ABC offers all of its members an opportunity to serve on a number of national committees that deal with issues of concern to the merit shop construction industry. By providing valuable input to the association's National Board of Directors, these committees help establish the policies, priorities and objectives of ABC.
Members wishing to be nominated to serve on an ABC national committee should contact their local chapter office. Committee member selection takes place in early fall each year. In addition, the national president may appoint special task forces to study specific issues and make recommendations for action.
- Description: Coordinates activities of committees that are within the Chapter Services Customer Group of the organization.
- Eligibility: Consists of the chairs of committees for Chapter Services, two National Executive committee representatives, two at-large members and one Chapter President Liaison.
- Description: The committee is charged with developing and applying benchmarks that will guide chapters to become high performing. As part of their oversight of the Chapter Development Committee is responsible for identifying individual chapter capacity and utilizing tools that identify areas of improvement. Tools available include the CDC scoring model, Operating Ratios Report, Chapter Quarterly Report program, Chapter Standards Accreditation process, chapter participation in National activities and membership trends. Based on this information the Committee proactively recommends solutions. Chapters with difficult challenges may be placed “In Trust” by the National Executive Committee. Those chapters are supported by the Chapter Development Committee in resolving challenges and providing a pathway to success and out of “In Trust” status.
- Eligibility: The seven Regional members will alternate between an Chapter President (for a 3-year term) and then a volunteer member (for a 3-year term) – No one will be able to serve consecutive terms, there will always be a 3/4 or 4/3 split between Chapter Presidents and volunteers, and each Region will have the opportunity to be served first by a volunteer and then by an Chapter President or vice-versa. In order to keep this balance. In addition a member serves as the chair.
In 2009 the Member Growth Committee was absorbed into the Chapter Development Committee to bring a focus of not just working with weak chapters, but also to focus the association on growing its strongest chapters. Six at-large committee slots were added to the original eight bringing the Committee total to 14. The balance of the Committee continues to be favored toward members. In 2012 the former three year terms will be converted to four year terms to come into compliance with policy changes.
- Description: The Construction Management Competition Committee is a group of project managers whose task is to design the project for the Student Management Competition held annually at EdCon. Since the focus of the committee is project-based, the meetings tend to be scheduled around the timing of the event. The committee meets both at the ABC National office and at committee members’ offices to coordinate the project for the competition.
- Eligibility: Project Managers from ABC Member companies are eligible for participation.
- Description: The Council will assist in chapter staff professional development, new employee orientation and facilitate communication amongst ABC’s network of construction education professionals.
- Eligibility:
• The candidate must be from a chapter or an approved chapter education provider in good standing.
• The candidate’s primary job responsibility is workforce development or education and training.
• The candidate must demonstrate commitment to the profession and to ABC.
• The candidate will serve as positive role model for the profession.
• The candidate must have the support of their Chapter President.
- Description: The Membership Professional’s Council was formed in 1998 to improve communications, the free flow of information and materials between both ABC National and Membership Professionals, and from one Membership Professional to another. Finally the Council works with ABC National in the development of the curriculum for the annual Institute. The mission of the Membership Professional’s Council is to identify the best practices in membership recruitment and retention, share and exchange information among all ABC chapters, and raise the level of professionalism of the membership function.
- Eligibility: Composition of Council: Number of seats on the council will consist of no more than nine councilors. A councilor from each ABC Region with two At-Large councilors. Councilors will serve a maximum number of three one-year terms. Candidates may nominate themselves or, be nominated by a current council member. Three new councilors will be added each year. The Council will select a chairperson to serve a one-year term.
- Criteria for membership: The candidate must be from a chapter in good standing. The candidate’s primary job responsibility is member recruitment and retention. The candidate must demonstrate commitment to the profession and to ABC. The candidate will serve as positive role model for the profession. The candidate must have the support of their Chapter President.
- Description: The National Craft Championships Committee is a group of craft professionals whose task is to design the craft competition for the National Craft Championships Competition held annually at EdCon. Since the focus of the committee is project-based, the purpose of the group's meetings and conference calls is to coordinate projects for each craft within the competition, and tend to be scheduled around the timing of the event.
- Eligibility: All ABC Members, journey-level craft professionals and above, are eligible. Committee positions are on a 3-tier system: Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager, and Leadership, which includes Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair. Members may serve up to 3 years in each tier, for a total of 6 years, unless asked to serve in a leadership role. Members from the same company cannot be in the same tier.
- Description: Identify and work with educational partner organization, including government and other non-profits that promote the construction industry as a viable career and develop a workforce development policy that will be used to advocate for quality training programs and a quality career path.
- Eligibility: The workforce policy committee will be comprised of 2 members from each region. The regional representation should include a mix of members with workforce development experience and workforce policy issues management.
- Description: Coordinates activities of committees that are within the Government & External Affairs Customer Group of the organization.
- Eligibility: Consists of the chairs of committees for Government & External Affairs, two National Executive committee representatives, two at-large members and one Chapter President Liaison.
- Description: The Grassroots Committee seeks to guide ABC national and its grassroots program to better inform members of important legislation which impacts their company and employees; cultivate influential relationships with representatives in the government at every level; educate and provide resources to members and to motivate them to become active in the political process; demonstrate to members the importance of their participation in the political and legislative process as well as shape legislation in ways that are favorable to ABC’s goals. Committee members are called on to be an advocate themselves, as well as provide insight from their experience on a personal, member and chapter level.
- Eligibility: The Grassroots Committee is open to all ABC Members
- Description: This committee is responsible for evaluating ABC's government policies as they relate to workplace issues to ensure our consistent compliance with those policies. The Legislative Committee is ABC's voice to ensure that ABC continues to be recognized as the premier resource for construction workplace issues before the federal, legislative, executive and judicial branches. These workplace issues consist of labor-management relations, union market recovery programs, and unnecessary federal government interference in the workplace. Participants will be owners, human resource professionals, and other company officials who deal with workplace issues on a day to day basis. The committee will meet at various times during the year to discuss new trends and issues in the industry, evaluate various legislative proposals, develop strategies for legislative initiatives and establish issue priorities. Committee members may be called upon to meet with members of Congress to educate them on ABC's concerns and the construction industry in general.
- Eligibility: The Legislative Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: The purpose of ABC's Political Action Committee (PAC) is to work within the federal election process to further the goals of the association. This is accomplished through educating our members on the importance of political activism and through financial support of merit shop federal candidates. The PAC is governed by a board of 15 members who are appointed by the ABC National Chairman on a regional basis to serve a term of three years. The PAC Trustees work with the Regional Vice Presidents and chapter leadership to promote political involvement and assist in raising PAC funds. Members of this committee also approve all disbursements based on well-established guidelines such as voting records of incumbents.
- Eligibility: Potential Trustees must demonstrate an interest in national politics, as well as fundraising. Evidence of this interest can be established from the individual’s participation on chapter-level legislative, grassroots or PAC committees or in leadership positions such as National Board member of Chapter Chairman. He or she must also have the support of the Board of Trustees Chair before the nomination is sent to the ABC National Chairman for appointment. Per the bylaws, the Board shall be composed of 15 Trustees serving three year terms. At least two Trustees shall be from each of seven ABC regions.
- Description: This committee leads ABC's government affairs in developing and promoting an agenda of federal tax items of specific concern to the construction industry. Participants should have technical knowledge of the complex tax areas affecting the construction industry and should include individuals such as accountants, chief financial officers, and other related tax experts familiar with Internal Revenue Service regulations. The group will help guide ABC's efforts in advocating our federal tax policy with Congress and within the IRS for issues such as look-back accounting, cash basis accounting, AMT, capital gains, estate taxes, independent contractor and others.
- Eligibility: The Tax Advisory Group is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: Coordinates activities of committees that are within the Member Services Customer Group of the organization.
- Eligibility: Consists of the chairs of committees for Member Services, two National Executive committee representatives, two at-large members and one Chapter President Liaison.
- Description: This committee assists in the planning of the annual BizCon. It gets involved in deciding on topics for each meeting, and in identifying relevant speakers. Committee members may also be asked to moderate session panels at the event.
- Eligibility: The Biz Con Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: The purpose of the Business Development Committee is to improve business opportunities for merit shop contractors by becoming the recognized resource for construction users. Activities include developing programs to encourage owners to use merit shop contractors’ services; assisting chapters in implementing successful business development programs; developing programs to help members gain work from each other; communicating in a positive manner with owners and buyers on a regular basis; recognizing and publicizing outstanding merit shop construction projects through the national Excellence in Construction awards program, the Accredited Quality Contractor program, and providing members with information to help them in their own marketing efforts.
- Eligibility: The Business Development Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: This Committee reviews ideas and provides guidance on business partnerships entertained by ABC National. The Committee is also responsible for making a recommendation to staff that a specific business proposal would: be operationally good for a number of member segments; provide a benefit to members better than a member could get on its own; and provide the association and chapters with significant revenue share with good growth potential over the first few years of the partnership.
- Eligibility: The Business Partnerships Committee is open only to ABC Contractor Members and ABC Chapter Presidents.
- Description: The mission of this committee is to provide leadership and direction to chapters and member companies to embrace diversity as an empowering competitive advantage through education, awareness and business practices.
- Eligibility: The Diversity Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: The mission of the Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) Committee is to provide leadership and direction to Chapters and their members regarding safety, environmental, and health issues. The committee's goals are to save, protect, and enhance the lives of workers and the community; to bring about a renewed commitment to safety and health in the construction industry; and to increase the productivity and competitiveness of ABC member companies.
- Eligibility: The Environment, Health & Safety Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: The mission of the National Green Building Committee is to advance ABC members’ ability to support their customers and thrive in the Green Building industry by providing education and resources to our members and chapters; advocating for smart energy policy and legislation that supports our members; establishing partnerships and working with construction owners to champion green initiatives that are inclusive of our members; and developing and communicating best practices to our members and chapters.
- Eligibility: The Green Building Committee is open to all ABC Members.
- Description: This committee monitors and reviews the budget, current financial status and annual audit. It makes recommendations to the Executive Committee and National Board about auditors, investment managers and policy issues related to the financial management of ABC. It develops tools to assist chapters in financial activities.
- Eligibility: (Per ABC Bylaws) the Budget & Finance Committee shall consist of the Secretary/Treasurer who shall serve as chairman and at least five members appointed by the Chairman. It shall prepare estimates of income and expenditures, prepare budgets and make other recommendations regarding finances to the Board. It shall also see to proper bonding and accounting.
- Description: This committee is charged with maintaining the policies and procedures of the association. It reviews meeting minutes of the Executive Committee and national board of directors for conformity with the national association's Bylaws and Policy Manual. The committee also acts as adviser to the president upon request.
- Eligibility: (Per ABC Bylaws) the Bylaws & Policies Committee shall consist of a chairman and those additional members appointed by the Chairman. It shall ensure that all actions by the Association are in conformity with the Association Bylaws and Policies & Procedures Manual. The Committee chairman shall serve as the Parliamentarian for the Association.
- Description: The Committee shall supervise the investment of the assets of the plan and make all decisions concerning selection and retention of the investment options available under the plan. Accordingly, the Committee shall have authority both to select and monitor funds and to appoint investment managers (see definition below). To assist with the process of fund evaluation and investment manager information, the Committee shall have the authority and responsibility both to select and monitor an investment advisor. Decisions of the Committee on investment policy, the selection of investments and/or investment managers, performance analysis and investment monitoring, etc., may but need not be based on the recommendations of an investment advisor engaged to advise the Committee on such matters.
Investment manager(s): An investment manager, as defined in ERISA, is a person/organization (i.e. Investment Management Company) qualified under ERISA, to whom the fiduciaries delegate responsibility for investing and managing plan assets in accordance with this investment policy statement and applicable law.
- Eligibility: Chapter Presidents are on a rotation. The Executive Committee Chapter President liaison will serve on the committee for two years and the other nominated Chapter President on the committee for a four year commitment. This allows more continuity of knowledge for decisions.
- Description: The Construction Legal Rights Foundation supports precedent-setting legal efforts aimed at preserving and advancing the merit construction principles. The Foundation has funded hundreds of cases in cooperation with ABC, ABC chapters and members. In addition, the Foundation funds ABC chapter campaigns to educate the public on the benefits of merit shop competition and the disadvantages of project labor agreements. Applications for funding are available online, and ABC staff are available to help members and chapters apply.
- Eligibility: The Board of Trustees shall be elected by the Executive Committee of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., a trade association accorded section 501(c)(6) status by the Internal Revenue Service. Each Trustee shall hold office for a term of three years and until a successor shall have been elected and qualify. The number of Trustees shall be twelve. A minimum of ten Trustees must be current contractor members in good standing with Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. which members shall include three members who currently hold or have held past positions on the ABC Board of Directors or on a national committee of ABC.
- Description: The Free Enterprise Alliance is leading the campaign to halt the assault on America’s free enterprise system. The Free Enterprise Alliance is the action arm of ABC for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and other advocates of limited government, open and fair (and intense) competition, and the economically sound principles upon which America was built. At the heart of the Free Enterprise Alliance’s mission is the belief that while we need government for common sense regulations, the scales have tipped too far in favor of government intrusion and its advocates. The Free Enterprise Alliance believes small business and entrepreneurs grow jobs and our economy, not union bosses and federal bureaucrats. Since its inception, it has fought for these goals through research, outreach, and national TV, radio, and billboard campaigns.
- Eligibility: Potential Trustees must demonstrate an interest in national politics, as well as fundraising. Evidence of this interest can be established from the individual’s participation on chapter-level legislative, grassroots or PAC committees or in leadership positions such as National Board member of Chapter Chairman. He or she should also have the support of the Free Enterprise Alliance Chair before the nomination is sent to the ABC National Chairman for appointment. Trustees serve one year terms and are eligible for re-appointment. At least two Trustees shall be from each of seven ABC regions.
- Description: ABC Insurance Trustees set the overall policy and direction of the ABC Insurance Trust program, meet with the insurance company representative to review plan design options, financial results of the program and act in the best interests of the plan participants.
- Eligibility: Trustees are selected from participating employers in the plan.
- Description: The TCEF is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation with its own Board of Trustees. Its purpose is to raise funds in support of ABC's education and workforce development programs. The TEF awards grants and scholarships for construction education, training, and safety.
- Eligibility: Trustees are elected by the board of trustees of the TCEF in accordance with their bylaws.