Carol Duncan
One of the core parts of SMACNA's mandate is to educate our member contractors on the evolving landscape of our industry. Our space has changed at such a rapid pace since I’ve become involved. It’s not hard to fathom a world where physical plans and diagrams are completely replaced by digital outlays that designers and project managers can directly interact with. The team at SMACNA does a great job in providing resources that are critical in aiding our contractors in learning about these innovations.
These resources and their content are as varied as the work we do. SMACNA’s growing library of podcasts touch on issues that are vital to so many aspects of our businesses — whether they be business management and operational-centric topics, perspectives on the changing face of our workforce or discussions about some of the emerging technologies. Our membership is the driving force behind this content. So many of your fellow contractors take part in these discussions, bringing their expertise and experience into the fold in a manner where the members can easily learn something brand new that they can apply in their own operational environments.
SMACNA has also been releasing very impactful video content over the past few months. This content is relevant on so many touchpoints for our members. During the CEA National Issues Conference, we had the privilege to sit down with several lawmakers and officials from the Biden Administration who are responsible for driving a lot of the policies that are responsible for the increasing amount of public-sector work for our members. We’ve also been working to feature the exceptional work of SMACNA contractors in the field. Not that long ago, we released our most recent Contractor Spotlight, featuring McCusker-Gill from outside of Boston, Massachusetts. McCusker-Gill, host of the upcoming 2025 Fab Forum, is an industry leader in several facets of our space. Take a moment to see some of the exceptional work that they, and several of our other contractors, are responsible for. You will get a clearer understanding of how impactful SMACNA contractors are to their communities.
Speaking of in-person events, the slate of experts that address our members at these events is incredible. They include some of the leading minds in the fields of finance, leadership and project management.
When you take stock of all of the opportunities and tools that our contractors can leverage to further their businesses, the value of being a SMACNA contractor becomes crystal clear. Even as professionals, we must always continue to be students and look to expand our knowledge whenever we can.
Carol Duncan, SMACNA President