A Word From AGCVA Chair, Don Sproul

Each month in this article I talk about all AGCVA is doing to advocate for you and our industry, grow member businesses, and connect you with who you need to see to do business; advocate, grow, connect; A-G-C. It’s who we are.

This month, I want to focus on one area in particular – Advocacy. Some of you are familiar with the work Brandon and the team at Williams Mullen do lobbying in Richmond at the General Assembly. However, in addition to the three lobbyists registered in Richmond, did you know there’s a team of six federal lobbyists in Washington, D.C. working on federal issues?

Jimmy Christianson and his team in D.C. have been tremendously successful in the last few years. They have seen victories ensuring construction was deemed essential and jobsites stayed open at the start of the pandemic. They were successful in getting both the employer and federal contractor vaccine mandate thrown out. These victories alone saved tens of thousands of dollars, many jobs, and countless headaches for AGCVA members here in Virginia. Their work is not done, though. Now, they are fighting a national OSHA heat standard, which would be devastating to workers in states like Virginia who know what a hot and humid summer can be like. Additionally, AGC of America is pushing Congress for immigration reform to fix a broken system and help address the growing workforce shortage. In Richmond and our nation’s capital, AGC is having an impact advocating for you.

To continue having a positive impact advocating for you, we need your help. We need your support. We need your dollars. The AGCVA PAC and the AGC PAC both need donations.

Here in Virginia, we have an election this fall where all 140 members of the General Assembly, 40 in the Senate and 100 in the House, are up for election. There have already been about 30 retirements this year.  That is about 21 percent turnover before the first vote is cast. This means there will be a lot of new faces in the legislature. New faces who do not know AND need to know about AGCVA and our industry. The AGCVA PAC is the tool we use to open those doors, introduce ourselves, and build relationships that enable us to advocate for you. Any amount matters, and here in Virginia, you can give personally and from your company.

The AGC of America PAC also needs your support. I have had the pleasure of attending many national meetings where we hear about all the work going on to support our industry coupled with the continued plea from national leaders to support those efforts by supporting the PAC. AGC is regularly outspent by those who would push against the interests of the construction industry. We need to reverse that trend.

Will you give to the AGCVA PAC? Any amount counts. It’s as simple as clicking here.

You can learn more about the AGC of America PAC here.

Don’t just be one of those businesses that complain about Richmond or Washington and do nothing to help solve the problem. Be a part of the solution. Join me and my company, Clancy & They’s Construction, to support AGCVA’s PAC and its efforts to advocate on our behalf.