Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain MCA Podcast

The Exit Interview with Outgoing RMMCA CEO Dave Davia

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, at the insistence of his partners at Catalyst Public Affairs and his producer Jon Ekstrom, Dave Davia sits down for an exit interview as he prepares to depart Rocky Mountain MCA after 17 years of service. Jon asks Dave for his origin story at Rocky Mountain MCA, asks him to name his proudest accomplishments (which Dave expertly and humbly deflects, as is his way), inquires what his advice would be for his successor, and closes by finding out what Dave wanted to be when he grew up. 

The conversation is a fitting cap to Dave's impressive career advocating on behalf of the skilled trades and the many partnerships, friendships, and achievements along the way. We are grateful for Dave's service to the organization, and we wish him nothing but continued success and prosperity in his new venture. Please enjoy the capstone episode of this chapter of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast. 

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Who is the Colorado BioScience Association? featuring Elyse Blazevich

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Elyse Blazevich, President & CEO of the Colorado BioScience Association. an organization that creates co-opportunity for the Colorado life sciences community. CBSA champions a collaborative life sciences ecosystem and advocates for a supportive business climate. From concept to commercialization, member companies and organizations drive global health innovations, products and services that improve and save lives. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is the Colorado BioScience Association and what kind of work do they do?
• What challenges and opportunities face your membership?
• What is the state of the workforce pipeline in this industry?
• How do the skilled trades and life sciences relate?
• What does the Colorado BioScience Association have its eye on from a policy perspective?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Colorado BioScience Association, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Checking in with Colorado Hospital Association President & CEO Jeff Tieman

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Jeff Tieman, President & CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association. The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is the leading voice of the Colorado hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers and the general public. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is Colorado Hospital Association, and what is their role?
• What are the lingering effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on Colorado hospitals?
• What kinds of labor shortages do hospitals face with not only clinicians, but support staff?
• How do the skilled trades intersect with hospitals and why is that relationship so vital?
• What policies have led to increased costs on hospitals?
• What issues are Jeff and CHA keeping their eye on in the coming year?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Colorado Hospital Association, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

The Partnership of Education and Business featuring Colorado Succeeds President Scott Laband

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Scott Laband. Scott is President of Colorado Succeeds, which was founded in 2006 by a group of CEOs who saw the need for a non-partisan business advocacy organization focused solely on education and workforce development. As a coalition of business leaders, our vision is to radically improve education and training outcomes for all Colorado learners. Our members are working to build a system where learners are educated to their greatest potential, employers can recruit homegrown talent, and policymakers are responsive to critical needs. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is Colorado Succeeds? What is their mission? Who are their members?
• What are some of the organizational successes of Colorado Succeeds?
• What is the "Vision 2030 Framework?"
• How does Colorado Succeeds champion college and career readiness?
• How does this organization's mission intersect with that of Rocky Mountain MCA?
• What issues in the upcoming legislative session are on the radar for Colorado Succeeds?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Colorado Succeeds, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Combining the Skilled Trades with Social Media Influencing featuring Roger Wakefield

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Roger Wakefield. Roger is The Master Plumber and inspiring entrepreneur, with over 40 years of plumbing expertise and every Texas state endorsement. He's on a mission to showcase the trades as a lucrative and rewarding career. As a successful YouTube content creator, speaker, and trainer, Roger not only shares valuable insights for aspiring plumbers and tradespeople but also empowers entrepreneurs to venture into social media marketing to grow their own businesses. He is the most viewed plumber on YouTube. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• How did Roger get involved in plumbing, and what types of work has he done in the field?
• What are some of his favorite and most rewarding projects?
• How did Roger become a social media influencer with such a large reach?
• What is his ultimate goal with his abundance of social media activity?
• How can the industry recruit, train, and retain the many thousands upon thousands of needed workers in the coming years?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Roger Wakefield, please visit his website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

What Sets Bell Plumbing & Heating Apart? featuring Tom Teynor

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Tom Teynor, President & CEO of Bell Plumbing & Heating. Bell has been providing plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical services for Denver families since 1926. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is Bell Plumbing & Heating, and what has contributed to their longevity and success for nearly 100 years?
• What drew Tom to this industry after working in financial services and tech startups?
• What are the workforce challenges faced by the industry, and what is Bell doing to address them?
• How has Bell evolved its business model since Tom took over the reins of the company?
• What is the most satisfying part of working in the skilled trades industry for Tom?
• What are the most common misconceptions about working in this industry?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Bell Plumbing, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Who is Consumer Energy Alliance? featuring Emily Haggstrom

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Emily Haggstrom, Vice President of Communications and Creative Development for Consumer Energy Alliance, the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who comprises the membership for Consumer Energy Alliance, and what issues do they focus on?
• What workforce issues exist in the energy sector and how do they relate to those in the construction industry?
• What is CEA doing to help cultivate the needed workforce?
• Where does Colorado rank in terms of energy production, and what issues are top of mind?
• What would ideal energy policy look like?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about Consumer Energy Alliance, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Checking In With MCAA President Robert Beck

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Robert Beck, CEO of the John W. Danforth Company, an industry leader with over 130 years of experience, John W. Danforth Company specializes in providing engineered mechanical solutions in the Commercial, Sports & Entertainment, Industrial, Healthcare, Higher Ed & K-12, Government, and Advanced Technology Manufacturing (ATM) markets and the President of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, which serves the unique needs of approximately 2,600 firms involved in heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, piping, and mechanical service and is the national organization under which RMMCA exists. This conversation will focus largely on Robert's role as MCAA President. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• What are the key issues MCAA is focused on now and in the future?
• What has Robert learned in his time as President and traveling across the country to chapters?
• How does union labor stack up against non-union labor in terms of cost and timeline of deliverables?
• What is the coolest project he has worked on? (Hint: If you had "boblsed course" on your bingo card, please go to the pay window?
• How does MCAA support local chapters of the organization?
• How does the mechanical contractor industry continue to attract top talent from colleges, high schools, and even earlier?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

How Is the Homebuilding Industry in Colorado? featuring Ted Leighty

 

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Ted Leighty, CEO of the Colorado Association of Home Builders and the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver. The Colorado Association of Home Builders is the unified voice of the Colorado Home Building Industry. CAHB is an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders and has 10 local home builders associations across Colorado. They advocate for positive legislative solutions and oppose measures that impair the ability to deliver housing and unreasonably regulate the industry; empower their members with learning opportunities at the local, state and national levels; and support the goals and activities of each of the 10 local associations. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• What factors have led to Colorado's housing market to have high prices and low inventory?
• What remedies could be administered to alleviate the pressure on both the price and the inventory?
• What issues does the CAHB anticipate for the next legislative session?
• How important are the skilled trades in terms of ensuring a reliable stock of housing options?
• How do regulations play a role in terms of the supply of available housing at all price points?
• What's ahead for the Colorado housing market?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about the Colorado Association of Home Builders, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

• What factors have led to Colorado's housing market to have high prices and low inventory?
• What remedies could be administered to alleviate the pressure on both the price and the inventory?
• What issues does the CAHB anticipate for the next legislative session?
• How important are the skilled trades in terms of ensuring a reliable stock of housing options?
• How do regulations play a role in terms of the supply of available housing at all price points?
• What's ahead for the Colorado housing market?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about the Colorado Association of Home Builders, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.

Reflections on Eight Years at the Helm of Colorado Concern with President and CEO Mike Kopp

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Mike Kopp, President & CEO of Colorado Concern, an exclusive alliance of top executives with a common interest in enhancing and protecting the Centennial State’s business climate. They commit business leadership and financial resources to support legislative candidates and statewide policies that ensure a sound economic future for Colorado. Mike has led Colorado Concern for 8+ years, and will step down in December. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who are the types of members who participate in Colorado Concern?
• What types of issues does Colorado Concern get involved in?
• What are the biggest successes Colorado Concern has achieved with Mike at the helm?
• What does Mike see as the biggest threats ahead to business in Colorado?
• What are the biggest lessons Mike has taken away during his time leading the organization?
• What's next for Mike Kopp?

This episode is available on podcatchers everywhere. Please rate, review and subscribe.

For more information about the Colorado Concern, please visit their website. 

For more information about Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, please visit our website.