By: Douglas M. Dvorchak, 2019 Chair of the Board, ABC Keystone

I hope many of you were able to attend the Economic Outlook Breakfast with Anirban Basu. It was another excellent presentation with over 525 attendees! Mr. Basu’s outlook for 2019 was not as rosy as his 2018 forecast, but he still predicts another good year for the construction industry. I always look forward to this event because it always lives up to the hype.

That being said, there has never been a better time to give some of your time and/or talents to ABC Keystone. A great way to support free enterprise and the Merit Shop philosophy is to volunteer. Although our staff is highly efficient, ABC Keystone is dependent upon dedicated volunteers. Keystone currently has 10 committees in place. They are all thriving groups but they all could use additional members and energy. These committees help ABC Keystone continue its legacy as a top tier Chapter. If you currently serve on a committee, I thank you for your service to the Keystone Chapter.

I have found that the best way to gain additional value from ABC is to get involved. Twenty-five years ago, I joined the ABC Keystone Safety Committee. This was one of the best decisions of my career. The knowledge I gained, and the relationships I have made through this group have been immeasurable to me both personally and professionally.

Joining a committee is not the only way to get involved. There are scheduled events throughout the year. I would encourage you to attend the ones that interest you. A lot of these are free to attend, such as our Regional Wake-up Calls. In addition, each year we hold a Free Enterprise Day in Harrisburg – this year it is on April 8th. On this day we sit down and meet with our legislators from both sides of the aisle to discuss issues important to ABC. We also hold a Legislative Day in Washington D.C. during ABC’s Legislative week. This year it will be held June 26th. Both of these days are incredibly rewarding. Obviously, the more members we have attend these events the greater impact we can have in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Please consider spending a day (or days) with us this year interacting with our Legislators.

If your schedule just won’t permit you to participate on a committee or attend scheduled events, we have multiple avenues to donate: ABC PAC, the MSTRC Scholarship Fund, The Free Enterprise Alliance, as well as Advancing the American Dream Fund. All of these are funded by members for the benefit of members. If you want specifics regarding these funds please don’t hesitate to ask.

There are plenty of ways to get involved at ABC Keystone. I would encourage you, as well as your fellow co-workers, to get involved.

I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!

March 7, 2019