A Word From AGCVA Chair, Don Sproul

There has been a lot going on in the month of February and since my last update. AGCVA leaders and staff are doing a great deal on your behalf as we advocate, grow, and connect. As the General Assembly has been in session, I would like to specifically focus on our advocacy efforts and share some of our most recent information.

PROCUREMENT BILL
There will be a workgroup this summer, and prior to that group convening, AGCVA will pull together our own workgroup of members to ensure that we fully understand both what is going on in the market and what our own members are seeing. With the help of this group, we’ll dive deep into those things and work toward consensus through the larger workgroup.

CTE BILL (HB 2341)
AGCVA supported this bill, which would have created an advanced diploma option for students enrolled in Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses. (Currently, multiple years of foreign language are required to graduate with an advanced diploma, which prevents most CTE students from being able to do so.) CTE is of great importance to the construction industry as well as many others, as well as to the students who participate. CTE can often lead to rewarding and high-paying careers for non-college-bound students. Passage of this bill would help destigmatize and reward students enrolled in CTE courses. Unfortunately, it was defeated on in a Senate Subcommittee on February 15. Given that workforce development is an ongoing issue for so many organizations, AGCVA will continue working on your behalf and will continue to connect you with opportunities to grow your team and build your organization’s talent pipeline.

ADVOCACY ALERTS
I encourage you to sign up for AGCVA’s advocacy alerts. This is an easy way to remain informed about AGCVA’s positions, as well as communicate directly with your legislators to help them understand our industry and how legislation impacts the work we do and the people we serve. The way it works is simple. Once you’ve signed up, AGCVA will send an email to you with all the details about a specific issue. In a matter of seconds, you can send a pre-written email to your legislator(s), providing them with background information on the issue and requesting their support or oppose. Your message does make a difference, as you are an industry expert and can provide great insight that they may not be aware of. Additionally, legislators track the number of requests from constituents, and this helps determine how they ultimately vote. To help support our advocacy efforts in this way, click here.

AGCVA PAC
The AGCVA PAC is a critical component of AGCVA’s advocacy efforts that ensures the voice of Virginia’s commercial construction industry remains strong in Richmond.

Every year is an election year in Virginia, it is critical to sustain funds in the PAC on an annual basis. I ask that you please consider donating AGCVA’s PAC to help strengthen our efforts; as members, we all determine our success in this area.

WEEKLY UPDATES
Each week’s Five on Friday includes a brief video update from Brandon. I encourage you to look for these updates and not only view them yourself but share them with others on your team. AGCVA’s advocacy work affects our entire industry, and we hope to keep everyone engaged with the work we are doing.

MEMBER SURVEY
With all of the above efforts related to advocacy, AGCVA is working for all of us in so many ways throughout the year. The team at AGCVA is interested in hearing from each of us about our experience as members. Our responses will help identify what we find most helpful and beneficial and provides the opportunity for them to continue to offer the best possible experience for all of us. The survey should take less than 4 minutes and I would encourage you to take a few moments to share your thoughts.

In closing, I encourage you to take advantage of all AGCVA has to offer on your behalf. I look forward to seeing you at district events, including some upcoming legislative events where Brandon and I will provide an update and answer your questions about AGCVA’s advocacy efforts. Check out the AGCVA calendar to find out the next event happening near you.

Thank you for your membership. It is an honor to serve you.