Page 8 - IEC Insights Nov-Dec19

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Growing

the Industry

By Gary Golka
I the options and start using a new product
hope this year has been one of
you saw at one of our exhibitor’s booths.
success for your companies and
your chapters. I know it has for
Invest in a new technology that intrigued
IEC National; new and improved
you when you read about it in Insights
educational offerings, more
apprentices being trained, new chapters or saw it one of the chapter events.
Encourage your chapter to use more
in new places, additional and improved features of our training systems, or offer
education sessions at our meetings. We more classes with our new products.
just had a great convention, and I was Make a decision to offer services in a new
quite impressed with the breadth, scope, sector or market segment so you can be all had a part in building and improving.
and the complexity of the projects that diversified, even if it is a stretch right now. Our plans are exciting, our goals for the
were submitted in our awards categories. Make the most of your membership in IEC, future are attainable and challenging, our
The awards videos were a great addition and hopefully that implementation will ideas are intriguing and inspiring, and I
at the luncheon and the gala, and really help you seize more of the opportunities am sure that when we all work together
show the variety of contractor members we all have in this great country today. as we have this year, we can achieve some
we have in our association. IEC does truly amazing things for our future.
great work and we do it well! Our This has been a busy year at our family
association represents a significant slice business. Between our growth and the Lastly, thank you all for the trust and
of the electrical contracting industry, time spent representing all of you on the opportunities you granted me to
and it shows at our annual convention. board, the plate has been full. However, know more about you, see more IEC
I am going to implement something I graduates, help plan for our future, and
Along with success comes some struggles; learned this year, so that when I see you serve you as President this year at IEC.
escalating labor costs, tariff induced all in Ft. Worth in February at the Business It has been a pleasure and an honor.
material cost increases, lack of skilled Summit, I can be one of the attendees
leadership in our companies, and lack saying “ Well, we put ________ into
of manpower, skilled or otherwise, for place, and it has really been great for Gary is the President of Golka Electric, Inc.,
our projects. It is easy to get so caught us!” And, I am looking forward to hearing a family-owned electrical contracting firm
up in dealing with these very significant something similar to that from all of you. located in Mesa, Arizona. Gary has twice
problems that the plan for the future is served as President of IECA of Arizona. As
ignored, or at least put off. Of course, I really want to thank the staffs at National an advocate for electrical education and
the future is coming, plan or no plan. and our chapters for supporting the training, Gary has served as a Director
Board and particularly for helping me of the Mountain Southwest Region, and
Please use some of this fall season as a this past year. We would not have the as a member and Chairman of the IEC
time for adoption and implementation. Association we do without their efforts National A&T Committee. He was elected
Put to use that idea you picked up at the on our behalf. We can and should be to the IEC National Executive Committee
Convention’s Great Idea Swap. Explore proud of this Association that we have in 2016 and now serves as President.

6 Insights Magazine | November/December 2019 | www.ieci.org