Each year, ASA presents its Certificate of Excellence in Ethics to construction subcontractors who represent the highest standards of internal and external integrity. Tonight, it is our privilege to announce the recipients of the ethics certificate. 

• ACE Glass Construction Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas 
• Bazan Painting Company, St. Louis, Missouri 
• Blauch Brothers, Harrisonburg, Virginia 
• EyeSite Surveillance, Inc., Chandler, Arizona 
• Haley-Greer, Inc., Dallas, Texas 
• Holes Incorporated, Houston, Texas 
• Kent Companies, Grand Rapids, Michigan 
• Markham Contracting Company, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona 
• Platinum Drywall, Maumelle, Arkansas 
• Shapiro & Duncan, Inc., Rockville, Maryland 
• Sorella Group, Inc., Overland Park, Kansas 
• South Valley Drywall, Inc., Littleton, Colorado 
• Western Engineering Contractors, Inc., Loomis, California 

In ASA’s commitment to safety, the decision was made to recognize those members who make safety and safety education a priority in their company.  Chapters were asked to recognize the member of their chapter at the forefront of safety and safety education.  The companies recognized are those who have gone above and beyond to ensure their employees, and everyone on their jobsites, go home to their families after work every day.   The class to be recognized in the ASA Safety Recognition program are as follows:  

• Kovach Enclosures, ASA of Arizona 
• Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing, ASA Houston Chapter 
• Golterman and Sabo, ASA Midwest Council 
• National Roofing Company, ASA of New Mexico
• Almasi Contractors, ASA of New Jersey 
• Scorpion Spray Foam Insulation LLC, ASA of Oklahoma 
• Alamo Crane Service, Inc., ASA San Antonio Chapter 
• Lee Drywall, ASA of Southwest Florida 

Some ASA chapters are content to rely on “tried and true” programs and services, while others seek to “break the mold” and try new and different initiatives. ASA’s Innovation Award is targeted at the latter group—the chapters and state organizations that have developed creative or innovative programs and services that benefit their members. 

We have a tie! ASA of New Mexico and ASA of San Antonio… 

…ASA New Mexico for the “GC/Association Networking Collaboration”   

Meet the Generals Event held February 24, 2022. 

ASA of New Mexico partnered with the local ABC Chapter and the NM Utility Contractors Association to host the first ever Meet the Generals event in February of 2022. 

Beginning in November of 2021; ASA, ABC and NMUCA worked together to plan and host the first event of its kind for the State of New Mexico.  The event provided subcontractors the opportunity to sit down with general contractors for dinner with relationship building as the main focus.  They began by recruiting General Contractors to be featured at the event. Thirteen General Contractors agreed to participate. The goal was to assign subcontractor attendees to General Contractor tables to allow them to meet someone new and hopefully start to build a relationship or rekindle an old one. There were a total of 130 attendees and the event began with a networking hour and after a few announcements, dinner was then served. Overall feedback from the attendees at the event was positive and the event was deemed a success. New Mexico is scheduled another repeat event in February 2023. If the event keeps receiving great reviews and the members want to participate; ASA, ABC and NMUCA will continue to work together to provide a platform for construction industry professionals to meet and mingle in a relaxed setting.   

AND 

…ASA San Antonio for the “TV Programed Themed Awards Program”   

Another boring & stuffy awards program…. Well, not in ASA San Antonio!  The Excellence in Construction Awards is an event to honor general contractors and to recognize leading members in their companies.  Needless to say, it was a night filled with executives and their plus ones, and no one knew anyone else, and once your nominated category was over, the rest of the night dragged on… sometimes painfully.  ASA San Antonio set out to make our event THE EVENT that every employee would want to go to!  They decided to give the night a “television” theme.  Centerpieces were handmade TVs with “technicolor” lights illuminating company logos.  Programs were made to look like TV guides, candy bars were wrapped to look like remote controls, and the menu was given crafty names from “Seinfeld’s No Soup for You Salad” to “Scooby Snacks” for dessert.  But the stars of the show were the board members.  For each award category we mirrored a famous television show – Gilligan’s Island, I Love Lucy, Home Improvement, etc.  They wrote a script for each show and the board members dressed in character and filmed intros to announce the nominees.  Rather than hire an outside firm to film and piece the video together, San Antonio executive director, Jennifer Swinney taught herself how to edit videos, to use green screens, to add timings and sound effects, and to piece it all together to run smoothly in one fluid “show.”   With each category pre‐recorded, it allowed the board members to enjoy the night.  More importantly, with this level of fun and entertainment, the entire room was captivated and exploded with enthusiasm for each announced winner.   After the event (once the blooper reel was completed! Another big hit!) numerous owners from the general contractor companies came up to comment on the exceptional night and stated that our event was by far the best award banquet they had ever attended.  The event came in at a whopping $10,000 over our profit goal, and with the sold-out crowd of 400, they are planning for 500 attendees next year!  This idea was a huge risk, as they didn’t want to take away from the prestige of the nominations and awards, but wanted to make the night entertaining and set our event apart from the other association award banquets.  San Antonio succeeded, and   with this innovative idea the event will continue to grow in size and prestige for years to come!  

The ASA Task Force on Government Advocacy established the ASA Subcontractor Advocate Awards to spotlight organizations and individuals who dedicate themselves to advocate before government on behalf of construction subcontractors, specialty trade contractors and suppliers.

Tyler Norman, ASA of Mississippi (President & CEO at Norman Roofing) based in Meridian, Mississippi.         

Tyler attended our 2019 ASA Legislative Fly-In in Washington, D.C. and he has participated in several of our GRC meetings in the last three years.   Tyler has been actively engaged with his ASA Chapter in Mississippi, along with serving in several leadership roles.    

The 2022 Advocacy Award being bestowed to Tyler recognizes his perseverance in championing change order reform at the national level. His direct engagement, involvement, and communication with Sen. Wicker, the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and his staff, was unprecedented and extremely effective. 

Tyler attempted to get the Small Business Payment Performance Act (H.R. 8273) included as an amendment to the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation would assist small business construction contractors receive timely payment for change orders. Construction firms of all sizes, but especially small businesses, have had to weather the effects of the pandemic and soaring construction materials costs. This commonsense and bipartisan legislation would help ensure that our nation's small business construction contractors do not go bankrupt waiting to be paid for work the federal government ordered them to perform.  Unfortunately, this amendment was not included in the final FY23 NDAA despite Tyler's valiant efforts.  The enacted FY23 NDAA did include several other ASA supported procurement policies regarding progress payments, cash flow, military base access, PFAS, architectural and engineering services, and wastewater assistance.   

The Attorneys’ Council Honor was established to honor an Attorneys' Council member who dedicates their time and professional expertise toward supporting subcontractor rights and issues and offering guidance on legislative language to benefit those subcontractors. The award will be presented to an outstanding attorney who has gone above the call of duty to advance and protect the rights of our members in the preceding year. Applications were judged by a working group of the Government Relations Committee and the Chair of the ASA Attorneys' Council. 

Lee Brummitt, Dysart Taylor 

The Outstanding Service Award is presented to the ASA chapter president whose superior leadership efforts and service to his or her chapter motivated it to achieve its goals. 

Tonya Schulte, ASA of Arizona 

Since joining the Board of Directors in 2021, Tonya has been a model of association membership and a strong leader. Tonya has shown exemplary dedication to both subcontractors and the association at large. There is no area of ASA of Arizona’s recent efforts that have not been enhanced by her steadfast service.   

In addition to her duties on the Arizona board, where she has become one of the most respected voices among her peers, Tonya volunteered to chair the marketing committee. She has overseen an ongoing and long overdue rebrand of the chapter, ton include the new logo. Under her guidance that committee is also managing the development of a new website and a mobile app. Tonya’s vision has been indispensable at every step.   

Despite the fact that she is not (yet) the board treasurer, Tonya also stepped in to oversee and implement new financial processes. She is never shy to step in and use her financial expertise to help with everything from financial strategies and best practices to mundane corrections to sales transactions.   

She has also gone out of her way to enhance educational efforts.  Tonya served as an instructor for the new ASA University course on Cash Flow Management and staged a “Lunch & Learn” geared toward helping trades businesses prepare for potential recession.  

Tonya always seeks out mutually beneficial partnerships with other members and invites non members to join and participate.  She attends and sponsors events and is always the most welcoming attendee at any mixer.   

Finally, Tonya has recently volunteered to serve as co-chair for the revitalized Tech Council. This committee is renewing its actives after several years on hiatus. It aims to empower ASA members to stay on the cutting edge of technology via resources and education and it’s goal is to create a world where subcontractors are prepared to success and lead in our industry’s ever-changing tech landscape.   

No one embodies the ethics of servant leadership more than Tonya Schulte. 

The President of the Year is presented to the ASA chapter president whose superior leadership efforts and service to his or her chapter motivated it to achieve its goals. 

Zach Rothus, ASA of Baltimore 

During the 2021-2022 program year.  Mr. Rothfus believed that it was necessary for the Baltimore chapter to make sure the fundamentals were strong enough to get the chapter through a difficult period.  Also, the association had fought hard to build its reserve funds over the last several years following a near-collapse of the chapter, and the board needed assurance that the association was on solid footing before considering an investment of reserves for any strategic initiatives in 2022-2023. 

Mr. Rothfus worked with the board, staff, attorney, and insurance providers, and was willing to leverage his professional contacts to the benefit of the chapter. 

During this time much was achieved:  

1. New Member Loyalty Recognition program launched at the Annual Meeting in June, with “Member Since” plaques given to all chapter members with at least 20 years of continuous membership 

1. Implemented transition to in-person events, focusing on indoor/outdoor venues, while continuing to offer webinar-based education 

1. Reviewed and revised Executive Director contract, and executed a first-time written contract for the paid Treasurer position 

1. Reviewed the chapter’s Directors and Officers Liability and General Liability policies to assure that the chapter and the Executive Director were fully covered, and directed a review of Covid-19 policies and exposure to liability for alcohol-related incidents at chapter events 

1. Compiled Board of Directors Management Policies document, including ASA Best Practice policies and chapter-specific policies 

1. The new GC Partner Program launched with four founding General Contractors
   

During Zach’s term, 12 new members joined the chapter. Risks to the association have been minimized in insurance policies and operational policies.  Board management policies are much more comprehensive, assuring consistency and sustainability of operations and The GC Partner Program created a unique format for subcontractors to meet with each GC in a small, private setting to discuss how to do business together for mutual benefit.

The ASA Executive Director of the Year award is presented to an executive director for outstanding performance in overall association management during the previous fiscal year. 

Beverly Reynal, ASA North Texas

Although Beverly has held this position for over 9 years, she champions each President and BOD goals with energy and an open heart. She supports and guides the aspirations of the incoming President, while never losing sight of the Chapter ED goals.

Developed many years ago, the ED goals are specific and measurable. They stand the test of time and have proven to be important to the sustained growth of our chapter. Beverly has met these goals (almost 100% +) for many years! They encompass all regularly planned events and membership / participation metrics for each facet of ASA North Texas. These goals are important to North Texas because they put a laser focus on the most important aspect of any member driven association! The members! Without member engagement, we will not be successful. 

Beverly has such a great attitude. It’s obvious that she loves her job, and she loves ASA NT members. She never says no, she is open to suggestions, she treats everyone with respect and kindness. Beverly regularly makes one on one, in person visits to our member companies and works hard to focus on renewals well in advance of deadlines. She listens to our members and takes their suggestions and questions to heart, focusing on what they need. Honoring the requests of the incoming board of directors shouldn’t be overlooked when considering everything our Executive Director must undertake!

During the 2021-2022 year, Beverly implemented requested changes to the board meeting structure and deliverables including a color-coded master calendar, electronic document distribution, and consent agenda. 

The Chapter of the Year award is presented to the chapter which exemplified outstanding achievement in chapter operations and member service.

ASA Houston Chapter

Recovering from the effects COVID-19 has had on our industry has been a challenge for ASA-Houston Chapter. They did their best to “return to normal” within-person events and meetings. Members were grateful for a bit of normalcy, and it showed in net membership growth. They were still able to maintain growth and increased from 132 to 139 members.