ABC Pelican Membership Renewals

2020 Membership Renewal Update 85.87% RENEWAL RATE BY ANNA ZEBEAU, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Where has this year gone? But here we are, mid-year 2020! addressed. This past year, we have made a concentrated effort ABC Pelican Chapter’s fiscal year began on January 1, 2020. I in regards to legislative issues in the areas of Construction / first want to personally express my sincere appreciation to all Public Bid; Employment; and Business Issues. In addition of our ABC members who renewed their annual membership to our legislative services and training opportunities, ABC and participated in events and meetings earlier this year. Pelican Chapter is also committed to providing services, Membership in this association is an intangible benefit that is discount programs, educational conferences/conventions and sometimes difficult to understand, but the Value that is realized disseminating vital information that will ultimately enhance by each of you renewing each year is what we hope you will your company’s profitability and help you remain as a valuable recognize when remitting your membership dues. servicing company to your customers.

This year the Pelican Chapter reached 85.87% renewal rate with Please remember all of the efforts of this organization and our 322 members renewing. To-date, the chapter stands at 335 ability to be a valuable resource hinge on you continuing to members. support and participate in ABC Pelican Chapter as a “Member In Good Standing”. We thank you again for your membership Each year, the Board of Directors and the ABC Pelican Chapter renewal and we remain committed to being an important Staff work diligently on training opportunities, programs advocate representing your company’s needs. Help me to and in making decisions that will add greater value to your help you in growing this Chapter! I look forward to your membership and to ensure that your best interests are being involvement in the remaining months of 2020! 2020 ABC PELICAN MEMBERSHIP

24HR Safety, LLC 3M A & B Concrete Coring Company AAA Rent-All, Inc. Abatix Corp ACE Enterprises, Inc. Action Industries, Inc. Advanced Office Systems, Inc. Aggregate Technologies, Inc. AKM, LLC - Volks Constructors Division All Crane Rental of Louisiana Alliance Safety Council Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. Allrite Electric, Inc. American Covers, Inc. American Mat & Timber Co. American Piledriving Equipment, Inc. American Rigging and Supply Co. Angelle Materials Angelo’s Lawn-Scape of Louisiana, Inc. Apache Industrial Services, Inc. APC Construction, LLC APTIM ARC Document Solutions Arco Distributors, Inc. Ardaman & Associates, Inc. Ardent Services, LLC Arkel Constructors, Inc. Ashworth Industries Austin Industrial B & H Distributors, Inc. Baker GCI Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Baldwin Redi-Mix Co., Inc. Barriere Construction Company, LLC Baton Rouge Bolt, Inc. / Bayou Metric Baton Rouge General Bayou Inspection Services, Inc. Bayou Supply & Safety Beard Construction Group, LLC Bechtel Corporation 59 www.abcpelican.org/newsletter Bengal Crane & Rigging Bernhard MCC, LLC Better Pumps and Solutions, LLC Bevel Tech Group, Inc. BIC Alliance, Inc. Bill Spitzer & Associates Blue Cross & Blue Shield/LA Bluewater Constructors, Inc. Boh Bros. Construction Co., LLC BOSS Light Tower Rentals, LLC Bottom Line Equipment, LLC BRACE Integrated Services Brammer Engineering, Inc. BrandSafway, LLC Braud Company, Inc. Braun Intertec Breaux Petroleum Products, Inc. Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LLP Brecheen Pipe & Steel Co., LLC Briggs Equipment Brown & Brown Insurance Brown & Root Industrial Services, LLC BXS Insurance Cajun Industries, LLC Cajun Ready Mix Concrete, LLC Capital One Bank Catering Cajun, LLC Chaffe McCall LLP Champion Civil Services, LLC Champion Graphic Communications Chaney Mechanical, LLC Chustz Electric, LLC Classic Industrial Services, Inc. Claymar Construction Clean Harbors Environmental Services CLM Equipment Co., Inc. CMC Corporate Solutions Coastal Welding Supply Cody’s Transportation Systems, LLC COMET-Comprehensive Occupational Med Eval & Command Services Inc. Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc. Contractor’s Source, Inc. Contractors Supply & Equipment Co. Converge Management Services, LLC Cook Hotel & Conference Center At LSU Corporate Services, LLC Cort Business Services Cory, Tucker & Larrowe, Inc. Cotton Culinary, Inc. Crawler Supply Company, LLC Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge CSM Industrial CSRS, Inc. CWL Contractors, LLC D.M.I. Contractors, Inc. DarkHorse Industries, LLC Deca Systems, Inc. Delta Fuel Company DEWALT Ditch Witch of South Louisiana Diversified Materials & Consulting, LLC (DMC) Doggett Machinery Services Doyle Electric, Inc. Draeger, Inc. Dunham Price, LLC Dykes Electric, Inc. Eastern Services Company Embassy Suites by Hilton - Baton Rouge Emergent Method Emery Equipment Sales & Rentals EnerMech Mechanical Services Entergy Louisiana Enterprise Fleet Management EnviroCon Systems, Inc. Epic Piping, LLC Equipment Share, Inc. Ernest P. Breaux Electrical Eustis Engineering, LLC EXCEL Group Eye Wander Photo Fabricated Steel Products, Inc. CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

FallTech Feld Weinstein Group at Morgan Stanley Ferrara Transport Services, LLC First Louisiana Insurance Five S Group Fluor Corporation Fugro G. T. Michelli Company, Inc. Gainey’s Concrete Products, Inc. Gallagher Gas and Supply Geaux Apparel Gerry Lane Buick - GMC Gerry Lane Chevrolet Gexpro Glencoe Equipment, L.C. GLO Resources GM Cable Contractors, Inc. Golden Nugget Lake Charles Casino Hotel Gonzales Electric Service, Inc. Grady Crawford Construction Company, Inc. Great River Industries Greenberry Industrial Group Industries, LLC Gulf Coast Occupational Medicine, Inc. Gulf Coast Pre-Stress Partners, LTD. H&E Equipment Services H. Rocker Electric Company, Inc. Hahn Sales / Sensors, Inc. Hancock Whitney Bank Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP Hargrove and Associates, Inc. Hartmann Building Specialties HD Supply Construction & Industrial White Cap Hebert Steel Company, Inc. Helix Resources, LLC Hendrix Precision Maintenance Services Holes Incorporated HORNE LLP HR Solutions, LLC Human Dynamics, Inc. Hutco, Inc. Hydra-Lube, Inc. Iberia Bank Iberville Insulations, LLC IMSCO Industrial Cooling Towers Services, LLC Industrial Fabrics, Inc. Industrial Info Resources, Inc. Industrial Supply & Rental, Inc. Industrial Thermal Services, LLC Instrument Piping Technologies, LLC Insulations, Inc. Investar Bank ISC Constructors, LLC J.W. Grand, Inc. JM Test Systems, Inc. Jones Walker, LLP JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. JPS Equipment Rental, LLC KJ’s Services, Inc. Kostmayer Construction, LLC L. S. Womack, Inc. LafargeHolcim LAPCO Manufacturing, Inc. LaPorte CPAs & Business Advisors Lard Oil Company L’Auberge Casino and Hotel Baton Rouge Lemoine Company, LLC Lockton Lodge Lumber Company, Inc. Louisiana CAT Louisiana Rents - The CAT Rental Store LPR Construction Co. Mac-Nett Industries, Inc. Maginnis Construction Company, LLC MAPP Construction, LLC Mason Construction, LLC Maverick Testing Laboratories MED-PRO Medical Professional Protective Clothing Merit Electrical, Inc. MESH, LLC Michael J. David Painting Contractor, LLC Milwaukee Tool MMR Constructors, Inc. Modern Metals Recycling Momentum Constructors, LLC Momentum Rental and Sales Moody-Price, LLC Moore Industries, LLC Motion Industries - Drago Supply Division MRC-McJunkin Red Man New Industries, LLC North American Hose & Fittings Northern Safety and Industrial NPC Services, Inc. nVent Thermal Management Ochsner Health System Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Ohmstede Industrial Services On-Site Medical Solutions PALA-Interstate, LLC Patriot Construction & Equipment, LLC PBC Industrial Supplies, Inc. PCL Industrial Construction Company Peak Media - Baton Rouge Pelican Promotions and Advertising Specialties PeopleReady Skilled Trades Percy J. Matherne Contractor, Inc. Performance Contractors, Inc. Performance Publishing Peri Formwork Systems, Inc. Peterbilt of Louisiana Phelps Dunbar, LLP Phillips Electric Company Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Co. Port Aggregates, Inc. Postlethwaite & Netterville, APAC Pot-O-Gold Waste Services Preferred Electric, Inc. Premier Office Products, Inc. Price LeBlanc Nissan Prime Occupational Medicine Primoris Services Corporation PSS Industrial Group Quality Bolt & Screw Corporation Quality Concrete R & R Construction, Inc. Ralph’s Industrial Electronic Supplies Ram-Fabricators, LLC Rauch-Milliken International, Inc. Raygen Services, LLC Red River Bank Red-D-Arc Welderentals Regal Construction, LLC Regions Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel Rene’s Industries, Inc. Repcon, Inc. Republic Services RES Contractors, LLC ResponsAble Safety Staffing RFI, LLC Rhorer Mutual Industries, Inc. Richard Construction, Inc. Richard Oil and Fuel, LLC RIGID Constructors, LLC RiskWise Safety Consulting, LLC Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana SAMUEL Scott-Macon Equipment, Inc. Sealevel Construction, Inc. SEMS SITECH Louisiana, LLC SJB Group, LLC Slats Lucas Aggregates, LLC Sochem Solutions, Inc. Sorrento Lumber Co., Inc. Southern Earth Sciences, Inc. Specialty Industrial, LLC Specialty Products & Insulation (SPI) Spiral Metals Corporation SPX Flow Bolting Systems STARCON International, Inc. Stine Lumber, LLC Summit Electric Supply Sun Coast Resources, Inc. Sun Industrial Group, LLC T. Baker Smith Tandem Instrumentation & Electrical, Inc. Taylor, Porter, Brooks & Phillips, LLP Ten “M” Vending Terracon Consultants, Inc. Thompson Engineering, Inc. Tiger Industrial Rentals TJC Group TMA Environmental, Inc. Tolunay-Wong Engineers, Inc. TorcSill Foundations, LLC Total Safety Total Tire Solutions, LLC Trade Construction Co., LLC Tradesmen International Traveler’s Alliance Group, LLC Triad Electric & Controls, Inc. Trillium Construction Turnaround Welding Services Turner Industries Group, LLC Turtle & Hughes, Inc. TWA Erectors, LLC United Office Supply & Equipment Co., Inc. United Rentals, Inc. United Safety United Site Services Vivid Ink Graphics Vulcan Materials Company WASKEY Waste Management Welding Testing Lab, Inc. WESCO Distribution Westgate, LLC Wholesale Electric Supply William S. Nadler, Jr., Inc. Wood Group USA Woodard Electric Work Designs, LLC Workbox, LLC Workforce Group, LLC Worley Wray & Associates Zachry Group

LSU CM Team Profile HERE’S HOW THE LSU CM TEAM IS ADVANCING TO THE ABC NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPETITION FINALS We’d like to congratulate the LSU Construction in the country. It feels amazing to have worked so tirelessly Management Competition Team for making it to the at something and your work is paying off. I am so grateful ABC National CM Competition finals! Through much to have had such a strong, smart, and supportive team to hard work, especially during such odd and unprecedented work alongside with this semester. Through the obstacles times, a team of four LSU CM students will be traveling to that we had to hurdle this season, we stayed focused and Nashville in August to represent Louisiana’s construction determined and made it to the finals. I am excited to take industry at the national competition. part in the 2020 competition and bring home first place for Brian Hooks with The Newtron Group serves as the LSU face, as they worked remotely with one another and held Lindsey Harrell, Evan Hood, William Rosevally, Corbett

ABC National Construction Management Competition?

LSU! CM mentor and has assisted the team in prepping for the Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation annual competition for the past five years. on the 2020 Construction Management Competition

Team?

“It’s a great honor for the team this year,” Hooks said. “This A: It is hard to select one thing that I enjoyed the most is the third year in a row that the LSU team has made it as about this competition season because I loved many a finalist, and to me, it shows the continued dedication and aspects of it. But, my overall favorite thing must be the support from the LSU CM program along with the ABC relationships that are created throughout the process. We Pelican YP’s.” get to work with and be mentored by industry professionals who truly care about our academic, career, and personal Once COVID-19 all but shut down LSU, the obstacles and success. I cannot express my gratitude to all the people who challenges were stacked against this team. have assisted our team and myself throughout this process. “The students could have called it quits and dropped out, and I hope to continue building relationships with new but they did not and their determination and drive showed members and other industry professionals in the future. digital meetings to complete the project,” remarked Hooks. Q: What year are you in school and what are you

We caught up with the 2020 LSU CM competition team, A: I am a senior studying construction management including Team Captain Annalise Rabito, Co-Captain at LSU. I plan to graduate in December 2020 with my Adam Burkhalter, John Davis, Rebecca Davis, Will Gibson, Undergraduate degree. Russell, Martin Sipiorski, Bria Sosa, and Kiersten Weidel Adam Burkhalter (co-captain) Q&A: about how it feels to make it to the final round of the Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 competition, the challenges they conquered along the way ABC National Construction Management Competition? and their plans after they graduate. A: Honestly it’s amazing and a really proud feeling. Not Annalise Rabito (team captain) Q&A: that we were able to do so in one of the most challenging Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 times of our lives.

I value the relationships that have been built through ABC

majoring in?

only of this team to achieve this milestone, but also the fact

A: Being a finalist in the 2020 ABC National Construction Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this Management Competition is an incredible honor and project remotely during quarantine? means so much to me. Being a finalist is an elating feeling A: Our biggest challenge was the difficulty of collaborating because it means that we are among the best student teams on the estimate right at the very end. Seeing as most of our

estimating work was completed on computers at LSU, when the school shut down some of our previously completed work was effectively lost. Finding out what needed to be redone and what information we still had via video and home calls was very challenging. I really took for granted being able to meet and collaborate in person.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: Definitely our team. We have a great mix of people all carrying unique and special talents.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: Document everything and save, save, save! Also estimating takes a ton of time when you are being thorough.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I’m a Junior majoring in construction management

Q: What is next for you?

A: This summer I’m interning at Kiewit in Texas and hope to go into the civil field.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about this experience?

A: It’s been great co-leading this team with Ani. I’ve grown a lot in terms of leadership and problem solving and am extremely excited to see where this goes.

John Davis Q&A: Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: The team faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some things we could control, but unfortunately some that we couldn’t. As a team, we made sure that we handled the tasks we could control, and got help on the tasks that we couldn’t. It was extremely hard for us to collaborate at first, but we ended up defeating our obstacles and finished on time.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I am currently a Senior in Construction Management, and I will be graduating in December 2020.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about this experience?

A: Being a part of the ABC Pelican program these past four competitions has taught me so much about the importance of working as a team and creating a plan for the best results from both my peers and myself. It has given me the chance to hold multiple internships in the construction industry totaling about three years while I’ve been attending LSU. I joined my freshman year to further my knowledge of my major and help branch out my network, and it has turned out to bless me in ways that I couldn’t imagine. I have also met some lifetime friends along the way.

Rebecca Davis Q&A: Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition?

A: Reaching the finals is such an exciting and rewarding feeling. Every year, LSU’s team strives to do better than the year before. We established the goal of making it to the finals at our first meeting and committed to working hard and making sacrifices in order to present ABC with our best work. Being able to successfully accomplish that goal is a big win for us.

Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: Our biggest challenge during quarantine was a shortage of software and technology. Before LSU closed its campus, our team had the privilege of meeting and working in LSU’s estimating lab, complete with all the programs necessary to carry out the project. The lab was a great resource for our team from a productivity standpoint. Having to switch gears to our personal laptops and losing our communal workspace on a last minute’s notice was stressful, however it was nothing my team could not handle. In the construction industry, it’s important to be able to effectively handle and adapt to any unforeseen problems that arise during a project, so at the end of the day, I view the challenge presented from quarantine as an added learning experience aside from the CM competition itself.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: The best thing about being a member of the team was the opportunity to gain more concrete exposure into the

industry. Being on the team gave me the ability to network and learn directly from professionals in CM as well as the ability to dive in and work on a project similar to one that I may be a part of in the future. I was able to be exposed to a real-life project and given the ability to become familiar with essential tasks and processes used to carry out construction. Being able to have that hands-on approach in college is only setting me up for success in my future endeavors by creating early learning experiences and challenges. In fact, I’ve already experienced this advantage while interning in the preconstruction department at Palmisano this summer.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: In the Fall, I will be entering my fourth year of college with plans to graduate in December of 2021.

Will Gibson Q&A: Q: What does it mean for you to be a finalist?

A: It means that I’ve been working with a great team. We all have bright futures ahead of us.

Q: What challenges did the team face during quarantine?

Access to technology. Everything was a scramble with most of us having to resort to estimating with homecooked excel sheets. A few of us had school laptops, fortunately.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation in the 2020 CM competition team?

A: Getting to see and work with many different aspects of a real-world, multi-million dollar project. Put more simply, the whole experience.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned?

A: That even with almost having a college degree, I still have a lot to learn. I look forward to growing as a person and doing great things.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

I’m a Junior majoring in construction management.

Q: What is next for you?

A: An internship with an industrial contractor and beginning my electrical engineering degree online once I

Adam Burkhalter (co-captain)

Rebecca Davis John Davis

Will Gibson

Lindsey Harrell

Evan Hood

Annalise Rabito (team captain)

William Rosevally

Corbett Russell

Martin Sipiorski

graduate.

Lindsey Harrell Q&A: Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition?

A: It means the world to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition. To be able to see all our hard work and dedication pay off and to be able to represent our school at the finals is an amazing feeling. It has been such a sigh of relief for myself and I’m sure my teammates as well to see our hard work come to fruition and to have the opportunity to compete in the finals. It makes all the late nights working on the project worthwhile.

Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: One challenge that our team faced in completing the project remotely during quarantine was communication. Once LSU announced school was closing, many students were left scrambling to move home or just trying to adjust to the change. Typically, it was easy to communicate to each other when we would all be in the same place for our meetings but communicating solely through a texting platform provided a new type of challenge. Luckily our team leaders stayed persistent and kept everyone accountable and we were able to complete the project on time and to everyone’s satisfaction. I am very proud of my team and how everyone came together on the last leg of the project to make sure everything was complete.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: I enjoyed meeting and getting to know my teammates. Majority of my teammates I had not known before being accepted onto the team. I enjoyed being able to create new connections and friends along this journey. We were able to share advice about classes and tips to getting internships. It was an experience I will always remember.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I am senior this upcoming year and majoring in Construction Management.

Q: What is next for you?

A: Since I still have a year left of school, I plan to join the competition team again in the fall and hopefully help recruit new members to grow and build off the experience and knowledge that the outgoing team members provided.

Evan Hood Q&A: Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: Communication, for sure, was the most difficult thing. We had deadlines we needed to meet while having school online from different cities. It wasn’t easy. We mapped out a plan in the beginning of the competition and stuck to it the best we could given the circumstances.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: You cannot let your pride get in the way of work. It is okay for you to not know something. There is no such thing as a dumb question. It is always good to double check yourself. You have a whole support system behind you with your teammates and ABC Pelican’s Young Professionals Group.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

I am a senior majoring in Construction Management. I graduate in December 2020.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about this experience?

A: I highly recommend joining any sort of competition team. It puts you out of your comfort zone and forces you to open your eyes to see a bigger picture. It opened my eyes to the fact I have so much more to learn. If you are detail oriented and do not mind being pushed, this type of competition is for you!

William Rosevally Q&A: Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: Communication. I knew teamwork would be a big factor but having to complete the project in quarantine made us figure out how to communicate more effectively.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: I thoroughly enjoyed the people I worked with and the relationships I formed with them. The people I worked CONTINUED ON PAGE 66

with were friendly and always eager to help. This made it much easier to work and learn more about construction and what goes in to making a project run efficiently.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I am going into my senior year of college hoping to graduate in December 2021 with my undergraduate degree in Construction Management at LSU.

Corbett Russell Q&A: Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition?

A: For our team to be selected as a finalist shows that our hard work has paid off. It meant that we put together a successful project with little baseline to work off.

Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: One of the challenges we faced was a technological challenge. Before COVID-19, we could meet at LSU’s new computer labs to work on the project and discuss methods of estimating and management. After that, we had to meet online to accomplish the same goals.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: As an estimator, one of the biggest lessons I learned was to be confident in my work. This was the first major estimate I put together, and without a similar project to compare to, it was hard to know if I was on the right track. But, with help from the professionals and industry experts, I am confident in my bid.

Martin Sipiorski Q&A: Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition?

A: It is a great feeling of accomplishment to be a finalist. To see all of our hard work pay off in the end is such a great feeling.

Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: Obviously communication became a very big challenge for us. Having troubles navigating each others’ available hours so we can collaborate was something that we had to figure out early on into the quarantine.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: It gave me a better understanding of what an actual construction project requires because I did not have any experience to bring to the table when I first started the competition.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: All through school you hear the professors say “communication, communication, communication!”, but you don’t really think much of it. The lesson learned here was how very important communication is in this field. Anyone can learn how to estimate or figure out what the safety rules are, but the communication of everyone involved on this project is how you get the best outcome. Everyone checks each other, brings new ideas to the table, and combines the experiences they have to create a great product.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I will be going into my 5th year of college at LSU majoring in Construction Management.

Q: What is next for you?

A: I hope to grow my abilities in the field and graduate from LSU. I want to focus my efforts into sustainable building because I feel that is the future of construction, and I want to be a leader in this area.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share about this experience?

A: This experience has pushed me to want to compete again in this competition next year, and has become a highlight of college education.

Bria Sosa Q&A: Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: Completing this project during quarantine turned out to be a very difficult task. Many of the challenges we faced pertained to completing the estimate. Most of us did not have the estimating software on our personal computers, and those of us who did were unable to access the software due to a password change. We also had difficulties working around the software issue because we only had one hard set CONTINUED ON PAGE 67 www.abcpelican.org/newsletter 66

of plans and due to social distancing guidelines, we were unable to meet as a team to work together on the project.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: Working together as a team. We had such a range of personalities in the group and it was a great experience getting to know everyone while also working towards a common goal.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I am a senior majoring in Construction Management. I will be graduating Fall 2021.

Kiersten Weidel Q&A: Q: What does it mean to you to be a finalist for the 2020 ABC National Construction Management Competition?

A: This year has been the first year on the team. Prior to joining the team, I heard of other teams making it to the finals and third place. I knew this team was a product of the LSU Construction Management Department and strongly supported by ABC. I was not surprised or shocked that LSU would do so well this year. Being a part of the team completely changed my perspective. Having a very limited experience in estimating and being head of that subsection for the competition, I was challenged in ways I never expected. I was convinced, especially with the pandemic, there was no chance we could end up a finalist. When I first heard that we were finalists, I was shocked. I could not believe that despite all of the challenges, we had made a finalist position. I could not be more proud of the team.

Q: What challenges did the team face in completing this project remotely during quarantine?

A: When the pandemic hit, we had little time to collect anything saved on computers in the computer lab on campus. We moved to working on the project at home and soon ran into many technical issues. Most of us relied heavily on the software and available amenities that the LSU computer labs provided. Computers provided to us had limited capabilities due to outdated software. Many complications arose with virtual labs students had used in the past. Accessing the software was nearly impossible and we were forced to complete a majority of the remaining project “by hand.” Everyone’s schedule was thrown off and having large meetings online very difficult. Few people were capable of assisting and these strict limitations left our submissions down to the wire, much as I imagine would occur with actual construction companies. Despite our increased efforts to complete the project early and monthlong extension, we pulled our bid together and submitted only hours before the deadline.

Q: What have you enjoyed most about your participation on the 2020 Construction Management Competition Team?

A: This group has built a strong sense of reliability and camaraderie. I have most enjoyed gaining accountable peers and resources that will last past college and into my career.

Q: What was your biggest lesson learned through this experience?

A: My expectations of how much work this competition would be were much less than it turned out to actually be. This competition has taught me better practices in how to balance my responsibilities because I was a full-time student and balancing work, class work, and this project. I also learned that if I ever get the opportunity to learn estimating with a company, I should take it. I could learn a lot from that experience even if, in my career, I am never an estimator.

Q: What year are you in school and what are you majoring in?

A: I am beginning my fourth year at LSU in construction Management.

Q: What is next for you?

A: This fall I have accepted a co-op where I will work fulltime in Garyville, LA at Marathon. I graduate the following Spring semester, May 2021.

While these LSU CM majors are traveling to Nashville next month, we want to commend every single member of the competition team for making this far in the competition: Adam Burkhalter, John Davis, Evan Hood and Annalise Rabito. Geaux Tigers!

AT T H E T I M E O F P U B L I C AT I O N , O U R a d m i n o f f i c e i s a c c e p t i n g m e m b e r v i s i t s b y a p p o i n t m e n t o n ly t o e n s u r e a l l r e m a i n s a f e . I F Y O U A R E O N A C O M M I T T E E , E M A I L Y O U R S TA F F l i a i s o n s ABOUT UPCOMING Committee MEETINGS.

CHAPTER OPERATIONS (225) 752-1415 David Helveston Lindsey Russ President & CEO Director of dhelveston@abcpelican.com Member Services lruss@abcpelican.com Macie Morgan Member Relations Erika Walter Coordinator Director of mmorgan@abcpelican.com Communications Katie Routh ewalter@abcpelican.com Director of Administration Anna Zebeau Director of Membership krouth@abcpelican.com azebeau@abcpelican.com

FINANCE (225) 752-1415

Janie Arceneaux Director of Finance jarceneaux@abcpelican.com Kathy Serwan Senior Accountant kswerwan@abcpelican.com

Mikah Armstrong Finance Assistant marmstrong@abcpelican.com

BATON ROUGE TRAINING CENTER (225) 752-0088

Kacie Blanchard Danielle Labbe

Associate Director of Director of Workforce Workforce Support Development kblanchard@abcpelican.com dlabbe@abcpelican.com

Tiffany Buuck Administration tbuuck@abcpelican.com Alexis Montelius Administration amontelius@abcpelican.com

Kelly Carpenter Director of Education kcarpenter@abcpelican.com

SOUTHWEST TRAINING CENTER (337) 882-0204

Kirby Bruchhaus Director of Education kbruchhaus@abcpelican.com Justina T Montgomery Administration jthomas@abcpelican.com

Christina Domingue Administration cfrederick@abcpelican.com

Ivelynn Soileau Administration ifuselier@abcpelican.com Blaise Theard Workforce Development Specialist btheard@abcpelican.com 2020 UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS July ABC-LA Govt Affairs Call Thursday, July 2 3:30 p.m. ewalter@abcpelican.com Membership Growth Wednesday, August 19 8:00 a.m. VIA TELECONFERENCE azebeau@abcpelican.com Education & Manpower Thursday, October 8 2:00 p.m. BR Training Center kblanchard@abcpelican.com Member Services Wednesday, July 8 9:00 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY lruss@abcpelican.com Budget & Finance Wednesday, August 19 4:00 p.m. ABC Board Room Jarceneaux@abcpelican.com SW Steering Tuesday, October 13 11:30 a.m. SW Training Center btheard@abcpelican.com Health, Safety & Environment Thursday, July 9 7:30 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY kblanchard@abcpelican.com ICC Monday, August 24 12:00 p.m. ABC Board Room kblanchard@abcpelican.com Membership Growth Wednesday, October 14 8:00 a.m. ABC Board Room azebeau@abcpelican.com Education & Manpower Thursday, July 9 2:00 p.m. HELD VIRTUALLY kblanchard@abcpelican.com SW Steering Tuesday, July 14 11:30 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY btheard@abcpelican.com Membership Growth Wednesday, July 15 8:00 a.m. VIA TELECONFERENCE azebeau@abcpelican.com Budget & Finance September SW Steering Tuesday, September 8 11:30 a.m. SW Training Center btheard@abcpelican.com Member Services Wednesday, September 9 9:00 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY lruss@abcpelican.com Health, Safety & Environment Thursday, September 10 7:30 a.m. BR Training Center kblanchard@abcpelican.com Budget & Finance Wednesday, October 21 4:00 p.m. ABC Board Room jarceneaux@abcpelican.com ICC Monday, October 26 12:00 p.m. ABC Board Room kblanchard@abcpelican.com ABC Pelican BOD Meeting Tuesday, October 27 3:30 p.m. ABC Board Room krouth@abcpelican.com Wednesday, July 22 4:00 p.m. VIA TELECONFERENCE jarceneaux@abcpelican.com Education & Manpower Thursday, September 10 2:00 p.m. BR Training Center NOVEMBER SW Steering Tuesday, November 10 11:30 a.m. ICC Monday, July 27 12:00 p.m. VIA TELECONFERENCE kblanchard@abcpelican.com kblanchard@abcpelican.com Membership Growth Wednesday, September 16 8:00 a.m. ABC Board Room SW Training Center btheard@abcpelican.com Member Services Wednesday, November 11 9:00 a.m. ABC Pelican BOD Meeting Wednesday, July 28 3:30 p.m. VIA TELECONFERENCE krouth@abcpelican.com azebeau@abcpelican.com Budget & Finance Wednesday, September 16 4:00 p.m. ABC Board Room HELD VIRTUALLY lruss@abcpelican.com Health, Safety & Environment Thursday, November 12 7:30 a.m. jarceneaux@abcpelican.com BR Training Center August SW Steering Tuesday, August 11 11:30 a.m. SW Training Center btheard@abcpelican.com ICC Monday, September 28 12:00 p.m. ABC Board Room kblanchard@abcpelican.com kblanchard@abcpelican.com Education & Manpower Thursday, November 12 2:00 p.m. BR Training Center kblanchard@abcpelican.com Member Services Wednesday, August 12 9:00 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY lruss@abcpelican.com ABC Pelican BOD Meeting Tuesday, September 29 3:30 p.m. ABC Board Room krouth@abcpelican.com Membership Growth Wednesday, November 18 8:00 a.m. ABC Board Room azebeau@abcpelican.com Health, Safety & Environment Thursday, August 13 7:30 a.m. BR Training Center Kblanchard@abcpelican.com Education & Manpower Thursday, August 13 2:00 p.m. BR Training Center kblanchard@abcpelican.com october Member Services Wednesday, October 7 9:00 a.m. HELD VIRTUALLY lruss@abcpelican.com Health, Safety & Environment Thursday, October 8 7:30 a.m. BR Training Center kblanchard@abcpelican.com Budget & Finance Wednesday, November 18 4:00 p.m. ABC Board Room jarceneaux@abcpelican.com ICC Monday, November 23 12:00 p.m. ABC Board Room kblanchard@abcpelican.com