NMUCA

NEWS

January 2026

Upcoming Dates

January


8th - Planning Committee 9am

14th - Safety Committee 8am

15th - Board Meeting

20th - Legislative Session Begins


February

4th Santa Fe Summit

5th Construction Safety Coalition

19th Meet the Generals

From the Executive Director's Desk



Hello Members,


Happy New Year to All!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are all ready to get back to work and make 2026 another great year!


Thanks to everyone who made 2025 a very successful year for NMUCA! The goal for 2026 is to be steadfast with our foundation work, and always do better! See the summary in Top 10 For 2025 below.


Don't forget to pay your dues for 2026. Invoices were mailed in mid-December, but I can send another invoice if you need one.


I am hoping to see you soon!


Jane Jernigan

Your 2026 NMUCA Board of Directors & Staff

Contact Us - Staff and Board of Directors


President, Damon Wicketts, 4Rivers Equipment 505 884 2900


Vice-President, Jenice Gallegos, Groundwater Partners


Secretary/Treasurer, Kelley Fetter, E2RC 505 867 4040


Past President, Dale Armstrong, TLC Plumbing & Utility 505 761 9696


Director Clay Blair, Prime Contracting Solutions


Director Troy Otero, Groundhog Construction Services 505 243 2133


Director Darrin Howells, AUI Inc. 505 242 4848


Director Joe Menicucci, Downey & Company 505 881 0300


Director Reinee Peacher, DuCross Construction 575 636 3023


Director John Theiler, DH Underground


Director Russ Collins, RMCI Ind. 505 345 0008


Director Sam Stribling, 814 Solutions 505 872 0846


Director Tim McWenie, Spear D Construction 505 761-9696



Executive Director, Jane Jernigan 505 888 0752



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jane Jernigan, Executive Director

New Mexico Utility Contractors Association 

505 888 0752 Phone

505 362 8950 Cell 

nmuca@nmuca.org Email

Jane.NMUCA@Gmail.com 

WWW. NMUCA.ORG 


Upcoming in your mailbox..............
  • Don't forget to renew for 2026
  • Legislative alerts and notifications
  • Registrations for Upcoming Events

2025 Was a Good Year!

Welcome to 2026

NMUCA Santa Fe Summit

February 4, 2026

CLICK HERE to Register Online

Fifth Annual Meet The Generals

Click Here to Register Online

February 19th, 2026


Lunch and Learn - Crisis Management

Click Here to Register Online

NMUCA Recreational Clay Shoot

Sponsorship Opportunities



We are currently seeking sponsors for the upcoming NMUCA Recreational Clay Shoot at Tinnin Hunt Club on April 24, 2026


Sponsorships are available through February 28, 2026

(Most sponsorships include a team of five)


Team Only Registration will Open March 1, 2026


CLICK HERE to Purchase Sponsorships

Work the Session Like a Pro

The 2026 New Mexico 30 Day Legislative Session starts at noon on - January 20th. I am your lobbyist and will represent NMUCA during this session. 


Support or opposition is determined by the board of NMUCA and the Government Affairs Committee. Lobbying for or against legislation is measured first and foremost with our mission. 


Below are instructions for - 5 Easy Steps to Stay Informed and Get Involved - that contains both general and specific information about the NM Legislative Session, and how you can attend virtual meetings, communicate with legislators, and make your voice heard while our legislators make decisions about NM’s future. 




2026 NM Legislative Session

5 Easy Steps to Keep Informed & Involved 


January 2, 2024 - January 12 Legislation may be pre-filed

January 16 Opening day (noon)

January 31 Deadline for introduction

February 15 Session ends (noon)

March 6 Legislation not acted upon by governor is pocket vetoed

May 15 Effective date of legislation not a general appropriation bill or a bill carrying an emergency clause or other specified date

 

Step One – Know your legislator!

Although you can contact every legislator or those serving on a particular committee, you have much more weight as a direct constituent.


Click Here to Find Your Legislator  


Step Two – Get familiar with the committees & who serves on them.


 Click Here and then Click on “Committees” Committee make up is determined the first week of the session.


Step Three – Find Legislation 


Click Here to search for legislation by list, number, sponsor or keyword.


To keep track of legislation, set-up your own Bill Finder using MyRoundhouse - https://www.nmlegis.gov/MyRoundhouse/ Once you have it set-up simply click the “PLUS” button to add a locator; you can then add legislation to that locator. It will keep track of the legislation and let you know when there is movement on the bill. You can set up more than one locator if you want to keep track of bills by category. I have a NMUCA one and a personal one for example. 


Step Four – How to Read a Bill, see changes, & track Votes

We will use HM 3 for an example. Once you have clicked on a specific bill, you will see the following information displayed:

·        ID

·        Title

·        Sponsor (s)

·        Current Location

·        Text in HTML and Text in PDF

·        Sponsors

·        Votes

·        Analysis

·        Committee Reports & Amendments

·        Floor Amendment

·        Actions

·        Governor’s Vetoes


Analysis is your best friend here. Every bill introduced will undergo a “Fiscal Impact Report” often called an FIR. It will show the financial impact for the state, but it will also have a summary of the bill and include merits or issues with the bill found during review by the Legislative Council Services and other State Agencies that it may affect if passed into law.  


Step Five – Participate


Webcasts are available for most committee meetings as well as House and Senate Chamber Meetings. Some Committees will allow interactive communication, but it will be extremely limited. A word of warning – the audio and visual capabilities at the NM State Capitol are quite old and very inefficient; expect a rough experience while trying to participate via online services. 

You can also watch proceedings two ways by using 


Webcast Click Here to visit


NMUCA will send out Legislative Alerts during the session. These can be for information purposes only or they may be a Call to Action. If there is a Call to Action, you will either receive a link where you can quickly fill out a pre-filled form to contact legislators, or you will be asked to call and email. I will make this as easy as possible for everyone. I will also send out weekly reports and share the NMUCA bill tracker. 



I welcome your input during the session. If you see a bill that I should be aware of, please let me know. 


Remember, the most effective way to have influence on the decisions of our legislators is to educate them on our industry and to inform them how their decisions on legislation can affect our industry and our businesses. It's also very important that legislators are aware that we are paying attention to what they are doing and the decisions they are making.  


Safety Focus -

Winter Driving


Winter Weather Driving Safety Talk


The roads are a dangerous place on even the nicest day, but in the winter, the dangers of driving can increase dramatically. According to the Department of Transportation, winter weather conditions are responsible for over 192,000 injuries and 2,200 deaths each year. Outside injury and loss of life, winter weather conditions are responsible for millions of dollars in property damage incidents.


Winter Weather Overview


The majority of the United States and its population are located in an area that receives snow or ice during the winter months. While most of the population has experienced driving in snowy or icy conditions, many individuals do not know how to drive safely in winter weather conditions. The hazards created by winter weather make it hard for even the most experienced drivers to operate a vehicle safely.


Tips for Avoiding a Winter Weather-Related Accident

  • Monitor weather for any incoming snow storms or icy conditions and plan your travel around those conditions. Do not put yourself in a situation where you are stuck on a roadside.
  • Do not drive in wintery conditions if possible. Eliminating driving eliminates your chances of being in an accident.
  • Be a defensive driver. Stay clear of other drivers and maintain a safe distance in case you need to brake or turn to avoid an accident.
  • Slow down. Winter weather conditions necessitate having to reduce your speed. Reducing your speed will give you more time to react as well as help to avoid losing control of your vehicle.


Summary

The best way to avoid an accident during the winter months is to avoid driving in dangerous conditions. If you absolutely have to drive in bad weather conditions, travel main roads that have already been plowed and salted. Notify your supervisor if necessary to alert him or her you will be late for work due to road conditions. Take your time getting to your destination.


Discussion point:

-Has anyone experienced a car accident due to winter weather conditions?


 

Information Provided by SafetyTalkIdeas.com  


Did You Know?


OSHA's construction infrastructure webpage provides resource for employers, workers and others involved in the job of improving and building our nation’s infrastructure. It includes information about common construction hazards and how to better identify and control them using safety and health programs.


¿Sabías?


La página web de OSHA sobre la construcción de infraestructuras proporciona recursos para empleadores, trabajadores y otras personas implicadas en el trabajo de mejora y construcción de las infraestructuras de nuestra nación. Incluye información sobre peligros habituales en la construcción y sobre cómo identificarlos y controlarlos mejor mediante programas de seguridad y salud.


2026 Meeting Schedule

January 2026

8th  Planning Committee

14th Safety Committee

15th Board Meeting

20th Legislative Session Begins

 

February 2026

4th Santa Fe Summit

5th NMCSC – NM Construction Fatality Report & Lessons Learned

12th Planning

19th Board Meeting   

19th Meet the Generals joint meeting with ABC, ASA, & AGC

 

March 2026

11th Safety Committee

12th Planning Committee

19th Board Meeting

25th Lunch and Learn – Crises Management (Confirmed)

 

 April 2026

8th Safety Committee

9th Planning Committee

16th Membership Meeting

16th Board Meeting

24th Tinnin Clay shoot

 

May 2026

7th Construction Safety Coalition

14th Planning

21st Board Meeting

21st Social

27th Lunch and Learn – NM811 Class (Confirmed)

  

June 2026

10th Safety Committee

11th Planning

18th Board Meeting

18th Membership Meeting

20th Isotopes Game

 

July 2026

16th Social

Philanthropy event

 

August 2026

11th 811 Day

12th Safety “Committee

13th Planning

20th Board Meeting

20th Membership Meeting & Associate Member Appreciation

26th Lunch and Learn - Conducting an Internal Investigation HR

 

 

September 2026

3rd Construction Safety Coalition – Situational Awareness

17th Planning Committee Lunch at Golf Course and Transportation of golf items

18th Last Ditch Open Golf Tournament @ Sandia

24th Board Meeting

24th Social

 

October 2026

7th Safety Committee

8th Planning

15th Board Meeting

20, 21, 22 NM Regional Common Ground Alliance

 

November 2026

5th NMCSC

6th End of Year Social

11th Safety Committee Breakfast

12th Planning Committee Lunch

19th Board Meeting & Planning Session

 

EVENTS

Meet the Generals

Legislative Wrap-up Membership Meeting

Associate Appreciation Lunch

Safety Award Luncheon

Tinnin Clay Shoot

NMUCA Night at Isotopes

Last Ditch Open

End of Year Social

NM Construction Safety Coalition

NM Regional Common Ground Alliance

Philanthropy Event

United Tail Gate

 

Training/Lunch and Learn:

NM811 Law Class

Crisis Management

Conducting an Internal Investigation HR

Get Social With NMUCA!