ABC announced three finalists for its annual Young Professional of the Year Award on Oct. 26. Finalists were chosen based on their career achievement, leadership and vision for the future of the commercial and industrial construction industry from a field of more than 30 nominations representing 20 ABC chapters across the country.

Shon Smith, prefabrication manager with ACI Mechanical from ABC’s Iowa Chapter, won ABC’s first Young Professional of the Year Award, and the University of Cincinnati won both the 2015 Construction Management Competition and the 2015 ABC Student Chapter of the Year Award. The awards were presented at the Future Leaders Awards Luncheon during ABC’s Leadership Week in San Diego Nov. 11.

Encouraging the young professionals in your organization to grow both professionally and personally can have a major impact on your overall business. During ABC's Leadership Development Track, Nov. 11-12, in San Diego, Calif., young professionals in your company will learn the skills needed to become leaders and team players and to communicate effectively with your clients and other industry professionals.

Encouraging the young professionals in your organization to grow both professionally and personally can have a major impact on your overall business. During ABC's Leadership Development Track, Nov. 11-12, in San Diego, Calif., young professionals in your company will learn the skills needed to become leaders and team players and to communicate effectively with your clients and other industry professionals.

As a project manager for an ABC member company in Alabama, B.L. Harbert, Michael Carpenter works on project planning and execution, providing proactive leadership in safety, enforcing contractual responsibilities and many more tasks. Joining the ABC National Young Professional program was a decision to help ensure project profitability and grow his business development strategies by learning from his peers and growing his network. The Q&A below gives a brief overview of his participation in the program and how it’s benefiting both him and his company.

By 2020, the Millennial generation will make up roughly 50% of the U.S. workforce, changing the way we do business and also the way we retain our best employees. Mix that with the fact that 65% of millennials say opportunity for personal development was the most influential factor in selecting their current job and it becomes obvious that we need to be engaging our young professionals and offering them ways to grow both personally and professionally within the association. 

In the last five years, 87% of Millennial employees took on management roles. By 2025, 75% of employees will be from the Millennial generation. These numbers make it clear that retaining top talent is vital to the future of your business. But what does it take to keep Millennials around?

The Leadership Conference, Nov. 11-13 in Miami, Fla., will provide the opportunity for incoming and current board members, chapter staff, industry attorneys and ABC student chapters to learn what it takes to be a successful leader at ABC and in their careers. Attendees will share lessons learned, discover new ways to encourage business growth, and build relationships with industry peers. Here’s who should attend the conference:

ABC has officially launched its National Young Professional Program, which provides ABC member company employees under the age of 40 additional benefits and ways to increase their involvement within the association. By participating in the program, ABC’s young leaders have the opportunity to build relationships, expand their skills and advance their careers while continuing to promote open competition and the merit shop philosophy.