Alston & Bird have released their April 6 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
The University of Nebraska Student Chapter has been awarded the 2019 MCAA Student Chapter of the Year.
The Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes an MCAA student chapter for outstanding achievement as an organization of students who are planning careers in the mechanical construction industry. The award honors exceptional achievement in governance and leadership, membership recruiting, fundraising, community involvement, and career development.
The University of Nebraska Student Chapter is sponsored by the MCA of Omaha. Vishnu Reddi, Assistant Professor of Practice with the Durham School, College of Engineering, is the chapter’s faculty advisor.
The Student Chapter was one of MCAA’s first. Chartered in 1998, it has since remained one of the most active in the MCAA student chapter network.
The chapter takes a unique approach to fundraising, community service and networking opportunities with local MCA members.
In 2019, the chapter hosted four events to raise funds and provide opportunities for students to network with the MCA of Omaha’s 30 mechanical contractor members. The events included a beer tasting, a wine tasting and two golf tournaments. The most profitable of these was a beer tasting that raised a record-breaking amount.
In 2019, the student chapter participated in three community services events.
One of the highlights was the annual Heat’s On event, during which HVAC service technicians and students provide free inspections of senior citizens’ furnaces to ensure that they are working safely for the winter months. Students worked with their service member partners to run through a checklist that included inspecting the filter, flames, flame sensor, flue gas, changing fire alarm batteries, and more.
Each student is offered the opportunity to be mentored by a professional from an MCA of Omaha member company, an internship with a member company, and the chance to serve on a committee with several contractors. By the time a student graduates, the goal is for them to have personal relationships at almost every MCA of Omaha member company that they can carry into their future careers.
In April 2019, Student Chapter members visited MCA of Omaha members to hand out mugs with candy in them for Administrative Professionals Day. This introduced students to all of the member companies.
In the fall, students took a behind-the-scenes tour of the mechanical and plumbing systems at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. The students also travelled to a virtual design and construction conference hosted by Victaulic.
During the year, the MCA of Omaha matches every student with a mechanical contractor mentor from a local MCA of Omaha company. This match between student and mentor is based on the student’s specific interests. Mentors engage with the students a minimum of four times throughout the year. Mentors show students what they do on a daily basis at job sites and give a tour of their offices, walking students through the daily routine to help them get a feel for everyday life in the industry. Through this experience, students gain first-hand knowledge of the industry to help them make more educated career decisions.
Students had the opportunity to attend Internship Day in the fall, where they had a chance to interview with multiple MCAA companies that are looking for interns. Six of the nine students were offered and accepted internships with an MCAA member company.
You can read about chapter member Caleb Kowalski’s internship experiences with MCAA members here.
MCAA and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate the University of Nebraska students on their active involvement with MCAA and their commitment to the mechanical contracting industry.
The new Family First Coronavirus Response Act took effect April 1, 2020 and with it comes temporary requirements that will impact MCAA member companies who employ 500 or fewer employees. Katie Amin and Michael Kreps, both principals of Groom Law Group, along with John McNerney, MCAA general counsel, discuss which employers must adhere and who is eligible under the new act currently set to expire December 31, 2020.
Additional Resources:
This webinar was recorded Thursday, April 2, 2020.
Ali Brown, a junior at the University of Nebraska, has been awarded one of the two Ferguson-Women in the Mechanical Industry Scholarships.
Ferguson underwrites these scholarships, which recognize high-achieving female students working towards a degree relative to the mechanical industry.
Ali has been a member of the MCA of Omaha-sponsored Student Chapter since 2017. She attended the 2019 GreatFutures Forum and the 2019 WiMI Conference. She is earning her degree in Business Administration & Human Resources. 
In her scholarship application, Ali discusses why she shifted her focus from the engineering and construction management side of the industry to the business side. “Even though I am now a business major I still see the mechanical construction industry as an exciting industry to be in. I see the opportunities that there are for growth in all areas of the industry.”
Post-graduation, Ali sees herself working for a mechanical contractor in their human resources department. “I want to help with developing standards of practice as well as recruit new talent for my company. My goal in my career is to help people and I believe that I can achieve this goal through working in Human Resources.”
Ali is appreciative of her involvement with her student chapter and the connections she has made with contractors through the MCA of Omaha. “We work with our contractors to plan fundraising events, recruit new student chapter members, and much more. Through our chapter I feel like I have learned more about the industry than I ever thought I would know. I have been able to see how many different companies run jobs and other day-to-day activities between our different contractors.”
Ali has been interning for The Waldinger Corporation, a member of the MCA of Omaha, MCAA and NCPWB, throughout her academic career. She has been involved in the administration, Virtual Design and Construction, and the accounting department. “I enjoy the culture we have at Waldinger. I especially enjoy the internship program we have; it exposes me to all facets of the company.” She is excited to continue her Waldinger internship this summer.
Ali reflects on her internship experiences and seeing the unique challenges and opportunities as a women in the industry. Ali thinks there are many challenges that come with being a woman in the mechanical contracting field. “Since it is so male dominated,” she said, “I feel like gaining the respect of coworkers is the biggest challenge that comes with being a woman in this field. Though it is a challenge I believe that also makes it an opportunity. The best way to grow personally is by taking challenges and turning them into opportunities.”
Women in the Mechanical Industry and the John R. Gentille Foundation congratulate Ali on this prestigious scholarship and thank Ferguson for their commitment to encouraging young women to be engaged in our industry.
MCAA developed a best practices guidance document to help protect mechanical construction and service workers from COVID-19 exposure. MCAA and the United Association partnered with several industry experts to gather all facts and proper procedures concerning this virus. Because MCAA members are using the safety talk for worker training, MCAA developed a 20-question multiple choice test and accompanying answer key to help members document that the training occurred, and that trainees understand the training content.
Colin Hindman has accepted a second summer internship with MCA of Indiana member, Harrell-Fish, Inc. (HFI). Colin is a junior studying Construction Management Technology at Purdue University where he is the President of the MCAA Student Chapter.
Colin reflects on what he will be doing during his internship:
I am continuing to work with the Project Management team in their Construction Division. I shadow and assist the PMs with their projects while also getting some projects of my own to manage under supervision. I also help out in estimating on occasion. I found the opportunity to work for them [Harrell-Fish] originally by being introduced to the VP by a family friend.
As the Student Chapter president, Colin has been active with his student chapter:
Being a part of MCAA has both reinforced and built upon concepts I have learned in class, but most importantly on the job. My excellent experience working with HFI gave me a certain advantage when approaching the competition project. Conversely, the MCAA Student Chapter Competition taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve already been able to apply back in my internship.
Find other student chapter members like Colin by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.
With the number of reported cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) increasing, governors in various states are taking varying measures to reduce the spread of the virus. In some states, construction is still considered an “essential business,” whereas in others, construction can only continue for “emergency repairs” or the “construction of health care facilities.” Across the board, however, the message is clear that proper precautions must be taken on job sites in accordance with the requirements and recommendations of the CDC. Unfortunately, not everyone is following these rules and are requiring construction companies to continue to work without a formal exemption and without the implementation of rules and regulations that help facilitate social distancing to the detriment of your employees’ health and safety.
Cohen Seglias’ Construction Contracts & Risk Management Group prepared sample notice letters for use on jobs where contractors and subcontractors are still ordered to work either in violation of shutdown orders or under unsafe work conditions that are contrary to the CDC guidelines.
Also, with many companies still bidding and entering into contracts for new work, Cohen Seglias is providing sample force majeure language that covers pandemics such as this as an unforeseen event entitling you to an extension of time and an increase in price caused by any resultant delays.
Understand that these forms may need to be revised to fit your particular circumstances.
The COVID-19 crisis is forcing contractors to perform work in challenging new ways. This webinar focuses on two scenarios that will become more likely in the weeks ahead – forced remote work with no job site activity and one in which job sites might be shut down and fabrication facilities remain open. We discuss how to prepare staff to work remotely, what work can be prioritized to be done remotely and how to utilize fabrication space safely to keep projects progressing. This panel includes Jonathan Marsh, MEP Innovation Lab; James Benham, CEO of JBKnowledge; Sean McGuire, MCAA Director of Innovative Technologies; and Josh Bone, Director of Industry Innovation at NECA.
This webinar was recorded Wednesday, March 25, 2020.
Many organizations are struggling to handle the deluge of information during this troubling time. Knowledge is power, but deciding to act is a critical component for the survival of your business. Making business decisions and having a clear line of communication is crucial to keeping remote teams informed. The technology available for contractors of all sizes creates an opportunity to facilitate communication and maintain steady work where appropriate. Learn about the tools available through your current platform and others being offered by technology companies free of charge to adapt to working remotely. In this time of crisis, leadership from all levels is critical. Jeff Sample, Director of Strategic Accounts for eSUB and ConTech Crew Co-host provides an enlightening and open discussion.
Additional Resources:
This webinar was recorded Monday, March 23, 2020.
