ABC-Mass. chairman's message: Home stretch of 2010 a busy time here

It's already September. Trees are beginning to changing color, leaves will soon litter our yards, playoff baseball is in full swing (as a Yankee fan this is my favorite time of year!), and ABC Massachusetts has a full schedule of events to advance our cause and serve our membership. Next week, ABC's September dinner meeting will feature Charlie Baker, candidate for governor of Massachusetts. As you have probably already seen on TV, this year's tight gubernatorial race will saturate us with commercials and advertisements. Many ABC members have been among Charlie Baker's earliest and most active supporters, and they remain devoted to getting him into the governor's office and returning sanity to the Mass. marketplace. If you haven't already, register for this event on our homepage and come meet Charlie and hear his plans for Massachusetts. October is a busy month at ABC. It begins with the ABC Membership Drive on October 3rd. This is our annual recruitment push in which current ABC members and leaders man the phones to bolster our ranks with companies who share our values of free enterprise and open competition. Later that month, on October 14th, ABC will join with the ABC Young Leader's Council to host a "Poker Night" to benefit the Gould Construction Institute. This event will be held at the Papa Razzi in Burlington and offers a great opportunity for networking, business development, and a few laughs. October ends with ABC's Annual Planning Conference. This conference offers our board of directors the opportunity to reflect on the past year, measure the progress of the goals we set the year before, as well as outlining a vision for what we wish to accomplish in the upcoming year. All ABC members are encouraged to register for this event and participate in the process. November begins with the all-important election on the 2nd (make sure you vote!). Next is the 18th Annual Excellence in Construction Awards (EICA) on November 18th. Working in conjunction with "Build Boston," EICA is where we recognize those ABC member projects that represent the very best in merit shop construction. This is our marquee event of the year and is one that brings out the best in all our companies. Registration usually fills up fast, so please do not hesitate to grab your spot and be a part of it. Before you know it we will be in the full holiday swing and the snow will be flying. So please add these events to your calendars now and support our organization. Member involvement strengthens ABC and enhances our ability to represent your interests. Kyle Reagan is the 2010 president of the ABC-Mass. Chapter, Burlington and is with DECCO, Inc., Brookline, NH.