YP/Past Chair Meet & Greet

For the last four years the ABC Pelican Young Professionals Committee has joined the ABC Pelican Past Chairmen before the Annual Past Chairmen meeting to hear their stories of overcoming the unions and how ABC Pelican has helped shape their career in the construction industry. Milton Graugnard, Executive Vice President, Cajun Industries and 2023 ABC National Chairman, posed the question to the group of past chairmen, “where would the industry be without ABC?” As young professionals, who were likely born in the 80s and did not experience the hardships of being a merit shop contractor in the south during that time, we often forget the fight that the founding members of ABC had to put up with to turn our state from union run to free and open competition. There were times when merit shop contractors could not enter a jobsite without a gun, or sometimes even enter a jobsite at all due to union backlash and riots. We have come a long way in the last 42 years, but one thing remains the same, we work hard, whether on jobsites, at the capitol or building relationships. Andy Lopez, former ABC Pelican Chairman and Cajun Industries Vice President, said it best “we are one of the last industries where hard work still makes a difference.” The Young Professionals Committee enjoyed learning about the history of ABC as well as, hearing the stories from the past chairmen and how ABC Pelican has shaped their careers and lives. Young Professional, Nyoki Mokeba, Equipment Sourcing Manager, Performance Contractors said “it was great meeting with all the past chairmen of ABC Pelican. There was a lot of knowledge in that room. I know all the Young Professionals appreciated the past chairmen sharing their stories.”

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