Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain MCA Podcast

Improving Diversity and Evolving the Construction Industry featuring Ale Spray

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Ale Spray, CEO and president of the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado (HCC). Their mission is to build opportunities to strengthen and sustain our members’ knowledge, connections and voice with in the public/private sector in the Colorado construction industry. Prior to this role, Ale was the community empowerment manager for Mortenson, where she was responsible for successfully overseeing community participation plans to maximize opportunities for small, women, minority and other diverse groups and workers on Mortenson’s projects. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is the HCC and what do they do? 
• What does "diversity, equity and inclusion," or DEI, mean to Ale?
• Why have DEI initiatives come under fire in some corners of the world, and how does Ale respond?
• What is unique about HCC in their outreach to their communities to recruit talent to our industry?
• What obstacles still exist for women as they look to advance into leadership positions in their companies?
• What do she and HCC have their eye on in this year's legislative session?

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

For more information about Hispanic Contractors of Colorado, please visit their website.

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

Crisis Proofing Today's Learners featuring Jean Eddy

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Jean Eddy, President & CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA), an organization that aspires to help students know themselves, know their options, and make informed decisions about their education and career goals early in life. Our overall objective is to build a generation of successful individuals who are confident, competent, and ready to realize the future they envision. A national non-profit, ASA has been pioneering solutions to help students for more than 60 years. 

Jean is also the author of a book titled Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. The book is an informative guide – for parents, educators, policy makers, and business leaders – of the best way to prepare youth for post high school education and career success. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• Who is the ASA, and what kind of work do they do? 
• Why is there a stigma around trade schools, community colleges and other forms of secondary educational opportunities?
• How early should we be exposing kids to different career options?
• Plumbers in Massachusetts make HOW MUCH?
• How do we continue to evolve the perception of what jobs in the skilled trades actually look like?
• What would an ideal high school experience look like to equip kids to better approach adulthood and their career?

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

For more information about American Student Assistance, please visit their website. Jean's book can be found here.

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

How the Skilled Trades Enhance the Live Sports Experience featuring Vic Lombardi

On this episode of Tradeswork: The Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association Podcast, we welcome Vic Lombardi, Altitude TV Reporter and Host. Vic has more than 25 years of experience in the sports industry and is a 32-time Emmy award winner, 16 for Best Sports Anchor and voted 2018 Colorado Sportscaster of the year. He is also the co-host of the Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 morning show. Lombardi is one of the most respected sports personalities in the country, which the number of awards attest. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be answered on this episode:

• How do the skilled trades contribute to the live sports experience?
• In a mixed use arena that houses both basketball and hockey, where does the ice go during basketball games?
• Why is television the true competitor of the live sports experience?
• What are some of Vic's favorite arenas and stadiums and why? 
• How has the world of arenas and stadiums changed in Vic's time working in the industry?
• Do the Denver Nuggets or Colorado Avalanche bring home another championship trophy this year?

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

To follow Vic Lombardi on social media, please visit his X profile. 

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

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.