Letter from the President

On behalf of the Board of Directors I extend a warm greeting to all of you. In the following weeks the primary contact for each of our member companies will be receiving a summary of the 2008 Member Benefits survey for review. The survey was conducted this past September in an effort to determine member attitudes about the importance, value and competitiveness of ICA membership. The survey results provided key benchmarks into your perceptions about whether the association is meeting your expectations and what steps can be taken to increase the value of membership.

It is a source of encouragement that many of you expressed satisfaction with the various educational experiences, networking opportunities and advocacy efforts that are part of ICA’s standard practice. I also appreciated the variety of suggestions and ideas that you shared and will use this feedback to further expand upon our future offerings. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact ICA at ica@inconstruction.org.

A common subject expressed in the survey was your concern over various economic issues. It would be irresponsible of me not to address the topic, so here goes. There is no doubt that the current challenges facing the state, the nation and ICA are daunting. We all recognize how difficult business decisions become when funding resources are exceedingly scarce. However budgets, whether for the state, the association, a business or a family, must reflect values; they cannot simply balance a set of numbers but, instead must look to build sustainability. 

In challenging times, there are two options: to turn and run or stay and fight. The construction industry is built upon a “can do” attitude, so let’s look at this as the fight of our lives. In difficult times, we have a collective responsibility to find ways to conserve resources while also leveraging the impact of the resources we have. ICA will continue to fight not only to protect designated funds, but to ensure that you have the information and opportunities needed to not only maintain but to grow during this trying time. And when this fiscal crisis is over, we will all be prepared to move forward from a position of strength. If we all do our part now, ICA - and the construction industry as a whole - will continue to be sustainable far into the future.

Thank you again for your support that helps us to protect and grow our industry’s future.

Sincerely,

Charles V. Kahl
President