Page 13 - PCCAJournal4thQuarter2011

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PCCA Journal|4
th
Quarter 2011
13
P
ast PCCA President and longtime association
member Charley Duff recently announced his
retirement from MasTec North America after
40 years with the company. Charley’s wife and
longtime assistant, Janet, is retiring as well
after 36 years with the company.
“Timing is everything,” Charley said, “and now is the time
for Janet and I to spend more time together and have fun
with our family and friends.”
As PCCA president in 2002-2003, Charley guided the as-
sociation through a very difficult time for the industry and
helped us come out the other side a leaner, stronger group.
The Duff’s 2002 Mid-Year Meeting at the Alyeska Resort in
Girdwood, Alaska, was unquestionably a one-of-a-kind event
at one of the world’s magnificent destinations. They followed
up that trip with the 2003 Convention at Disney’s Grand
Floridian, and folks who attended still tell tales of the Street
Party on a backlot of MGM Studios.
“We had been on the job for only a year or so when the
bottom fell out of the industry, and things were looking
mighty grim,” recalled PCCA Executive Vice President Tim
Wagner. “But Charley and Janet were upbeat, encouraging,
and full of great ideas to help steer us through the rough
times. And, of course, they’re always great fun. We’ll be
forever grateful for their guidance and their friendship.”
Over the years, Charley worked as a lineman, foreman,
splicer, installer, backhoe operator, project superintendent,
and division manager for LP&H, which was bought out by
Burnup & Sims, Inc. In 1994, Burnup & Sims merged with
Church & Tower, Inc. and became MasTec, Inc., a leading
end-to-end voice, video, data, and energy infrastructure solu-
tion provider. Charley has never changed companies in his
entire career.
“All of us have had situations where we were at the right
place at the right time,” Charley said. “In my 40 years in our
industry, I have had the good fortune to be at the right place
at the right time on many occasions. Some of them were the
day Bob Sellenriek hired me in 1971; when Jerry Hartman
took me to my first PCCA meeting in Colorado in 1977; meet-
ing Austin Shanfelter, a ‘cable guy’, at the Orlando conven-
tion in 1990; wearing an identical sports coat as Gary Akin at
the Point Clear, Ala., convention in 1994 when Janet mistook
him for me; deciding to join MasTec in 1994; and agreeing
to work for Jim Wilde in 1999. Amazingly, these important
dates all involve current or past PCCA members. Some of my
best memories will be the good times we have spent at our
meetings and in the business environment competing and/or
working with other PCCA members.”
“PCCA has been a great organization for our industry,” he
continued. “I wish the association and its members nothing
but success. It has been great knowing and working with the
PCCA staff for so many years. Great job! Be assured, we will
attend some of the conventions in the future.”
Duffs Announce Retirement
Austin Shanfelter, left, gives Charley
a few pointers on retirement life.
After decades of industry
and association leadership,
Charley and Janet Duff plan
to relax and spend more time
with family and friends.