A special message from ICBA President Chris Gardner, on the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdowns.
The one-year anniversary of the shutdown of much of the global economy is upon us. Back in March 2020, no one could have imagined the scale of the devastation and disruption that would be unleashed over the next 12 months. Never before had governments around the world acted in unison to direct people to simply stay home and do nothing. Everything was taken away from all of us in ways large and small – the consequences were punishing and unforgiving.
Looking back one year on, I can say with conviction that at ICBA we got through the toughest of these times because of the personal sacrifice, commitment and dedication of our 50 employees. Even in the darkest days, they all showed up to make sure that the health, dental and disability benefits were there for our customers when they and their families needed them most; that the training and apprenticeship programs ran smoothly so that construction professionals could continue to hone their skills and advance their careers; and that the voice of open shop contractors was heard at all levels of government when elected officials made decisions about economic relief programs, new infrastructure spending or implemented new site safety protocols.
This year, four exceptional members of our outstanding team are celebrating significant milestones at ICBA. Each of them exemplifies the very best that ICBA offers its members and customers. I am very proud to call each of them a colleague and a friend and I am inspired every day by their talent, their drive, and their commitment to provide an exceptional customer and member experience:
- Gloria Pecile, 25 years
- Steven Fang, 15 years
- Leah Rennie, 14 years
- Sabine Just, 10 years
While there was a lot to be despondent about during the pandemic, with vaccines rolling out across the globe and the prospect of the dark cloud of COVID-19 lifting, as I look back on the past year, there was also a lot of things to be grateful for, and for me, the team at ICBA is one of them.
In speaking to ICBA members everyday, I know that I am not alone in waking up every day so thankful that I get to work with some very amazing people and that because of them, we made it through the worst financial and health crisis in more than 100 years.
