Tradition

Several weeks before the opening of the annual EXPO, everyone with a speaking part receives the relevant scripts. Each script tells you where you have to be, where you come in the order of things and in most cases, what you’re supposed to say and do. It also thoughtfully spells out difficult or unusual names phonetically. As the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court discovered when delivering the oath of office to President Obama, “winging it” on important occasions is probably not a good idea. I have therefore always been grateful for the assistance provided by the scripts.

I was especially grateful for one EXPO ’09 script in particular because it provided me with the theme of this my last message to you as NUCA President — Tradition. Near the end of the Presidents’ Banquet on the final night of the EXPO, the power of leadership is transferred from one group of duly elected officers to another. Oaths are taken, pins and flowers bestowed, gavel and shovel handed over. These symbolic acts and the words accompanying them constitute a time-honored NUCA tradition. We all know from personal experience that traditions can be good and they can be bad. This is a good one because it reminds us of who we are, what we’re about, where we’ve come from and where we’re going. If we remember these things, we can, both individually and as an organization, move forward without fear of the future.

Any position of leadership is both a journey and an education — at least that is what it has been for me. One of the important things I have learned along the way — from jobsites all across the country to congressional committee rooms on Capitol Hill — is that this association has over the past 45 years instinctively known which traditions to hold onto. We started out as a small group of contractors seeking a voice in the halls of government where the laws and regulations that govern our industry are formulated, and in maintaining that tradition, we have achieved that goal.

I have found that the size of an organization isn’t important. Even a relatively small group of individuals committed to the well-being of their industry and willing to participate in efforts to advance it can make a difference. A case in point is the recent passage of economic stimulus legislation, which contained many provisions favorable to our industry. I personally want to thank not only the members of the NUCA staff who did the heavy lifting with regard to keeping our issues before Congress, but also all the NUCA members and chapters who visited, called, e-mailed and faxed their representatives in Washington urging them to include those issues in the final bill and to vote for final passage.

I feel privileged and honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of that process. So, in the time-honored tradition of my predecessors, I thank you not only for the confidence you showed in allowing me to be your president, but also for your friendship, support and good counsel during my tenure

Regards,


     Terry Dillon