MCAA National Update for April 20, 2015
This Week
Learn About Your Next Building's Environmental IQ at MCAA's Construction Technology Conference
MCAA Mourns Passing of Bill Bianco
MCAA Releases New Safety Bulletin on Conditional Easing of Personal Protective Equipment Requirements
Last Chance to Attend MSCA Sales Basecamp in 2015
Take Your ALI Leadership Knowledge to the Next Level at ALI-G
North Mechanical Contracting Contributes to MCERF
Learn How to Align Your Team with MSCA's Upcoming Webinar
Learn About Your Next Building's Environmental IQ at MCAA's Construction Technology Conference
 The MCAA Technology Conference Will Help You Thrive in a High-Tech World Buildings that enable their occupants to be highly productive at the lowest possible cost and environmental impact over its lifecycle are Smart.  During MCAA's Construction Technology Conference (June 8-9, Chicago, IL), participants will discover that Smart buildings don't evolve, but rather are "born" that way. They incorporate technology that's added at the beginning of their design phase through to the end of their useful life. The technology connects a variety of subsystems, which normally operate independently, to share information and optimize buildings' total performance.  And, Smart buildings reach beyond their built boundaries to the smart power grid and interact with building operators and occupants to provide new levels of visibility and information about the buildings' systems and services. This session, led by Jeff McClain, regional operations director with Schneider Electric, will cover Smart buildings basics, the contractor's role in their installation, service and performance and case studies.  Find out more about all the fascinating components of this highly valuable conference by going to www.mcaa.org/education.  Don't delay registering because attendance is limited.

MCAA Mourns Passing of Bill Bianco

Industry icon William A. Bianco, Jr., founder of Kinetics and a strong supporter of MCAA, passed away on April 11 from a stroke.  He was 75.  Bill was an active member of the Northern California Mechanical Contractors Association serving in a number of leadership capacities, but he also became very involved in MCAA.  He was a past member of the MCAA Board of Directors, past president of the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF), the first chairman of the Career Development Committee and a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, MCAA's highest honor, in 2001. He is survived by his wife Marie, four children and two grandchildren. Outside the industry, Bill was a generous donor to several San Jose-based causes and a horse racing enthusiast.  In addition to breeding and racing horses, he also served as the Commissioner of Horse Racing in California for six years. A memorial service is planned for May 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lincoln Glen Church, 2700 Booksin Avenue, San Jose, CA.

MCAA Releases New Safety Bulletin on Conditional Easing of Personal Protective Equipment Requirements

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently changed some requirements concerning personal protective equipment (PPE) like that worn by mechanical service technicians for protection against arc flash and electrical shock. The provisions of NFPA 70E - 2015 state that under very specific circumstances, technicians are permitted to wear less PPE than what has been required for those working on HVAC units pushing 480 volts or less. To meet this requirement, the NFPA requires that a qualified person perform two types of risk assessments-one for arc flash risk and the other for electrical shock risk. When both risk assessments demonstrate that full Category 2 PPE is not necessary for worker protection, the technician may not be required to wear the full complement of PPE apparel.  To find out more about this important safety issue, go to www.mcaa.org/private. You will need your password and username.  For more information, please contact Pete Chaney at pchaney@mcaa.org.
Last Chance to Attend MSCA Sales Basecamp in 2015
Develop Entry-Level Employees with MSCA Sales BasecampMSCA Sales Basecamp will prepare recent hires that are new to service sales and/or the HVACR and plumbing industry to confidently sell services while creating added value for the customer. Offered for the last time this year, this two-day course will be held May 4-5 in Baltimore, MD.  It will set up your entry-level service sales staff to "hit the ground running." Topics will include understanding the MSCA Sales Cycle, building trust with potential customers, effectively linking features with needs, and handling objections professionally during the proposal presentation. Few seats remain, so register today at www.msca.org/salesinstitute/basecamp. Contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org) with any questions about the program.

Take Your ALI Leadership Knowledge to the Next Level at
ALI-G

Hone Your Leadership Skills at ALITime and space is running out... to apply to MCAA's ALI-Graduates program. With so many challenges facing our industry currently and into the near future, the enhanced knowledge and skills provided by the ALI-G program will be invaluable in helping you craft a strategic plan for your company's success. The Advanced Leadership Committee created the ALI-Graduates program in response to ALI graduates' calls for an advanced version of the original. The committee worked with the academic leaders of Babson Executive Education to create the curriculum, and the faculty members were hand-picked for the program. Attendance will be strictly limited to 30 ALI alumni.  Attendees are accepted on a first-come/first-served basis. ALI-G takes place June 17-20 at the Babson Executive Education Center in Wellesley, MA. If you're an ALI graduate and want to enhance your leadership knowledge and skills, then contact dlangley@mcaa.org for a flier, curriculum schedule and registration form. Don't delay because the program is almost fully subscribed.
North Mechanical Contracting Contributes to MCERF
Learn More About MCERFThe Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) has received a $2,500 contribution from North Mechanical Contracting, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN) which raises its total to $12,500. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the contribution which helps the Foundation continue supporting education and research programs that enrich the industry and help it grow and thrive.  Find out more about MCERF and how you can support its programs by visiting www.mcerf.org or contacting Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org.
Learn How to Align Your Team with MSCA's Upcoming Webinar

MSCA presenter Steve Thomas will host "The Effective TEAM Player" webinar to teach you how to bridge the gap between being an effective leader and having an effective team. You will learn about the four types of people that come to work every day, and how to identify who helps or hinders performance. Join Thomas on June 3 at 1:00 p.m. EDT to learn how to align your employees in a way that strengthens the team and, ultimately, your bottom line. Registration is now open at https://msca.webex.com (or click here to register via mobile device). Tentative dates for the remaining webinars in the six-part series are September 2, November 4, and December 6. For more information, contact Barbara Dolim (bdolim@mcaa.org). The first two webinars in the series, "Rethink the TEAM Thing" and "The TEAM Leader," are available for viewing at www.msca.org along with PowerPoint slides and handouts.
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