PCCA Journal 2nd Quarter 2014 - page 25

PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2014
25
M
aybe it was the improving economy, or
it could have been the outstanding edu-
cational program, the elegant resort, or
the desire to see a bunch of old friends
and colleagues. Certainly, a lot of folks
were looking to escape the brutal winter that gripped much
of the nation. But whatever the reason, the fact remains that
368 PCCA members and their families traveled to St. Thomas
in March for the 69th Annual PCCA Convention. It was the
highest attendance at a PCCA meeting since 2001.
PCCA President Glen Amerine and his wife, Pat, hosted the
convention and planned an amazing week for the member-
ship. The big PCCA crowd was greeted in St. Thomas by
great weather, cool speakers, and a program full of educa-
tional and networking value. Whether in a session room, at
the swim-up bar, or on a boat cruising the Caribbean, PCCA
members were meeting interesting people, absorbing new
ideas, and having lots of fun.
The convention kicked off on March 14 with PCCA’s new
Leadership Development Program, a full-day session to ad-
vance the leadership skills of PCCA members. Led by FMI’s
Andy Patron, the session covered trends in construction, how
to improve one’s leadership skills, and knowing when to lead
vs. manage. Attendees completed personality surveys before
the convention and during the session reviewed the results
and discussed how to interpret them.
The 28 LDP participants met again the following morning
for a discussion of leadership with one of the industry’s most
successful leaders, PCCA Past President Austin Shanfelter.
Austin dispensed solid leadership advice while telling the
audience about his start in the industry, how he made the
transition from running the family cable business to running
industry giant MasTec, and about the success of his latest
venture, Global HR Research.
“Remember where you came from,” Shanfelter advised.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have guys digging in the
trenches. They pay your salary.”
The convention kicked into high gear that evening with
the Opening Session featuring football great Merril Hoge
and a welcome reception on the pool deck overlooking the
magnificent Caribbean. Hoge shared his life philosophy of
“find a way,” which was his rallying cry as he worked toward
a career in the NFL and then again later in life as he battled
cancer. He urged the audience to meet their challenges head
on. “Nobody in this room can’t be excellent,” he said.
The centerpiece of the education
program at PCCA meetings
is always the Con-
struction Industry
Roundtable, and
this year in St.
Thomas was
PCCA Makes Big Splash in St. Thomas
Continued on page 26
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