Join us on April 9, 2015 at The Hess Club for the 2015 Patrick J. Kiley Excellence in Leadership Scholarship Awards Breakfast! Began in 1996 and named in honor of past AGC Houston Executive Vice President Patrick J. Kiley, this scholarship fund has raised more than $352,000 in scholarships for students seeking degrees in construction-related disciplines.

Whether you are a new member or want to learn more about what AGC officers, please join us for this information-packed luncheon! You will hear from AGC Houston staff, active members and company representatives about the many benefits of AGC Houston. Get  the most from your membership and sign up today.

Save the date! A tradition for 20 years, this tournament brings owners, architects and the construction industry on the green at the private Champion's Golf Club. This tournament benefits ACE Mentor.

4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

This course is designed to provide general guidelines aiding the construction industry in complying with various State of Texas tax laws.

The presentation will cover contract basics, major differences between AIA documents and Consensus DOCS, clauses that may be enforceable or modified and understanding how contracts may be structured to provide you with acceptable risk.

The AGC Safety Committee is open to all those interested in promoting the safety and education of the construction industry. This month's meeting will be held on Friday, April 24 at 7:15 a.m. at the AGC Houston office. Interested in attending or becoming a committee member? Contact Director of Safety Services, Kim Mason, for more information.

AGC Houston invites you to join us for the 2015 National Safety Stand-Down! AGC Houston and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are partnering to promote Fall Protection during the 2015 Safety Stand Down May 4-15, 2015. Multiple construction organizations will be supporting this industry-wide effort to emphasize and promote jobsite safety. For the past 12 years, Houston members have been key supporters of the event, leading safety performance at the city, state and national levels.

This course covers the safety and health hazards associated with permit-required confined space entry.

Offered on five consecutive Thursdays, the OSHA 30-Hour Course  is designed for project management, site supervision and field employees involved in the construction industry. Many owners are now requiring that onsite supervision obtain the 30-Hour construction outreach training program as an orientation to occupational safety and health covered by OSHA 29 CFR 1926.

This course covers the OSHA standards for the construction industry found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1926 along with other relevant policies, procedures, and safety and health principles for the construction industry. Special emphasis is placed on those areas that are the most hazardous and most frequently cited by OSHA.

This course covers the identification, evaluation, prevention and control of fall hazards in the construction industry.

This three-day course provides the participant with accident investigation procedures and analysis techniques beyond the basic level.

This course covers OSHA requirements for maintaining and posting records of occupational injuries and illnesses, and reporting specific cases to OSHA.

AGC of America is pleased to offer this free one-day training program based on OSHA standards and best practices.

Please consider the following companies for your business needs:

Benefit from financial strength and a superior loss-control program. It is managed by a board composed of CompGroup AGC members—general contractors and subcontractors from all parts of Texas are represented. Learn more about membership benefits in the CompGroup AGC, Inc. today or click here for more information! Contact your insurance agent or call Program Administrator Roberts & Crow at 800-406-9614—ask for Julie Schatz.

The AGC Alternative is a private insurance exchange that operates like an online store, making it easy for your employees to shop for health insurance and other benefits on their own or through the help of our dedicated employee hotline.

Through Reliant Energy's agreement with the Texas Building Branch AGC, association members receive the following benefits:

• One-stop-shop service to install temporary meters
• No hassle temporary services enrollment
• Discounted prices
• Incentives for referring future tenants, friends and family

For more information on how Reliant can help your business, contact Reliant Energy or call 1-855-350-8656.

Did you know one of the many benefits of being an AGC Member is access to our résumé service? As a service to our members, we compile résumés of job-seeking professionals in the construction industry. To access this service, simply log in to the Members' Only section at agchouston.org to view the most current list.

The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) is pleased to announce the election of Samantha M. Hutchison, CCIFP, Chief Financial Officer of Brookstone, LP, as its new National Treasurer. Stuart Binstock, CFMA President & CEO, said, "Samantha brings a young, fresh perspective in her approach to delivering member value in her role as CFMA Treasurer. Her leadership abilities and contributions locally and nationally are strong assets to the organization. I look forward to working with her as Treasurer this year."

Rogers-O'Brien Construction recently welcomed Scott Kittrell as Senior Project Manager for the Houston office. Scott is responsible for providing direction for all aspects of construction, including project planning and scheduling while ensuring compliance with all safety and quality standards. He has 16 years in the construction industry specializing in healthcare, senior living, retail and manufacturing.

Contact Catherine Bezman or Jaclyn Lee with your information and photos.

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry gave contractors an unexpected Christmas present in December by issuing Executive Order (EO) RP-80 mandating the use of the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system by all state agencies under the direction of the governor and requiring it for all of their contractors and subcontractors. Read Larry Williams, Human Resources Director, Marek Family of Companies',  article in the Member's Only/Employment Practices Committee Articles section here.

Shepley Bulfinch architects recently announced that Bailey Architects of Houston has joined their growing national design practice. Adding a Houston office gives Shepley Bulfinch a strong presence in Texas, where significant growth is projected in the healthcare and education sectors, and greater visibility in Houston, one of the country’s fastest-growing cities.

A bill authorizing $3.1 billion worth of bonds for construction projects at more than 50 Texas public colleges and health research institutions has advanced out of committee and will go before the full Texas House of Representatives, reports The Austin American-Statesman.

Due to unprecedented demand, the city of Houston has started sending out parts of its building permit applications to a private company, something that city officials say will continue to expand with demand.  The Houston Permitting Center is still dealing with the bulk of requests in-house, said agency director Mark McAvoy. However, the city is sending 12 to 15 plan sets a day to a Dallas branch of Bureau Veritas to "augment (their) existing process," McAvoy said.