I am pleased and proud to serve as the new president of the Association of the Wall
and Ceiling Industries—International. My term began on July 1, and it will end on
June 30, 2004.
The challenges before us as an industry may seem daunting, but I am lucky enough
to follow in the footsteps of the association’s strongest leaders, and I also have the back-up
and support of my family. An interview that was conducted with me (page 55)
will spell out all the details, but I am blessed that I can fall back on the experiences of
my father-in-law and brother-in-law, both of whom served as AWCI presidents in the
past. I continue to work with them today, so their wisdom is always within arms reach.
Even my wife, Elaine, has been involved with AWCI longer than I have. It is with their
support and experience that I can help AWCI continue to flourish.
As my term begins, AWCI continues to tackle the mold issue. AWCI continues to get
closer and closer to a resolution with the insurance crisis. I look forward to resolving
both these and other issues during my term.
I also look forward to meeting you if we haven’t met already Our next meeting is in
September, at AWCI’s Industry Executives’ Conference & Committee Week. The
meeting will be held in Naples, Fla., and it features education and networking oppor-tunities
that outmatch anything else in the industry. Elaine and I love vacationing in
Florida, and if you’ve never been there, we welcome your participation not only for
the conference but for the locale.
I also welcome your participation in other ways. If you’ve never been to an AWCI meeting,
you should try to attend at least one this year. However, as business is picking up,
I understand that time may get in the way. If that’s the case, please feel free to contact
me in other ways to let me know what I can do to help your association help you to
run a successful business.
