With the support of a wide variety of companies and organizations from the construction industry, Construction Career Collaborative hosted 36 teams at its 5th annual golf tournament on a beautiful day at Sweetwater Country Club on Monday, September 21st. Players were treated to a box lunch prior to the noon shotgun start followed by a feast at the conclusion of the tournament that included chicken-fried chicken, blackened catfish, a variety of salads and vegetables, along with bread pudding for dessert. Each participant also received a black windshirt emblazoned with the red & white C3 logo on the chest with the logos of the three underwriting sponsors, Marek Family of Companies, McCarthy Building Companies and TD Industries, on the sleeves.
Other supporters of the tournament included reception/dinner sponsors Camarata Masonry Systems and Slack & Company, along with beverage station sponsors J.M. Maly (who provided a variety of premium cigars for participants) and American Subcontractors Association Houston Chapter (who gave away a premium ice chest) and the Texas Construction Association. Additionally, O’Donnell/Snider Construction, Bundren Painting & Drywall and Brookstone served as driving range/putting green sponsors. Thomas Printworks donated the tournament signage, which looked great.
During dinner, C3 board member Pete Dawson, Senior Vice President Facilities Services for Texas Children’s Hospital, described for tournament participants why he and Texas Children’s believe in and support the mission of C3. Dawson also spoke of two C3 projects, which TCH either has underway or about to commence. Currently under construction is Texas Children’s Hospital – The Woodlands, with Pediatric Tower E expansion in the Texas Medical Center beginning on October 1st. Dawson emphasized the importance of re-establishing careers in the craft trades as being vital for all those involved in the industry whether they be owners, contractors, specialty contractors or design consultants. Dawson also underscored an important point which Texas Children’s CEO Mark Wallace likes to make that “leadership controls or determines outcomes”, meaning the challenge of developing a sustainable craft workforce, which C3 is addressing, requires leadership from the industry in order to bring resolution to it. Hence, the reason that Texas Children’s Hospital and Pete Dawson have taken a leadership role with C3.
Watch the 3:45 minute clip of Pete Dawson's speech in the video below:
C3 is fortunate that many leaders involved in the construction industry have assumed a leadership role with it, but C3 still needs many more leaders from organizations not yet engaged with this cause in order to re-establish the craft trades as a career for young people.
I would like to thank all of those who participated in and supported our tournament this year, but most especially the volunteers who made it a success including Kelly Yanta and Krystal Hinojosa of McCarthy, Abby Bryant of Anslow Bryant, Nick Fordyce of ADT, Clinton Ladd of Enterprise Commercial Paving as well as Charlene Anthony, Catherine Bezman and Shannon Giordano of AGC Houston. In addition, I want to thank the staff of Sweetwater Country Club who provided terrific customer service.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank Tad Lewis of McCarthy and Maria Aimone of C3 who were largely responsible for the success of this year’s tournament. Tad made countless phone calls and followed them with emails to most every organization represented at the tournament, and Maria was responsible for coordinating the logistics of the tournament so that it went off without a problem. Thank you both!
Let’s do it again next year!
