to the future, I hope to work as a Project Manager / Estimator for a mechanical contractor. The more involved I get with MCAA, the more confident I am in joining the business and becoming a valuable asset to whichever company I work for. I led the estimating group for the MCAA Competition Team at Fairleigh Dickinson University for the past three years. Trimble showed me how fascinating and diverse the estimating profession is. I plan to continue this road further in the future and I will build on the experience I gained during my time as a student member in MCAA.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Joani on this prestigious scholarship and thank Trimble for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Meet the Winning Competition Team – Pittsburg State University

’22-’23 MCAA Student Chapter Competition Champions
Pittsburg State University

Hunter Helmer
Graduates May 2023 – Construction Management
Primary Role on Team: Estimator

“My biggest takeaway from the competition was improving my public speaking and presenting skills. I suggest that all students get involved in MCAA and join the competition as early in their academic career as possible. The entire process is a great learning experience that you do not get from reading a textbook. The earlier you join and compete, the better you will get!”

Zach Hutchings
Graduates May 2023 – Construction Management
Primary Role on Team: Project Executive

“The biggest takeaway I had from the competition was the hands-on experience of working with a project team in creating an RFP for a real-life project. I also enjoyed the networking opportunities with the local contractors and receiving knowledge and insight from them.  The student competition is a great way to further your experience and education outside of the classroom to grow your knowledge and construction experience.”

Aidan Wolownik
Graduates May 2025 – Construction Management, Safety Emphasis
Primary Role on Team: Technical Representative (slides) & Safety Plan

“The biggest takeaway from this was for me to pay attention. I’m a sophomore and I have learned so much from this project, including how to make an RFP.  At the begging of the year I had no idea and thanks to this team and the competition, now I have that knowledge.  It was also a lot of fun to talk with other students from different chapters.  I met so many people and we still keep in touch.  When we left MCAA23 in March we said goodbye and see you at GreatFutures in September!”

Gianni Piccini
Graduates May 2025 – Construction Management
Primary Role on Team: Background Information & Safety

“Other than a few classes, this was the first time that I got to experience the mechanical side of construction.  It’s much broader than I originally anticipated.  I’ve only gotten a taste of the mechanical side, but I can’t wait to learn more over the next two years.

The main takeaway that I had from the competition was our ability to network with other student chapters. Being able to make those connections with students from across the country was an amazing experience and it will only benefit us all in the long run. I look forward to seeing some familiar and new faces in Milwaukee this September at the GreatFutures Forum.”

Michael Marinakis
Graduates May 2023 – Construction Management
Primary Role on Team: Superintendent

“The biggest takeaway I had from the competition was the networking opportunities I had with the other student chapters. Whether this was with the competing teams or student chapters in attendance for the MCAA national convention. It was an invaluable experience to build a connection with each student. 

The whole process was a great way to specialize your train of thought. I had interned with general contractors in the past and to dedicate nearly a whole school year to mechanical contracting was a great opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the construction industry.”

Graham Hudelson
Graduates May 2023 – Construction Management, Company Management Emphasis
Primary Role on Team: Project Manager

“My biggest takeaway from the competition was how valuable it is to ask more experienced people for help and how willing they are to share their knowledge with others. We learned the most when we talked with local mechanical contractors and were able to apply their wisdom to our project. This also built friendships with them that will make for solid connections down the line.  I also had a blast meeting the other students at the GreatFutures Forum and MCAA23.  I’m excited to see our generation of MCAA student competitors on jobs in the near future.”

Winning Team, Pittsburg State University, Visits the Site Used for the 2022-2023 Student Competition

The 2022-2023 MCAA Student Chapter Competition 1st Place Team, Pittsburg State University, was invited to Denver, CO on April 21st to view the real-life completed site for their proposal of the National Western Center, which included a meeting with Lynn Mueller, CEO of SHARC Energy.

Leslie Fangman, VP of Corporate Development at Centrio, led the group through a tour of the district energy facility that features the largest SHARC system in North America.  The students learned about the inception of the project, the predevelopment process, the construction and the operation of the facility.

Andy Wright (Senior Project Manager), Taylor Heideman (Project Manager), Kevin Stoddard (Director of Preconstruction), Sarabeth Gandara (Preconstruction Manager) and John Marlow (VP of Project Development) from US Engineering also joined on the tour to meet the chapter and answer questions from the mechanical contractor’s perspective on the project.

After the tour of the energy facility, the students quickly toured a couple of additional buildings on the National Western Campus and then headed off to the US Engineering office for a tour, “101 course” of the officer air handling unit, and lunch. 

On Friday afternoon, US Engineering attendees joined the students for a few rounds of TopGolf and networking.  Attendees from US Engineering included: John Marlow (VP of Project Development), Whitney Bell-Haggard (VP of Strategy), Kevin Stoddard (Director of Preconstruction), Sarabeth Gandara (Preconstruction Manager), Josh Martinez (Preconstruction Manager), Brandon Richardt (Preconstruction Engineer) and Lupe Garza (Project Manager).  Leslie Fangman with Centrio also attended.

Thank you to US Engineering, Centrio and SHARC Energy for this incredible invitation and experience for our championship team!

Congratulations to Veronica Brems, Recipient of the 2023 William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

Veronica Brems is this year’s recipient of the annual William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. MCAA member, Kinetics, established this scholarship to honor William “Bill” Bianco (the foundation’s former President and an MCAA Distinguished Service Award recipient) for his many contributions to the industry’s continuing advancement.

Veronica is the President of her local student chapter at Purdue University and will be graduating in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. Last summer, Veronica interned with Auburn Mechanical in Auburn, WA where she aided in writing, reviewing and logging RFI’s and submittals, engaged in weekly site walks with members of the safety teams, field superintendents, project managers and executive team, and communicated with venders, plus wrote purchase orders for equipment.

“Working for a mechanical contractor is appealing to me because it is what makes the building come to life. There is no way for a building to function without the systems that circulate the air, provide heating and cooling, plumbing, fire sprinklers, etc. Five years after graduation, I see myself working for a mechanical contractor as a Project Manager leading a team of individuals to create something special for the clients.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Veronica on this prestigious scholarship and thank Kinetics for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry.

Spring Hiring To-Do List

  1. Save the Date for MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum in Milwaukee, WI (Sept 28 – 30)
  • Don’t miss out on the Job Fair on Sept 29th.
  • Complimentary registration for the entire conference is available for MCAA Members, Local Association Executives and Forum Sponsors.
  • Registration opens June 15th!
  1. Post an Internship or Job NOW on the MCAA GreatFutures Job Board!
  • Don’t wait until the Fall!  Students are already starting to consider their summer ’24 employment options. 
How to Post an Entry-Level Job or Internship
  • Login with an MCAA username and password
  • Click on the job board within the Career Development page
  • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting
  • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh
  • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month
  • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume
  • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume
  • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process
VIEW JOB BOARD
  1. Submit an Internship Grant Application for new interns
  • Submit an application for each intern (even beyond 2)!
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Companies with 1 intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant OR companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant.
Internship Grant Part I Form
  1. Submit an Internship Grant Application for your intern to new hire conversion
  • For companies successfully converting an intern from their Part 1 list to a full-time new hire, a $500 gift card will be mailed to the company to present to their new hire.
  • New hire conversions are unlimited, but the name must be included on a Part 1 list from an MCAA member company.
  • Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after the full-time start date.
Internship to New Hire Part II Form

Congratulations to Daniel Colon-Crespo, Recipient of the 2023 DEWALT Patriot Scholarship

The DEWALT Patriot Scholarship, now in its second year, was created to recognize two veterans, or those who are currently serving in the United States Military, who have valiantly served their country and have chosen to enter a career in the construction industry.  Thank you to DEWALT for honoring our military and to our scholarship recipients for their service to our country.  These two special scholarships were presented at the MCAA Awards of Excellence Breakfast in Phoenix on March 29th by Jake Sullivan (U.S. Marine Corp Veteran) and Jon Howland (U.S. Navy Veteran). 

Daniel Colon-Crespo has been serving in the Michigan National Guard since December 2019 as a Specialist and had the opportunity to lead during training events, as well as ensuring the safety of others during natural disasters and under extreme conditions. 

Daniel will be graduating in December 2024 from Ferris State University and is planning on interning this summer in Michigan with MCAA Member, Hurst Mechanical (Control Resource).  Daniel has also been serving as Ferris State’s MSCA Student Chapter President since January 2021 and previously held the offices of Community Service Chair and Historian.

“Working for a mechanical contractor appeals to me because, as I learned at the GreatFutures Forum, mechanical contracting is like the heart of a building.  I think the challenge of trying to maintain human comfort in a building is extremely rewarding.  I joined MCAA because I new it would be important for my future.  It connects me with mechanical contractors, builds my leadership skills, enhances my communication abilities, and has helped me learn more about possible job opportunities.”

MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Daniel on this prestigious scholarship and thank DEWALT for their commitment to supporting students interested in pursuing a career in the mechanical contracting industry, as well as for recognizing the courageous service of our country’s Veterans.

Save the Date for MCAA’s 2023 GreatFutures Forum

Time to start thinking about your summer ’24 interns! Save the date for MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum (September 28-30, 2023) in Milwaukee, WI. Conference registration (including the Friday Job Fair) is complimentary for MCAA Members, Local Association Executives and Forum Sponsors. Registration will open on June 15.

New MCAA Student Chapter – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

MCAA welcomed its newest student chapter by granting a charter to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the MCAA23 Awards of Excellence Breakfast on March 29th in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sponsoring Local Affiliate:  MCA of Eastern Missouri, Inc.
• Kristy Stephens, Executive Director

• Carly Carmosino, Workforce Development

• Mary Poletti-Lappe, Member Engagement

Faculty Advisor: 
Stephen Duda

Did You Connect with Students at MCAA23? Post on the Job Board to Continue your Conversation.

Over 130 students from 29 chapters attended MCAA23 in Phoenix and they are back on campus and excited to learn more about our MCAA members. While the conversations from Convention are still fresh on everyone’s mind, be sure to keep the momentum rolling by posting your internship or full-time, entry-level position on the MCAA GreatFutures Job Board.

How to Post an Entry-Level Job or Internship

  • Login with an MCAA username and password
  • Click on the job board within the Career Development page
  • Click Manage My Jobs and Add a Job to create your posting
  • Jobs remain active for 1 month to ensure postings stay fresh
  • When the job is set to expire, a reminder will be sent for you to either “mark as filled” or “duplicate” and repost for another month
  • Interested students can view postings and submit their contact information and resume
  • Your office will be notified via email when interested students submit their resume
  • From there, your office is encouraged to continue with your company’s application and interview process
VIEW JOB BOARD

Tell Us About Your MCAA23 Intern & New Hire Successes

Did you successfully hire an intern or full-time new hire at MCAA23? We’d love to hear about it! Reach out to MCAA’s Michele Hoffman at mhoffman@mcaa.org.

Hired an Intern? Submit an Internship Grant Request

MCAA wants to hear about all of your mechanical contracting interns and has revised the internship grant application process to ensure program success is being rewarded and celebrated.

Part 1: MCAA members with one intern are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Companies with two or more interns may receive a $2,000 grant. One form should be filled out for each intern (even beyond two).  

Part 1 applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis and may be submitted once per calendar year, per intern.

Internship Grant Form – Part 1

Part 2: For companies successfully converting an intern (from their part 1 list) to a full-time new hire, a $500 gift card will be mailed to the company to present to their new hire. These new hire conversions are now unlimited, but the name of the new hire must be included on a part 1 list from an MCAA member company to be eligible. 

Part 2 applications may not be submitted until after their full-time start date.

Internship Grant Form – Part 2

2022-2023 Student Chapter Competition

At the MCAA23 Awards of Excellence Breakfast on March 29th, Pittsburg State University was awarded the top prize of $10,000 and a trophy for their outstanding work on the 2022-2023 Student Chapter Competition.

Pittsburg State Sponsoring Local Affiliate: MCA of Kansas City
• Stacy Zerr – Executive Director
• Jacki Conn – Deputy Executive Director
• Bob Looman – Executive Director Emeritus

Faculty Advisor
• Shannon Nicklaus

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo was the runner-up, placing second and received a trophy and check for $5,000. 

Fairleigh Dickinson University and McMaster University rounded out the final four. Both of these Honorable Mention finalists received trophies and $2,500 checks.

Six teams (out of the 22 chapter submissions) were recognized with Merit Trophies and checks for $1,000. They are, in alphabetical order: 

  • Ball State University
  • Kent State University
  • Purdue University
  • University of Maryland, College Park
  • University of Washington
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology

The project involved a proposal for the construction of the mechanical and plumbing systems at the new district energy facility on the National Western Campus in Denver, CO.  The scope of the project included the installation of three 1000-ton cooling towers, six 6,000-mbh boilers, a SHARC sewer heat recovery system, plate and frame heat exchangers, pumps, piping, and supporting infrastructure.  The project is currently the largest sewer heat recovery system in North America.

The students were asked to craft a proposal response to an RFP that included a fictitious company structure, values, project organization chart, financial information, project backlog, bonding capacity, a detailed estimate with a complete Bill of Materials, a detailed construction plan and schedule, safety and quality control plans, BIM capabilities, and a service and maintenance agreement.

Thank you to the following companies for their special contributions to the project:

• U.S. Engineering Construction (supplying the project)
          – Sarabeth Gandara – Project Introduction
          – John Marlow – What Really Happened
• Procore (use of their Project Management software)
• Trimble (use of Trimble Estimation MEP software)
• Ferguson (providing pricing for pipe values and fittings)

MCAA Career Development Committee – Judges:

• Vincent Eckerson, Arista Air Conditioning Corporation
• Sarabeth Gandara, U.S. Engineering Construction
• Scott Hinton, Harrell-Fish, Inc.
• Matthew Miller, Binsky & Snyder
• Michael Russo, Fresh Meadow Mechanical Corporation
• Kurt Voss, Integrated Facility Services
• John Ziemann, Mollenberg-Betz, Inc.

Thank you as well to the Chair of the Career Development Committee, Andrew Palcan, Helm Group, for serving as the emcee for the live competition in Phoenix!

The MCAA Career Development Committee is currently hard at work planning for the 2023-2024 project.  The next project will be announced this fall and a Q&A session is already on the schedule for the GreatFutures Forum in Milwaukee (September 28 –30). Registration for the full conference is complimentary for MCAA contractor members and includes the GreatFutures Job Fair on Friday morning.  See you there!

Most Valuable Presenter

The Career Development Committee recognized a student who did the best job presenting their proposal, whether or not their team won.  The audience members voted live between schools and ultimately Braden Deck of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo was awarded a trophy, a $500 gift card, a complimentary seat in MCAA’s Preparatory Institute for Project Management, and the title of 2022-2023 Most Valuable Presenter. 

Braden is majoring in construction management at CalPoly and anticipating a May 2024 graduation. 

CalPoly Sponsoring Local Affiliate: Northern California MCA
• Alex Hall – Executive Vice President
• Mike Stirling – Director of Member Relations

Faculty Advisors
• Joe Cleary
• Paul Redden

2022-2023 Educator of the Year Winner – Marie Patterson

The student chapter at California State University, Chico proudly nominated Marie Patterson for the MCAA 2022-2023 Educator of the Year based on her mentoring, mechanical industry knowledge, chapter activity participation, and involvement and creation of student-focused networking opportunities with their local MCAA Chapter, Northern California MCA. 

“Marie is the “middleman” that connects students and contractors. She has made it a point to ensure that student members learn and get exposed to the mechanical construction industry.  To ensure this exposure, she links up students with MCAA members.  She goes above and beyond to ensure students learn and prepare themselves for success after graduation.  I do not believe I would have gained any interest in the MCAA Student Chapter if it wasn’t for her.”
– Morebodi Sebadieta – California State University, Chico Student

Recruiting

Mechanical construction is not popular or well known by students enrolled in the Construction Management program at Chico State.  Marie always puts the word out by inviting mechanical contractors to hold presentations, organize job walks, or talks about mechanical systems herself during her lectures to make sure students get the information to spark an interest in working as a mechanical contractor.

Employment Opportunities

Marie organizes events to help students connect with contractors for potential internships or full-time jobs.  One example is Networking Night.  Earlier this year, seven mechanical contractors came to talk over dinner with students about their companies and to share the experiences they’ve had while working in the industry.  At the end of the presentations, a sign-up sheet is passed around to students for interviews for the following day with the attending companies. From there, it falls on the company and students to move forward with either an internship or full-time position.  Again, this is where Marie is the link to create opportunity for both the contractors and the students.

Leadership

Marie teaches students to lead by being “hands-off” and only steps in to facilitate where she sees fit.  For example, when organizing an event, she lets the club officers take the lead.  However, she always ensures the students have all the resources they need, such as contractor contacts, funding, and necessary equipment.  This strategy helps her students develop their leadership and organizational skills.

Thank you to Marie Patterson for serving as an advisor, educator, Career Development Committee Member and mentor to students interested in pursuing a career in mechanical contracting!