b'FROM OUR PRESIDENTThe Ride So FarIn his Build Manitoba message, our chairperson, Roger Tuk, generously acknowledged the amazing growth that WCA has experienced over the past 25 years on the occasion of the 25th Builders Night Gala. I have been very fortunate to be a part of this association during that time and it has been a team effort, including both board and staff, that have been responsible for this progress. I would like to add a few items and recollections to the list:I was the new kid on the block in 1999 when a group of members headed by Comstocks Cliff Olson decided it was time to shake up the WCA Fall Dinner and raise some much-needed money to retire the mortgage on the Burnell office. This became the Builders Night Gala. I can still hear Cliff telling me no boring speeches, and we have tried to keep the event about networking in a fun environment. I was a bystander when this started, but I think we have done a good job keeping the idea alive. A watershed event for WCA was the development of the online planroom, now called BuildWorks. WCA was certainly not the first to proceed with this service, but John Schubert and I travelled to see other systems and settled on a Canadian solution that embraced this continually evolving technology. In addition to the significant cost to WCA for staff and equipment, there was a very significant attitudinal barrier to overcome. I recall the raised voices at the Manitoba Association of Architects AGM when I demonstrated how we were scanning plans and specs to create electronic files to be shared with members. I also recall demonstrating the service to rural members and seeing the ah ha moment when they realized they no longer had to drive to the city to borrow paper sets of drawings. We take this access for granted now. WCA was able to leverage this service into significant membership growth.WCA has been active behind the very successful Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM) for more than 30 years. During my tenure, I have seen it grow from a staff of three to the group of 23 it is today, with offices in Winnipeg and Brandon. Construction safety culture in Manitoba has improved dramatically, and safety is no longer considered optional. CSAM has been the model followed by the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba in the creation of other industry-based safety associations in the province. The WCA Board ensures CSAM remains focused on the needs of its clients and Sean Scott continues to lead his team.The decision to move from the WCA Burnell office was another watershed event. WCA, or the Builders Exchange as it was known, rented space in the Confederation Building, the Tribune Building and the Rialto Theatre, and finally built an office on Burnell in 1956. Despite two expansions, the last in 1995, additional space for meetings and training was sorely needed. We searched the city for available space and finally settled on 1447 Waverley, which at the time seemed vast. WCA and CSAM moved to the space in late 2011 and completed the Construction Education Centre in 2012. This was a huge financial risk for WCA, but we retired the mortgage within three years and subsequently expanded the training space inside. I recall being concerned that members would be critical of such a major undertaking; however, most said its about time or that was the right move.I have worked with fourteen different chairpersonsincluding the first female WCA chairand at least 88 board members over the years. I have enjoyed getting to know these folks and understanding their businesses. With the addition of YCLM and MWC, we added much-needed diversity to the board. Collectively, they have shown great leadership and stewardship. Some of the matters that come before this board are very challenging, and the time commitments can be significant, but the board members always step up. It would be so easy for a board to simply go with the flow, but they have pushed hard and made some gutsy decisions over the years. We have managed to create a significant reserve fund for the association and establish endowments for Construction Management students at RRC Polytech and, more recently, MITT.Its been a great ride so far! But as much fun as it is to look back, I would rather be considering future opportunities for WCA and wishing all of you a happy and prosperous new year.Ron Hambley6 BUILD MANITOBAwinnipegconstruction.ca'