Welcome to the ECC Association

It’s an honor to have been selected to chair this year’s ECC Executive Board.  I follow in the footsteps of previous boards and chairs that have done tremendous work to put on outstanding conferences each year.  I particularly want to congratulate Steve Dedman, the 2012 ECC Executive Board and Executive Advisory Committee for once again doing a superb job and raising the bar on the quality of our program.  Our 44th conference in San Antonio was another huge success, eclipsing our previous year’s record number of attendees and program sponsors, again with lots of positive feedback from conference participants.

One of the perks of being a part of this effort is I get to work with such a talented and committed group of professionals that serve on the Board and Executive Advisory Committee. These individuals serve strictly on a volunteer basis and with the support of their various companies put a tremendous amount of energy into developing the conference each year.  Their dedication to improve capital project results and global competitiveness of member companies of the ECC Association is a testament to our industry’s spirit of innovation and perseverance.

We are well into the planning process for the 2013 Annual Conference and it is shaping up to be another excellent ECC program. The theme, “Conquering the Summit:  Aspiring to Flawless Project Delivery”, reflects the growth in size and complexity of our Capital Projects as well as the challenges we face in executing them well. We are searching for exciting keynote speakers including industry leaders, geopolitical experts and specialists that will promote thought leadership by exploring opportunities associated with these challenges of flawless execution.   We are also busy planning our Plenary Sessions; determining the Breakout Forum Topics; and seeking nominations for the Annual ECC Achievement Award (distinguished individual) and the Annual Spirit of ECC Award (innovative project team or organization). Please mark your calendars today and plan to attend this year’s conference – and invite your associates to join us.

The Future Leaders Program is also an integral component of ECC. We are pleased to have had more than 100 Future Leaders from our sponsoring companies engaged in the association throughout the past year. These emerging leaders enjoyed opportunities to meet and interact with industry leaders; network with peers from other member companies; receive training in international communications, ethics and leadership; and participate in the development and presentation of two conference breakout forums – all of which were intended to promote individual development and sustain the long-term leadership of our industry.

In 2013 we are also trying to get more of our Future Leader candidates engaged early so they can participate in our mid-year meeting that will be held in Houston, Texas on March 7th.  If your company is planning on sponsoring this year’s conference, please name your future leader early so they can get involved.

On behalf of the Executive Board and the Executive Advisory Committee, l would like to thank our sponsor companies for their continuing support of the ECC Association and Annual Conference – and for their involvement in our Future Leaders Program.  If you are not a sponsor company, I encourage you to look into the benefits that a sponsorship can offer your emerging leaders.

I wish all of you a safe and successful 2013 and look forward to seeing you September 11 - 14 in Palm Springs.

Judd Kuehn
ECC Chair, 45th Annual Conference