AGC San Diego CONSTRUCTOR Magazine 2018 - Volume 1 AGCSD CONSTRUCTOR 2018 Volume 1 | Page 6

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
I am proud to serve as the 2018 President of the Associated
General Contractors of America, San Diego Chapter.
In my day job, I am President and Owner of Harper
Construction Company, Inc. – and a proud member of AGC
for many decades. Today, Harper Construction is one of the
largest contractors founded locally, and has deep roots in
San Diego working with the military and being active in the
AGC.
2018 has been, so far, an exciting and busy year for the
industry. The political heat was never turned down following
the contentious Presidential race, and midterms are already
just around the corner - the legislative balance of power is
at stake at the City, County, and House of Representatives.
California voters will also elect a new Governor and decide
whether or not to repeal Senate Bill 1 – a transportation
funding bill worth $5.2 billion of infrastructure investment
each year. The AGC Political Action Committee will be working overtime to protect infrastructure funding
and elect candidates that represent our industry.
On the policy front, I plan to strengthen AGC San Diego’s lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. With the
poor political climate in California, it is important as ever to broaden our horizons to seek regulatory
relief for our industry. These issues include, sick pay requirements, blacklisting of contractors, skilled
workforce, and anti-competitive Project Labor Agreements.
We also are planning for the future in a fast-changing industry. In 2018, we will be nearly complete with
the design phase of the AGC Hands-on Training Campus in East County. At this facility, we will recruit
and train the workforce of the future construction industry using the latest techniques and technology. In
partnership with local schools and universities, AGC has created a pathway to careers in this industry
through apprenticeship, continuing education, and higher learning. This new facility will be the hub of
that activity.
In 2018, we will update our own AGC roadmap. A lot has changed in the five years since we developed
our current strategic plan. While much has been accomplished over that time, the AGC must aim, ever
higher, to meet the challenges facing today’s construction industry.
One such initiative is to successfully launch a Construction Management degree track at SDSU. The
curriculum development has begun, and faculty recruitment is underway. During my time as President, I
hope to be standing next to the new Department Chair as we raise funds for this cutting-edge program,
and the entire Construction Engineering Management Program.
I am honored to serve as president of this great organization, and with your involvement I am confident
that we will have continued successes for our industry.
Jeff Harper
Harper Construction Company, Inc.
2018 AGC San Diego Chapter President
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