It is my pleasure to serve you all as the incoming 2027-2028 chairman of the ABC Maine Board of Directors. First and foremost, I want to thank Larry Grondin of R.J. Grondin & Sons for his leadership as board chair over the last two years. His “let’s go” mindset and all-in leadership style helped propel our chapter to new heights in measurable areas such as membership retention, new member recruitment, FEA fundraising, and advocacy for the merit shop in Augusta and Washington, D.C. Larry truly led by example, and we should all be thankful for his past and continued service to the organization.

Thank you also to the chapter staff and board members. Hope, Shari, Penney and our newest staff member, Madison, do an amazing job — much of it behind the scenes — to produce and promote quality events for our membership, including board and committee meetings, the popular and effective Young Professionals program, apprenticeship trainings, educational sessions, networking events, PAC fundraisers and more. Our volunteer Board of Directors represents a unique cross-section of the Maine contracting community and industry partners, and ABC Maine is lucky to have them helping to guide our organization into the future by keeping a keen eye on our strategic planning initiatives and making decisions in the best interests of our members.

What lies ahead for our chapter in 2027? In the realm of legislative advocacy, we know that we will have a new governor, a new congressman in Maine’s second district, and the first session of the 133rd Maine Legislature. The election results in November will be the first piece of the puzzle as we navigate the rulemaking process in Augusta. And by our side will be our ever-resourceful lobbyists, Garrett Mason and Keith Herrick of Dirigo Public Affairs, to provide timely updates and decision-making guidance. If you haven’t already done so, please take the time to download the ABC Action app. It is an easy-to-use tool for staying up to date on major political issues and communicating directly with our elected leaders at all levels.

One of our goals for 2027 is to increase participation in the STEP program, a major focus of our chapter. Being a STEP-certified contractor makes you eligible to become an Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC), after which you’ll be eligible to become an ABC Top Performer. Please reach out to staff or a board member to learn how you can begin this important journey. We will continue educating our members about the discounts and savings available to ABC members at places like Lowe’s, FedEx, Verizon, Dodge, Ace, Engine and more. We also plan to continue our membership recruitment efforts and improve our retention figures to aid our chapter, the Northeast Region, and ABC National in FEA and PAC fundraising.

One of the best ways to become more involved with ABC Maine is to join one of our committees. Committee work is where the rubber meets the road, and it can be a great stepping stone to other opportunities within the organization. You can reach out to staff, the board or current committee members to learn more about our Environmental, Health, Safety and Workforce Development Committee, Membership Committee, and Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

For those of you who have not participated in an ABC National event, I strongly encourage you to do so. Meeting ABC members from across the United States and gaining outside perspectives on national, regional and local issues is truly eye-opening. It is always a great reminder of the support we have from ABC National and of the experience, high-level contacts and industry savvy they bring.

National events for 2027 include: 

• ABC National Convention, March 9-11 in Denver, Colorado (includes the Craft Championships, a hands-on competition experience for craft trainees and apprentices)
• ABC Legislative Conference, June 8-9 in Washington, D.C.
• ABC Leadership Institute, Nov. 9-11 in San Diego, California

I hope to see many of you at these events. Thank you all, and here’s to the merit shop!