DISCA News | Oct 2024 - Annual Membership Meeting, Slate of Board Nominations and MORE!

Newsletter I October 2024

Annual Membership Meeting

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Park Avenue Club

Agenda

5:00PM - 6:00PM | Cocktail Hour

6:00PM - 7:00PM | Dinner

7:00PM - 8:00PM | Business Meeting

There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required.

Registration deadline: November 1, 2024

DISCA News

2025 Slate of Board Member

Nominees Announced

The Nominating Committee is recommending the following individuals for a three-year term effective January 1, 2025:

Leif Andersen – Andersen Interior Contracting

Robert Partyka – Partyka Construction Inc.

Jessica Sheppard – DePalma Contracting

Members may submit the names of additional nominees to the Executive Director up to 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Membership scheduled for November 7, 2024.

The official ballot containing the final slate of nominees will be distributed prior to the Annual Meeting of the Membership.

Industry News

The Impact of Nuclear Verdicts on Construction Businesses

A rush to build at a time when the U.S. housing supply continues to fall short may come with a cost to the construction industry.

Particularly in hot markets—Sun Belt states and the Mountain West—the drive to finish fast, if not big, can lead to construction and design-defect litigation. Last fall, for example, $22 million in damages were awarded to 220 unhappy homeowners in a South Carolina subdivision northwest of Charleston, four years after their claim for defective work was filed against a major U.S. homebuilder and its subcontractors.

Best Practices for Showing Appreciation to Construction Workers

Construction work is physically draining. It means being exposed to the weather as well as potentially dangerous conditions, like great heights and moving traffic. It shouldn’t be thankless work as well.

In my experience, however, many construction companies would benefit from making a more active effort to show appreciation to their employees. When construction companies themselves neglect to show appreciation, it contributes to blue-collar employees’ common perception that society undervalues their work or does not respect it appropriately.

Building a Sustainable Campus for the World's First Climate-Positive University

From polar bears, glaciers, and skiing to coastal cities, clean air, and coral reefs, the list of potential casualties from climate change is as long as it is devastating. For policymakers around the world, however, perhaps the most concerning thing about climate change isn’t how it might impact defenseless animals, cherished beaches, or beloved winter pastimes. Rather, it’s how it might affect the global food supply.

“The climate crisis is driving global hunger now and threatens to trigger catastrophic humanitarian needs,” the United Nations’ World Food Programme declared in its October 2023 report, Changing Lives: Climate Action for People & Planet. “In 2022, climate extremes were the primary driver of acute food insecurity for 56.8 million people in 12 countries.”

Is Gen Z's Interest in the Trades Just a Dream?

If you believe the statistics — and a whole slew of press — Generation Z is an emerging generation of men and women who are trading in their schoolbooks and strapping on tool belts.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse, the number of students who enrolled in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% last year, while the number of undergraduate enrollments in four-year public universities and private nonprofit colleges rose just 0.6%.

As the story goes, Gen Z doesn’t relish the idea of accumulating thousands of dollars in higher education debt. Good wages and the promise of a debt-free education has given rise to this new “tool belt generation.”

Limitations of Liability in Construction Contracts

In the construction industry, limitations of liability clauses are crucial for managing risk and protecting parties from potentially catastrophic financial losses. These clauses define the extent to which one party is responsible for damages arising from a breach of contract, negligence, or other issues during the project. However, their implementation and effectiveness can vary significantly based on several factors.

The primary purpose of a limitation of liability clause is to cap the financial exposure of a party, often the contractor, to a pre-agreed amount. This cap is typically proportional to the contract value or a specific sum, such as the contractor’s fee or the value of the work performed.

Events & Programs