MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO By: Mike Elmendorf, President and CEO of AGC NYS, LLC AGC NYS CORNERSTONE WINTER 2012 Back in October, it was, to quote Yogi Berra, unfortunately “like Déjà vu all over again” when Superstorm Sandy slammed New York. New York City, Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley were the hardest hit areas, seeing much of their building, transportation, environmental and energy infrastructure impacted by the storm. Governor Andrew Cuomo and his Administration were well prepared for the emergency, given the experiences and lessons learned last year in the wake of Irene and Lee. Federal, state and local officials mobilized and responded quickly, along with thousands of first responders--and once again New York’s construction industry. Still, the toll the storm took on New Yorkers, our economy and key infrastructure was devastating and in many areas unlike anything we have seen before. While the full extent and cost of the destruction wrought by Sandy is still being calculated as I write this, Governor Cuomo has said the cost of recovery and rebuilding could be as much as $33 billion. The Governor has made clear that we will rebuild--and rebuild better, in a way that better protects our state and key infrastructure from such extreme but unfortunately more frequent weather events. The members of the Associated General Contractors of New York State are, as always, committed and ready to do just that. Just as AGC NYS members stepped up to assist in the rebuilding and clean-up efforts from last year’s devastating storms, AGC NYS members have already and will continue to mobilize to help New York recover and rebuild. All the while, our thoughts continue to be with our friends and colleagues whose lives and businesses have been impacted by this disaster. Thankfully, as we know, New Yorkers are a tough lot, and we can have confidence that we will not only come back, but stronger than before. Our industry can be proud that we will be playing a key role in that comeback. If there is such a thing as a silver lining to this tragedy, it is that it has again--much like last year’s disasters--focused the attention of policymakers and the public alike on infrastructure. Clearly, events of this magnitude will wreak havoc on all our infrastructure. However, we also know that newer, more modern and better conditioned buildings, roads, bridges, environmental and energy infrastructure better withstand these extreme weather conditions. It is more clear now than ever that we need to increase our investment in all our infrastructure--and keep the focus of our citizens and our elected officials on this key issue even after these headlines have faded. On a lighter note, January 2013 will see the rotation of the AGC NYS Chairmanship. For the last year, we have been fortunate to have Mike Benson of BCI <strong>Construction</strong> in Albany at the helm. Mike has demonstrated tremendous commitment to the continued growth and success of our Association, and his chairmanship has helped strengthen AGC’s role as the preeminent construction industry association in New York State. I would like to thank him for his leadership and friendship--and for his continued commitment to our organization. We will be equally fortunate next year when Paul Posillico of Posillico Civil in Farmingdale assumes the Chair. I very much look forward to working with Paul to make AGC an even stronger and more effective voice and resource for all of our members in the coming year. With this being said, I encourage you to make plans to attend our upcoming Winter Meeting taking place January 25-30 at the Westin Casuarina in Grand Cayman. The meeting in Grand Cayman offers the opportunity to discuss Association and construction industry business while networking with fellow construction leaders in a not so rough setting. You can also join us in congratulating both our outgoing and incoming board leaders. In closing, as always, I encourage our AGC NYS members to call AGC NYS FIRST when you have questions or concerns about a job, safety, legislative, labor or regulatory issue. We are here for you, and our dedicated and knowledgeable team is ready to respond to help you and your firm succeed. I look forward to seeing you soon, and Emily joins me in wishing you and your family the best in this holiday season and this New Year to come. 10
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