Your ABC of Alabama Chapter has once again played a vital role in the continuing effort to ensure quality construction training and recruiting in the state of Alabama.  This past Friday, September 26th, we were notified that Governor Riley had approved a grant of $250,000 to be used for the efforts of the Alabama Workforce Development Initiative.  Many of you remember the AWDI as Ashley Baker with Southern Company reported to our board during our August meeting and Jeff Masters currently serves on as President.

One of the most amazing things surrounding Governor Riley’s decision was that the state actually voted Thursday night whether or not Alabama should go into proration.  That coupled with the fact that an APCO lobbyist was told by the Governors’ chief of staff that they money to fund this grant simply was not there makes this grant that much more special.  As much of the political flyers say “Get into politics…or get out of business”. 

This shows the importance of why we harp on your helping to fund our state and federal PAC program.  We need to be making smart political “deposits” such as the one that Jeff Masters and your ABC chapter have done with Governor Riley over the years and is the primary reason if not the only reason that this grant is now earmarked for AWDI.  Many thanks to Jeff Masters for working diligently on the Riley campaign so that the construction industry could get some much needed funding even when there was seemingly none there.

Your chapter continues to lead the charge for recruiting and workforce development training efforts in our state.  Our efforts will be closely watched and copied across the nation and I am proud that we are once again out in front of such an important issue!