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New Leadership Installed and Members Recoginized
2015 GUCA Annual Conference
Pictured (left to right): 1. GUCA Executive Director Vikki Consiglio presents outgoing GUCA President Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc., with his “Exceeding Commonality and
Excelling to Greatness “ front cover design honoring his year of service and initiatives. 2. Incoming GUCA President Bobby Cates, Ruby-Collins, Inc., gives his introductory speech as GUCA President and presents his theme “Be the Best” to the GUCA membership.
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UCA members, family, and guests met at the Ponte Vedra Inn &
Club, Ponte Vedra, Florida for the 2015 GUCA Annual Conference held June 18-21, 2015.
The conference began on Thursday evening with a Casino
Welcome Reception where attendees had the opportunity to network with
friends, clients, other member guests and families and later have dinner at
one of the many restaurants in Jacksonville Beach.
The Friday morning conference session began with the GUCA Industry Chit Chat. The Business Session followed with recognition of retiring
Board President Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc.; First Vice President Bobby Cates,
Ruby-Collins, Inc.; Second Vice President Charlotte Garrett, Rockdale
Pipeline, Inc.; Treasurer Sanford Stokes, Western Summit Constructors,
Inc.; Secretary Matt Chatham, Blount Construction Co., Inc.; Ex-Officio Regina Shelnutt, Anderson Grading & Pipeline, LLC; Directors Billy Crump,
LaKay Enterprises, Inc.; Randy Griffin, E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc.; Jamey
Harrison, Harrison & Harrison, Inc.; Richard Krauss, STS/Utiliquest; Jeff
Rowan, Callaway Grading, Inc.; and, Associate Directors Chris Clark,
Stephens Industries, LP, and Cal Garretson, Waites & Foshee Insurance,
Inc. Later elections of the 2015-2016 GUCA were held for President Bobby
Cates, Ruby-Collins, Inc.; Frist Vice President Charlotte Garrett, Rockdale
Pipeline, Inc.; Second Vice President Billy Crump, LaKay Enterprises, Inc.;
Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Rowan, Callaway Grading, Inc.; and, Ex-Officio
Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc.; 2015-2017 Directors included Michael Corbett, The
Corbett Group, LLC; Ryan Gilmore, Controlled Blasting, Inc.; Tripp Griffin,
Griffin Utility Construction, LLC; Clay Smith, LeClay, Inc.; Dickey Watson,
iSi Environmental; and, 2015-2016 Associate Directors included Cal Garrettson, Waites & Foshee Insurance, Inc., and Edwin Nuscher, Ferguson
Waterworks.
GUCA presented the 2014-2015 Star Partner of the Year Awards to the
Contractor and Associate members who support GUCA, not only through
sponsorship donations, but also through safety and education class registrations, conference and event registrations, and overall boundless support of this association. The recipients of the Star Partner Awards for the
2014-2015 year were contractor member Ruby-Collins, Inc. and associate
member Flint Equipment Company.
The GUCA presented the 2014-2015 In-Kind Service Award to the member who supported GUCA with time and resources often purchasing and
providing food, transportation and services to the GUCA offices and the
many events or venues GUCA holds throughout the year. These members
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exceed over $5,000.00 of in-kind service donation which does not include
auction donations. The receipt of the In-Kind Service Award for the 20142015 year was Civil Site Services, Inc.
The keynote speaker was Major Ed Pulido, Folds of Honor, who gave an
uplifting motivational presentation about his tour in Iraq. He highlighted
his journey after hitting an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) while
serving with the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team under the
command of General David Petraeus. After his presentations GUCA held
Roundtable discussion areas where members got to interact one on one
with professionals on the following topics: Linda Smith and Jodi McMahon, BenSource, LLC, “Getting Ready for Retirement”; Craig Pate and Lennie Wilson, Wilson Lewis, “How to Avoid a Tax Audit”; Holly Files, GA
811, “Steps to Take When You Have a Utility Damage”; Kelly Newberry,
Large & Gilbert, PC, “Do You Know ObamaCare?”; and, Scott Cahalan and
Darren Rowles, Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, “Open Discussion About
Contracting.” All were the highlight of the morning. Members expressed
their accolades for the speakers and topics which helped them on their personal and corporate levels.
After the round table discussion, GUCA Past President’s in attendance
attended a luncheon to discuss a 5 to 10 year strategic plan for GUCA.
Friday evening members gathered for the Exceeding Commonality and Excelling to Greatness PAC Auction which helped GUCA raise money for the
GUCA PAC. This is a popular event that members look forward to each
year. Members and their families enjoyed a silent and live auction. Auctioneer Gary Seybold, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Inc., and Auction Caller
Matt Chatham, Blount Construction Co., Inc., helped keep the live auction
in motion while members were trying to outbid each other and helping
GUCA reach its monetary PAC goal!
The closing conference session began Saturday morning with the GUCA
Awards Breakfast. Each committee chairman highlighted their committee
accomplishments for the year. Billy Crump, LaKay Enterprises, Inc. was
presented with the Committee Chairman of the Year Award.
Mo Thrash, GUCA Lobbyist, presented the 2015 Golden Shovel Legislative Service award to Senator Lindsey Tippins. Senator Tippins gave a
short presentation about the 2015 Georgia legislative session and the bills
that were the focus of the 2015 session and the importance of getting involved in contacting individual State Representatives and Senators.
Membership Contest winners were awarded and included first place winner Brad Brown, BITCO Insurance Companies, with 7 recruits and second
GUCA Underground Connection
place winners Ben Coggins, Cogins Construction Co., LLC, and David Rawson, Yates Insurance Agency, Inc., with 4 recruits each. Other
members participating included Ricky Harp,
Civil Site Services, Inc., and Ed Shipley, RDJE,
Inc., with 3 recruits each; Jay Andrade, Godwin Pumps/Xylem; Matt Crawford, Crawford
Grading & Pipeline, Inc.; and, Billy Crump, LaKay Enterprises, Inc., with 2 recruits each; and,
Mark Accetturo, Legacy Water Group, LLC;
Ralph Byrd, Utility Business Services, Inc.; Bobby Cates, Ruby-Collins, Inc.; Ron Cryer, Brad
Cole Construction Co., Inc.; Charlotte Garrett,
Rockdale Pipeline, Inc.; Larry Gilmore, Controlled Blasting, Inc.; Alan Gravel, Willow Construction; Randy Griffin, E.R. Snell Contractor,
Inc.; Greg Hein, Rinker Materials; Ace Howell,
Headwaters Construction; Jodi McMahon, BenSource, LLC; Dick Naylor, Sterling Risk Advisors; Craig Pate, Wilson Lewis; Branson Proctor,
Associate Marketing Specialists; Jeff Rowan,
Callaway Grading, Inc.; Harold Stevens, Foley
Products Company; Jonathan Strack, Strack,
Inc.; Charles Suraksy, Smith, Currie & Hancock,
LLP; Chris West, Brent Scarbrough & Company, Inc.; and, Michael Wilson, Mickey Wilson &
Associates, Inc., with 1 recruit each.
The recipients of the New Member of the Year
Award were contractor member TMT Utilities, LLC, and associate member Beasley Forest
Products.
Other awards that were presented include the
Hard Hat Safety Award winners which included: 0-400,000 Man-Hours Plant Construction,
Douglas Electrical & Plumbing, Inc.; 400,000 +
Man-Hours Plant Construction, C.A. Murren
& Sons Company, Inc.; 0-100,000 Man-Hours
Pipeline Construction, DeKalb Pipeline Company; 100,000 + Man-Hours Pipeline Construction, Civil Site Services, Inc.; and, the Hard Hat
Safety Award Overall Winner, C.A. Murren &
Sons Company, Inc.
David Westrick, Ruby-Collins, Inc., announced the 2015 GUCA Scholarship Foundation winners to include an Industry Scholarship
of $2,000.00 to Christopher Blake Stalnaker, son
of Scott and Cheryl Stalknaker, John R. Walker,
Inc.; and, High School Scholarships of $1,000.00
each to Emily Brooks, daughter of Mark and
Dana Brooks, BRI Utility Construction; Ashley Caldwell, daughter of Chad and Jennie
Caldwell, Piedmont Paving, Inc.; Sean Eagan,
son of Michael and Cathy Egan, E.F.S., Inc.; Madeline Fortier, daughter of Gary and Sarah Fortier, Large & Gilbert, PC; Sarah Hecker, daughter
of Paul and Jennifer Hecker, Archer Western
Construction, LLC; Hudson Huber, son of Russ
and Abbie Huber, Cowin Equipment Company;
Koey Leverette, daughter of Joey and Kim Leverette, City of Gainesville Public Works; Daniel
Morris, son of Buddy and Dawn Morris, Lenox
Utility Contractors, LLC; Ben Pupkiewicz, son
of David and Susan Pupkiewicz, Archer Western Construction, LLC; and, Brian Szoch, son of
Robert and Heidi Szoch, Archer Western Construction, LLC.
He also recognized Joseph Webb and Ricky
Harp for collecting the most money donated
July 2015
during the GUCA Scholarship Foundation
Sporting Clay Event.
After the awards breakfast GUCA held additional Roundtable discussions where members
got to interact one on one with professionals
on the following topics: Linda Smith and Jodi
McMahon, BenSource, LLC, “Getting Ready
for Retirement”; Craig Pate and Lennie Wilson, Wilson Lewis, “How to Avoid a Tax Audit”; Holly Files, GA 811, “Steps to Take When
You Have a Utility Damage”; Kelly Newberry,
Large & Gilbert, PC, “Do You Know ObamaCare?”; and, Scott Cahalan and Darren Rowles,
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, “Open Discussion About Contracting.”
Saturday evening concluded the conference
with the President’s Reception and Dinner.
Members witnessed the installation of GUCA
Officers and Directors for the 2015-2016 Board.
As the conference came to a close, GUCA President Ed Shipley, RJDE, Inc., welcomed incoming president Bobby Cates, Ruby-Collins, Inc.,
to his new office and remarked on his leadership year. Bobby gave his acceptance speech
and highlighted his expectations for the year in
the theme “Be The Best.”
Awards were also presented for the Golf
Tournament held earlier that day. Awarded
for Longest Drive was Cal Garretson, Waites
& Foshee Insurance, Inc. Awarded for Closest
to the Pin was Russ Huber, Cowin Equipment
Company. The First Place Winning Team was
Jason Anderson, Anderson Grading & Pipeline,
LLC; Hudson Huber, Cowin Equipment Company; Chad Moorhead, Anderson Grading &
Pipeline, LLC; and, DeVaughn Pettit, Tractor &
Equipment Company.
Regina Shelnutt, Anderson Grading & Pipeline, LLC, was presented with the Contractor
Member of the Year award and Cal Garretson,
Waites & Foshee Insurance, Inc. was presented
with the Associate Member of the Year award.
Annual Conference sponsors for the 2015 Annual Conference include Anderson Grading &
Pipeline, LLC; Bairstow Lifting Products; Baker,
Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC;
Beasley Forest Products; BITCO Insurance Co.;
Blount Construction Co., Inc.; C.A. Murren &
Sons Co., Inc.; Civil Site Services, Inc.; Cowin
Equipment Company, Inc.; DeKalb Pipeline
Company; Ferguson Waterworks; Flint Equipment Company; Granite Mountain Machinery;
John D. Stephens, Inc.; LaKay Enterprises, Inc.;
Legacy Water Group; McWane Ductile; Oldcastle Precast; Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers; Rockdale
Pipeline, Inc.; Ruby-Collins, Inc.; Southeast Culvert, Inc.; STS/Utiliquest; Tractor & Equipment
Company; Turpin, Inc.; Wilson Lewis; and,
Yancey Bros. Co.
The 2016 GUCA Annual Conference is scheduled for June 9-12, 2016 at the Marriott Hilton
Head Resort and Spa, Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina.
Pictured (top to bootom and left to right): 1. GUCA
President Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc., presents Regina
Shelnutt, Anderson Grading and Pipeline, LLC, with
the Contractor of the Year Award. 2. GUCA President
Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc., presents Cal Garretson, Waites
& Foshee Insurance, Inc., with the Associate of the Year
Award. 3. GUCA President Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc.,
presents Billy Crump, LaKay Enterprises, Inc., with
the Committee Chairman of the Year Award. 4. GUCA
Executive Director Vikki Consiglio presents outgoing GUCA President Ed Shipley, RDJE, Inc., with a
plaque recognizing his service for the 2014-2015 leadership year.
Annual Conference Spread continued on page16
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