MCAA National Update for June 8, 2015

This Week

MCERF Introduces 6 Video Shorts to Tell the "MCERF Story"

MEAC and MCERF Continue to Fill An Important Need...Educating M-E-P Faculty

Discover the Power of Passion at MSCA 2015

Are Your Employees Safe from Electrical Accidents?

Pay Forward Your Success in Overcoming Management Challenges

John E. Green Company Contributes to MCERF

MCERF Introduces 6 Video Shorts to Tell the "MCERF Story"

Visit MCERF's Website to View Six New Videos

You're probably aware that MCAA has an education foundation, but do you really know what it does for you and the mechanical contracting industry? Do you know the critical efforts, initiatives and programs it supports and how your local MCA supports and benefits from the activities of the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF)? Go to www.mcerf.org right now to see and hear students, contractors, manufacturer-suppliers, university faculty, and local MCA executives tell you about MCERF and how the Foundation has impacted their lives in their words and images. Each of these six short videos tells MCERF's story and explains its mission from a very human perspective to help you learn more about your industry's stealth weapon, its ace-in-the-hole for helping MCAA truly be the "education association." MCERF President Mark Rogers said, "When I came to MCAA, I didn't know a thing about the Foundation. Now, I'm its biggest fan and an active supporter. Please go to our website and if you don't do anything else, take a look at the videos...each of them will tell you in a couple of minutes something fascinating and informative about your Foundation." MCERF extends special thanks to Anvil International for its financial support and assistance in making the "MCERF Story" possible. For more information, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org).

Register Now for the Next Green Webinar-Market Sector Green Leaders

What building types are leading the green race? Which sector of the building market claims to be the most sustainable? Find out by joining us to review the industry's green market leaders, from healthcare to data centers (and beyond) to higher education, this webinar will highlight some of the most progressive building technologies and practices for sustainable design and construction. Led by Courtney France of France Sustainable Solutions, the webinar will help you understand what "green" means to different building types and how far owners and developers are willing to push within budget constraints to achieve more environmentally responsible building projects in various regions of the country. The webinar, which is free to MCAA and MSCA members as a membership benefit, will take place on June 25 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. Go to https://mcaa.webex.com for more information and to register. Questions? Please contact Sean McGuire at smcguire@mcaa.org.

MEAC and MCERF Continue to Fill An Important Need...Educating M-E-P Faculty

Last week, the Mechanical-Electrical Academic Consortium (MEAC) held its eleventh annual Faculty Training Camp (a.k.a. "Faculty Boot Camp") at James Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. Fourteen attendees from universities across the U.S. learned about mechanical and electrical systems and how they function, theories behind their functions, equipment and applications, the basics about pipe and fittings, how to read drawings, project management techniques, high performance buildings, laboratory exercises, and most important, how to teach all this information effectively to the next generation of industry professionals. The group also toured the mechanical systems supporting Crystal Bridges, an art gallery built and maintained by the Walton Family, to visualize the equipment and systems they had just learned about. Funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) and Electri International, the Foundation of the National Electrical Contractors Association, the MEAC Faculty Boot Camp was designed to provide a "crash course" in the basics of mechanical and electrical systems, equipment, theories and applications to faculty who teach mechanical, electrical and plumbing courses, but who may not have the academic background or experience to do so. The program began in 2004 and has continued to receive high accolades for its course content and effectiveness in instruction. The conference planners and most instructors are faculty advisors to MCAA student chapters and include Mike Feutz of Ferris State University, Tom Logan of Kansas State University, Shannon Nicklaus of Pittsburg State University, Daryl Orth, formerly of Northern Kentucky University, and Tim Wentz of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Congratulations to the planners and instructors for another great Faculty Boot Camp.

Discover the Power of Passion at MSCA 2015

View the MSCA 2015 Brochure for Details of the Planned Events

Jamie Clarke will kick-off the Opening Celebration at the MSCA 2015 Educational Conference in Colorado Springs, CO, on October 18. An entrepreneur, author and dedicated adventurer, Clarke is sure to entertain and inspire you with his humorous yet heartwarming presentation, Above All Else: The Power of Passion. During this session, you will learn how to view failure as a learning experience, understand the art of grunt work, and conquer fear through focus so you can live life with passion on your own terms. You will leave this program with a broader outlook that creates a vantage point for what's next. Be sure to register today for MSCA 2015 to lock in the early-bird member rate. Contact Sobeida Orantes (saorantes@mcaa.org) with questions about conference and hotel registrations.

Are Your Employees Safe from Electrical Accidents?

If you're not sure, then register them for the next NFPA 70E Qualified-Level Arc Flash Safety Training Webinar. The webinar is all about training employees who are potentially exposed to live conductors of 50 volts of electricity or more during their workday, especially mechanical service technicians who work on units that generate up to 480 volts, to stay safe while on the job. The next webinars will take place on June 18 at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern time. Presented by The Hilgeman Group, the session covers all applicable OSHA and NFPA requirements (including the revised NFPA 70E requirements that took effect on January 1), best practices and provides participants with real-world accident information to reinforce the training. This is an excellent training webinar that could save a life. Contact The Hilgeman Group at ahilgeman@frontier.com to register.

Pay Forward Your Success in Overcoming Management Challenges

If your company found a way around, over or through a troublesome management problem, nominate that unique idea for a 2015 E. Robert Kent Award for Management Innovation. It could be a process, technique, system, procedure or technology that kept operations and employees working smoothly and efficiently either in the office or in the field. Your winning innovation could help your industry too as the resulting publicity will showcase your idea as a great solution to a problem that several companies may be experiencing. Winning the E. Robert Kent Award distinguishes your company as an innovator and a contributor to our industry's advancement. Go to www.mcaa.org/awards/erobertkent for information about the award, the qualifying criteria and the downloadable form. Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis at amattheis@mcaa.org.

John E. Green Company Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) recently received a $2,500 contribution from the John E. Green Company (Highland Park, MI), raising its total contribution to $12,500. And, the company designated $500 to the MCERF Scholarship Fund. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful to the John E. Green Company for the contribution-especially the Scholarship Fund support-which will help the Foundation continue the education and research activities that empower our industry to grow and thrive. This is a great time to check out our newly revitalized MCERF website at www.mcerf.org to learn more about how Foundation programs are helping those who work in and for our industry. Contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org with questions.

The MCAA National Update is is a weekly publication of the
Mechanical Contractors Association of America
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Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis, Editor, Phone: 301-869-5800; Fax: 301-990-9690