MCAA Industry Improvement Funds Conference Offered Exceptional Educational Experience

The 2016 MCAA Industry Improvement Funds Conference featured speakers who educated the group on the various roles that industry funds play as well as proper uses for them.  A record attendance of 130 participants took advantage of the two-day educational offerings.

MCAA President, Tom Stone, kicked-off the conference by sharing an update on current initiatives.  From the Institute for Project Management (created in the late 1980’s), to the Field Leaders Conference (MCAA’s newest education program), to the reinvented website where MCAA members can download every resource for free, President Stone reinforced the benefits of membership in MCAA, the Education Association.

The importance of ever-changing technology was overviewed by MCAA Director of Construction Technology, Sean McGuire.  Bob Snyder (conference committee chairman and President of Binsky & Snyder), Tim Brink (MCA of Eastern PA) and Dan Bulley (MCA of Chicago), joined McGuire in a panel discussion and showcased how their individual associations and companies have benefited from embracing current trends and have been guided by MCAA’s technology initiatives.

Denise Martinez (Shields Blice & Company CPA) lead two discussions on industry funds accounting topics for the group.  Her first topic brought the audience back to the basics of fundamentals for successful non-profit accounting procedures while her second presentation zeroed in on the five most important aspects of internal controls.

Jim Estabrook and Elizabeth Manzo, attorneys with Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, joined the conference to discuss the importance of diversity and workplace sensitivity and reviewed new laws and policies that have been put into place to protect employees.  Estabrook and Manzo also engaged attendees and encouraged group participation in a Battleship style game where two teams competed by correctly answering challenging questions about proper uses of industry funds.

The second morning of the conference began with a legislative update from MCAA’s Government Affairs Committee Chairman, Bill Albanese and MCAA’s General Counsel, John McNerney.  Albanese and McNerney offered some insight to what regulations and legislation might look like under the new administration as well as discussed the importance of PAC contributions and thanked those who continue to support the endeavors of MCAA’s PAC.

The conference wrapped up featuring two MCA Local Affiliates who shared some of their best practices with the attendees.  Robin Cowper and Ed Kommers (MCA of Western Washington) introduced their membership tracking database and emphasized the importance of having such a system in place to better serve members through market segmentation, improved productivity and integrity of data.  Dave Davia (MCA of Colorado) was joined by Mostafa Khattab (department head of Colorado State University’s Department of Construction Management) and Dennis Pettitt (former MCA contractor and faculty at Colorado State University) for an in-depth discussion on the importance of student chapters and recruiting students into the mechanical contracting field. They reviewed how Colorado has set up such a successful program and offered insight as to how others could increase the value of their student programs.

The 2017 Industry Improvement Funds Conference is scheduled for December 6 – 8 at the Resort at Longboat Key Club in Longboat Key, Florida.