FEATURED

Several OCA Chapter Scholarships Currently Available

Several OCA Chapter Scholarships currently available

OCA’s nine Chapters award scholarships at various times of the year throughout the state, totally nearly $35,000. Scholarships typically range from $1,000 to $2,500 per award. Currently, five OCA Chapters are accepting scholarship applications. Students pursuing construction-related careers in Ohio’s heavy highway industry are encouraged to apply.

Current chapter scholarship applications available are:

Akron-Canton Chapter – click here for the application

Columbus Chapter – click here for the application

Dayton Chapter – click here for the application

Southwest Chapter – click here for the application

Toledo Chapter – click here for the application

Please help us get this information out to our future workforce! If you know of students working or going to school in any of the above chapter areas that would benefit, please pass this information along. For more information about OCA Chapter Scholarships, please contact Director of Chapter Development Melanie Kitchen at [email protected].

The Division of Construction Management has announced training sessions throughout January for Contractors as they transition from SiteManager to AASHTOWare Project (AWP) beginning in February 2023. The transition to AWP is a major effort to replace ODOT’s existing construction management system, SiteManager. The training will cover subcontractor entry, estimate approvals, change order approvals, and contractor material log process and submission. Seating at the training is limited, so please sign up early.

For more details, please see ODOT’s announcement.

     Distracted Driving Legislation Signed Into Law 

On the very last day of the 134th General Assembly, the Ohio Legislature overwhelming approved distracted driving legislation. Governor DeWine signed the bill and OCA was asked to participate in the ceremony. A coalition led by OCA and comprised of nearly 70 organizations, The Fix Our Roads Ohio Coalition, led the charge for passage and enactment of a new distracted driving law in Ohio for several years. This victory marks the culmination of a tremendous collaborative effort by many members of the Coalition that will make Ohio’s roads and highways safer and will save lives.

Below, please find relevant points regarding the distracted driving legislation.

• SB 288 distracted driving provisions expands Ohio’s current law to create a general hands-free law, rather than merely a prohibition against texting while driving. The bill prohibits, in most circumstances, a person from using, holding, or physically supporting with any part of the person’s body any EWCD while operating a motor vehicle on Ohio’s roadways.

• It also makes a violation of the prohibition a primary, rather than secondary offense. Currently, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, and Montana are the only states without primary enforcement laws for adult drivers using wireless devices for text-based communications or for any purpose. Enactment of SB 288 will make Ohio the 47th state in America to have primary enforcement for texting and expands that enforcement to include watching, streaming, shopping, posting, gaming, or any other interaction on your phone not subject to the stated exceptions. If enacted, any driver in Ohio could get pulled over and cited for holding or using a phone while the car is in motion, unless it is touching their ear.

• The most egregious offenders can now be stopped when watching Netflix as they drive, reading the news, scrolling through Facebook, posting on Twitter, making a TikTok video, watching an NFL game, changing a fantasy football lineup, ordering food on an app, browsing the weather, responding to a work email, texting a friend, making a calendar appointment, buying concert tickets, or any other interaction on a EWCD not subject to the stated exceptions.

• This law is needed. The average person spends 4.8 hours a day looking at a mobile device that is carried everywhere. The risk of drivers being distracted by hand-held devices behind the wheel has emerged as an issue of overwhelming public importance. Traffic fatalities have risen seven out of the past eight years in the state of Ohio.

• This law is practical and proven to be effective in reducing traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. States that have adopted these laws have seen a 15% percent decrease in fatalities within two years, with some states experiencing even more dramatic decreases.

• This law will take effect in the fall. Leading up to it, law enforcement will only issue warnings for the first 6-months while at the same time a statewide education campaign takes place highlighting the dangers of distracted driving and educating the public before citations are issued.

• If you are cited, you can elect to take a 1-hour course and not receive a fine or points. The purpose of this course is to hear from victims, safety advocates, and real circumstances in which a phone caused a life ending crash. All of us need to be reminded that we need more eyes on the road and not on our phones as we drive. Driving is a privilege and having the will power to not look at your phone will save lives.

 Young Professionals Event - Feb. 2, 2023

The Young Professionals group in northern Ohio will be holding an event on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Join our panelists, Chad Ratkovich of Beaver Excavating, Jeff Broadwater of Michael Baker International and Eric Kahlig from ODOT as we discuss trends in Design Build and Alternative Delivery Methods including Progressive Design Build and Public Private Partnerships. The presentation will be followed by a tour of the Great Lakes Brewery.

Time: 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Location: 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland, OH 44113

Cost: $60/person (includes appetizers, two drink tickets and brewery tour) 

The brewery has multiple entrances. We will be meeting in The Tasting Room in their production building across the street - the entrance is located on the corner of Carroll Ave & West 26th Street.

Thank You to our Event Sponsors

Keynote Speaker - Maurice Clarret

Registration Now Open for the 2023 Conaway Conference

The Annual Conaway Conference will be held February 28 &  March 1, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus located at 350 N High St., Columbus, OH.

This yearly event is a collaborative effort between OCA and ODOT. Attendees learn about the critical topics in the industry and find rich opportunities to network with more than 500 fellow industry professionals.

Day 1 Topics Include:

Opening Comments from OCA and ODOT
Don Conaway Partnering Awards
District Breakout Sessions
Spec Updates and much more
Keynote Speaker: Maurice Clarett - "My Life, My Story, My Redemption"

Day 2 Topics Include:

ODOT Outlook
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Supply Chain Issues & Material Costs
Large Projects in Ohio
Meeting the Workforce Challenges

Hyatt Regency Hotel Reservation Link

Click below for conference registration.

OCA Seeks Nominations for Individual Partnering Award

For the second year, we will be honoring an ODOT employee who has demonstrated the principles of partnering on the projects they have administered over their career. ODOT will be nominating a contractor’s employee for an award as well. Last year’s ODOT winner was Jason Young, who was an Area Engineer in District 4 and is now District 12 Construction Engineer. The OCA winner was Dan Smith, an OCA Hall of Famer with John R. Jurgensen.

Please send your nominations to Chris Engle before January 17. Please include a brief summary of your reasons for the nomination.

Communication and Presentation Skills: It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it

Many people think they only need communication skills training if they regularly stand in front of a large audience to give a speech. The truth is – while most of your employees have never been given communication training – they are constantly being judged on how they present themselves – whether it’s by a current client, prospective customer or fellow co-workers. Make sure your employees have the tools they need to best represent your company.

OCA is offering a 3 hour hands-on workshop with Anthony Huey, President of Reputation Management Associates, national key-note presenter and consultant to numerous construction firms.

This is for your technical experts such as: field managers, superintendents, project managers, executive project managers – your business development team – and your more experienced team members running the company.

The program will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at OCA, 1313 Dublin Rd., Columbus, 43215. Cost to attend is $249 per person.

This highly interactive, hands-on session will teach attendees at every level of business more effective ways to communicate — with clarity and purpose — to co-workers, customers, the public and a variety of others they deal with every day.

Participants will gain an understanding of:

• how people interpret body language and what to do about it

• how to increase the likelihood someone will remember what they said

• how to communicate more smoothly

• how to utilize inflection, voice, gestures and more to create an engaging, memorable conversation

• make a point in any conversation

• reduce nervousness

• effectively respond to any question

• avoid the “deer in the headlights” look

• gain “think time” when you most need it

• and much more!

To register click here or contact Director of Chapter Development, Melanie Kitchen, at [email protected].  

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