A Message from ABC Keystone President-CEO

“Living the Dream” Members Help Guide the Chapter through the COVID-19 Nightmare

Those that know me well are aware that I am a very positive person. If you ask me in the morning how I am doing, I always respond, “I’m living the dream!” I finally realized, after the last two months, that some dreams can be nightmares. But it is because of our members, the staff, and our leadership team that I have been able to remain positive during this recent COVID-19 dream (or nightmare) and take each day as a new challenge.

A little over 20 years ago, two of my peers, Mike Callahan and Kevin Snoke, put a crazy idea in my head. Because of my love of the industry and my passion for ABC, they thought I should probably work for ABC Keystone. So, my dream began. Almost 10 years ago, this dream became a reality. My predecessor, Jack Zimmer, and several members, became my mentors and helped prepare me for the position I hold today.

In talking to Jack a few weeks ago, I told him that he really didn’t prepare me very well for this pandemic. Expecting a snappy answer, all I got was, “I’m not sure anyone could have prepared anyone for this.” As I reflected on the last two months, I concluded that the answer to responding to this pandemic was to be found not in us, but in the members.

This is what I love about the construction industry. While contractors can get upset with situations, they know how to work the problem. Instead of feeling bad for themselves, they create solutions. It is because of this attitude that ABC Keystone has been able to serve the members in different ways than normal during these unique times.

Your questions, your concerns and your input and ideas have guided the Keystone Chapter during this crisis. The staff has listened, processed, and found ways to respond. The executive team suggested the idea of no-cost training for April and May. As a result, ABC has trained over 800 member employees. A member suggested an idea that ABC might be able to help with PPE. So, 100,000 masks were sold at-cost to over 100 member firms. Your questions, concerns and ideas led to the development of a COVID-19 Update email campaign that saw open rates nearly double over ordinary times. Member engagement through emails, phone calls, and social media was extremely high during the last two months.

For this, I say “thank you.” In true fashion, ABC Keystone members have helped turn this would-be nightmare into a survivable and workable reality. When it is over, and we can look back, we will see that the members have contributed to some of the finest work ever done at the Keystone Chapter. Yes, I and the rest of the staff are “living the dream.” We get to serve the greatest group of people in the industry that you, and we, all love. The ABC Keystone “IT FACTOR” is still alive!


Posted June 3, 2020