ABC Launches Year Two of Professional Development Program

Construction leadership program returns for a second year in the Spring.

ABC SEMI president Keith Ledbetter toasts the graduates of the 2024 Emerging Professionals program.

The ABC Emerging Professionals program helps members develop up-and-coming leaders in their company. Last year, ABC had 15 individuals from various roles and backgrounds who participated in the program. These future leaders committed to six full day sessions focused on different areas of leadership and construction.

ABC SEMI president and CEO Keith Ledbetter said that the demand from members to have some way to develop leaders they see moving up in the company was what led to the creation of this program.

“Our members are so busy running these successful companies, that, much like they don’t have the capacity to worry about legislation, they may lack the capacity to develop these individuals’ leader ship skills, and that’s where we can step in and help out,” Ledbetter said. “Trade associations are here because members need third parties to step in to fill a void, and it’s even better when it comes from a third party they trust and that aligns with their values.”

Ian Klukowski, a supervisor for Michigan Highway Signs, a division of Action Traffic Maintenance, said he found the program to be highly impactful. “There were a lot of things I found out about myself, not only as a leader, but in my personal life as well,” Klukowski said. “The program has helped me deal with work, home and helping me stay calm when I need to deal with things. I can handle situations a lot better. It just, it makes me introspective, and it makes me think about my decisions and my words.”

Klukowski continued saying the personality assessment and development session is what helped open his eyes to leadership differently, now having a full understanding of how each personality type operates and identifying key signs to foster a cohesive and cooperative team.

At the conclusion of the six sessions, Tommy Kemp, a project engineer for Kemp Building & Development summed it up perfectly when he stated that his experience in the program was beneficial and helped him grow as an emerging leader.

“My personal experience in construction has been working with a lot older crowd, so this is my first interaction with leaders about my age, so it’s been a huge growth from me connect with others in the industry who have similar challenges moving further into leadership,” Kemp said.

Nicole Clawson with Kent Companies relates to Kemp’s statement saying it was beneficial to her as someone new in the industry to integrate at a high level, get a big picture of areas affecting the industry and bring it back to her company.

“I have a lot to take back to my role and it was a great opportunity to participate at the start of my career in construction,” Clawson said. The leadership program aims to help ABC member companies develop employees they’ve identified as those who want to take on more leadership in the company.

For the 2025 program, the sessions will cover more on leadership, but Ledbetter emphasizes how valuable this training is for anyone at any stage in their career.

“We’ve often targeted young and emerging leaders from member companies, however, this program is for anyone at any age and level who want to be a better leader. We often think only younger people need leadership training, but in reality, we all can benefit from continuous development,” Ledbetter said.

The 2025 program will focus on key elements on leadership including a deep understanding of personalities, effective leadership styles and casting a vision for the organization. The program also connects the group to ABC to gain an understanding on why the association is around and what it provides for the industry.

If you’re interested in learning more about the program, or to access the application, please visit abcsemi.org/leadership or contact Kelly Frederick at kfrederick@abcsemi.org.