MCLS

 

About the Conference

Registration Open Now - click Register below to learn more

The Michigan Construction Leadership Summit (MCLS) is returning to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI, September 27-30, 2023. Join us for more than two days of educational and networking events designed for the leadership and management of ABC members in Michigan.

Email or call [email protected] or 517-853-2545 with any questions.

Register/Hotel

Registration Open Now

STEP 1: Click here to register now to attend the conference. OR avoid online fees by completing this form and mailing a check to ABC of Michigan

STEP 2: Click here to book your hotel room. Hotel room block is guaranteed until Monday, Sept. 4. If you need assistance booking your room please contact Breanna George at [email protected].

FULL CONFERENCE ATTENDEE
Includes access to all meals, receptions, keynote speakers and breakout session

GUEST SOCIAL ATTENDEE
Includes access to all meals, receptions, and keynote speakers

REGISTRATION RATES

Full conference attendee:
     Member: $400 (before 6/30/23) $500 (after 7/1/23)
     Non-member: $600 (before 6/30/23) $700 (after 7/1/23)

Guest social attendee:
     Member: $200 
     Non-member: $300

HOTEL RATES - room rates include breakfast & dinner
   
 Double (two people) per night (Weds&Thurs)  Grand room: $458     Lake view: $558
     Double per night (two people) (Fri&Sat)  Grand room: $508     Lake view: $608
     Single (one person) per night (Weds&Thurs)  Grand room: $329     Lake view: $429
     Single (one person) per night (Fri&Sat)  Grand room: $379     Lake view: $479

Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding children attending. 

Cancellation policy: A full refund of member registration will be issued if requested on or before July 28, 2023. Guests can receive a 50% refund if requested on or before August 11, 2023. No refunds will be issued after August 25, 2023.

Agenda

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
5:00 PM     Reception on the Grand Hotel Front Porch
6:00 PM     Dinner & Opening Speaker Bob Tagatz: Grand Hotel Historian

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
7:30 AM     Breakfast & Keynote Speaker: Col. Mark Tillman
9:15 AM     Leadership Breakout Sessions
12:00 PM   Grand Hotel Luncheon Buffet with Keynote Speaker Col. Mike Mullane
1:45 PM     Leadership Breakout Sessions
6:00 PM     Evening Events

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
7:30 AM     Breakfast & Keynote Speaker
9:15 AM     Session A: Eric Waggoner, Managing Partner at Waggoner Financial
                  Session B: Andrew Brisbo, Bureau Director at Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes
10:45 AM   2024 Political Outlook Panel
6:00 PM     Closing Celebration

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
7:30 AM     Breakfast served in Main Dining Room (on your own)

   

Sessions

KEYNOTE & BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Thursday, September 28 @ Breakfast
Colonel Mark Tillman

Air Force One: Zero Fail Mission
Col. Tillman keeps attendees on the edge of their seat as he shares his first-hand account of piloting President George W. Bush on September 11, 2001 and later transporting the Commander in Chief into the war zone of Baghdad, Iraq for Thanksgiving dinner with the troops. Col emphasizes the concept of a Zero Fail Mission which can be applied in both business and everyday life. Detailed planning, measurable expectations and personal responsibility are several of the key elements.

An engaging story teller, Col. Tillman will take you behind the scenes of Air Force One utilizing his experiences to reinforce the importance of the Zero Fail Mission.

Thursday, September 28 @ 9:15 a.m.
Shawn VanDyke

Leadership Bootcamp: Building a Team of Leaders within your Construction Business
Effective leadership in your construction business starts with you. You must understand what it’s like to be on the other side of you before you can expect anyone to want to follow you.

The problem is everyone has the ability to lead, but not everyone has the freedom or permission to do so.

In order to be a leader worth following, you have to learn to value the other leadership voices on your team and create an environment for them to be heard.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Attendees participating in this session will:

  1. Discover their own leadership voice based on their experiences, strengths, and preferences.
  2. Learn a framework for identifying and valuing the leadership voices of their team members to create effective communication within the organization.
  3. Learn how to communicate clarity throughout the organization with a well-designed meeting structure and rules of engagement.

Thursday, September 28 @ Luncheon
Colonel Mike Mullane

The Lighter Side of Spaceflight - Humor
In his program, The Lighter Side of Spaceflight, Astronaut Mike Mullane will take the audience on a uniquely revealing, captivating and hilarious space journey. Using spectacular video and slides he will answer everybody’s space questions: What does a shuttle launch feel like?...How does an astronaut deal with the incredible fear of launch?...How do you sleep, bathe, eat, drink, etc.?....What do you see from space?...And, of course, he will answer the top two questions that astronauts are ever asked:

Number 1: How does the space toilet work? (When the audience hears how astronauts train to use the toilet they will be convulsed with laughter.)...and...

Number 2: Have astronauts seen any UFOs or aliens?

The answers to these questions and many, many more are lavishly wrapped with inside, hilarious stories and supported with amazing video. The audience will not only be thoroughly entertained by The Lighter Side of Spaceflight, but will also feel privileged to have been given an insight into the astronaut experience that few people ever get to experience.

Thursday, September 28 @ 1:45 p.m.
Shawn VanDyke

Talent Magnet: How to Attract Your Next Best Talent
It’s nearly impossible to find good employees because the people with the skills, the talent, and the character you need to grow your business...already have jobs. You need to stop trying to find them and start recruiting them, but most construction business owners are missing a vital piece in their hiring process.

You’ll get what’s missing in your hiring process and a 3 step system to attract the right people for your construction business.

You’re gonna struggle to keep up with all the demand that’s out there without a
system to attract great employees, but with this 3-step system, your next best
employees are going to come looking for you.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Attendees participating in this session will be able to:

  1. Get the Job Ad Formula that will “stop the scroll” and get more candidates to apply.
  2. Get the 3A Recruiting Framework thousands of construction companies are using to fill their open positions and grow their businesses.
  3. Get an automated system to filter out the job hoppers and warm bodies that are just looking for a paycheck and will waste your time in an interview.
  4. Get the most valuable piece of the hiring process that you’ve never even considered.

You can’t grow your construction business without great people, and you can’t attract great people without this recruiting and hiring system in place.

Friday, September 29 @ Breakfast
Coming soon!

Friday, September 29 @ 9:15 a.m.
Session 1A: Eric Waggoner, Managing Partner at Waggoner Financial
Are you doing everything you can to stay ahead of the curve and plan for your financial future? Join Waggoner Financial and Eric Waggoner for a discussion on what you can do to prepare for the next 6-12 months. This session will provide insights on the current state of the economy and emerging trends, while also giving you actionable strategies to take control of your financial future. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable expertise and take your economic knowledge to the next level!

Session 1B: Andrew Brisbo, Director of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes
Here's your chance to get all your questions answered. Andrew will provide an update on everything new at the bureau while allowing ample opportunity for you to ask all your burning questions. 

Friday, September 29 @ 10:45 a.m.
2024 Political Outlook Panel
Join us for an ABC Michigan loaded session when the current and former leaders of ABC of Michigan come together to discuss what might happen in 2024. As we head into a presidential election year, our panel of experts will talk about their predictions, trends, and what it all means for ABC in Michigan and nationally.
     Panelists:

  • Chris Fisher, Partner at Midwest Strategy Group, ABC MI President & CEO 
  • Jeff Wiggins, Press Secretary/Senior Adviseo to Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, ABC State Director 2016-2020
  • Jimmy E. Greene, Founder at Jimmy Greene & Associates, ABC MI President & CEO 2020-2023
  • Shane Hernandez, former state representative and candidate for lieutenant governor, current ABC MI President

Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Bob Tagatz, Resident Historian at Grand Hotel 

Named an Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year, Bob Tagatz is a natural storyteller. He will intrigue you with information about the hotel’s history and how the Island and the hotel came to be what they are today.

Colonel Mark Tillman
Chosen as the nation's 12th Presidential pilot, Colonel (ret) Mark W. Tillman served as pilot and commander of Air Force One from 2001-2009. Col. Tillman was at the controls of Air Force One through numerous national events. Most notably, he protected the President on September 11, 2001 by keeping him out of harms way and connecting the flying oval office to the nation's first responders.

Another historic event was being the first pilot to fly the Commander-in-Chief into a war zone. The challenge was unprecedented--transport the most targeted man in the world into the heart of terrorism. One mistake would have left the President open to attack and cost the lives of US service members. Col. Tillman personally orchestrated and executed the covert operation with flawless success. His planning, done in complete secrecy, allowed for a complete surprise to the entire world.

Col. Tillman's distinguished career spans 30 years in the United States Air Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 2004 and promoted to Brigadier General by the President of the United States--the first military line officer to receive this honor. For political reasons this was not confirmed by the Senate, hence Tillman retired as a Colonel.

A man devoted to serving his country, this captivating storyteller will give you a first-hand account of remarkable moments in history.

Colonel Mike Mullane

Colonel Mullane was born September 10, 1945 in Wichita Falls, Texas but spent much of his youth in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he currently resides. Upon his graduation from West Point in 1967, he was commissioned in the United States Air Force. As a Weapon Systems Operator aboard RF-4C Phantom aircraft, he completed 134 combat missions in Vietnam. He holds a Master's of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and is also a graduate of the Air Force Flight Test Engineer School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Mullane was selected as a Mission Specialist in 1978 in the first group of Space Shuttle Astronauts. He completed three space missions aboard the Shuttles Discovery (STS-41D) and Atlantis (STS-27 & 36) before retiring from NASA and the Air Force in 1990.

Mullane has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and is the recipient of many awards, including the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit and the NASA Space Flight Medal.

Since his retirement from NASA, Colonel Mullane has written an award-winning children's book, Liftoff! An Astronaut's Dream, and a popular space-fact book, Do Your Ears Pop In Space? His memoir, Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, has been reviewed in the New York Times and on the Jon Stewart Daily Show. It has also been featured on Barnes and Noble's 2010 recommended summer reading list.

Mullane has held a lifelong passion for mountain climbing. Since age 60 he has summited Africa's highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, as well as Mt. Rainier in Washington State and thirty-five of Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks.

Colonel Mullane has established himself as an acclaimed professional speaker on the topics of teamwork, leadership and safety. He has educated, entertained, inspired and thrilled tens of thousands of people from every walk of business and government with his incredibly unique programs.

Keith Eastland

Keith Eastland is a Member and past chair of the firm’s Employment and Labor Section.  He possesses broad experience handling labor and employment matters for clients ranging from small family-owned businesses to large national and multi-national corporations. His practice focuses on traditional labor law, collective bargaining, union relations, labor/employment litigation, construction, and general employment counseling.

 

BREAKOUT SESSION SPEAKERS
 

Shawn VanDyke
Shawn has two degrees in engineering and has a deep love for spreadsheets and systems. He has lead his own real estate and construction companies and has been the COO of a specialty construction company. In 2016 he became an author, speaker, and professional business coach, and he has founded the Built to Build Academy™ where he trains contractors around the world to build the systems they need for purposeful, profitable growth.

Eric Waggoner
Eric Waggoner is Managing Director of Waggoner Financial. He, along with his team, strives to help clients make smart financial decisions. Eric is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®), Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®). He holds bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Astrophysics from Michigan State University, along with master’s degrees in Mathematics and Global Finance. When he is not advising clients, Eric teaches Financial Risk Management at Michigan State University.

Andrew Brisbo
Andrew Brisbo was named the Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC) Director in 2022. Previously, Andrew served as the Executive Director of the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), where since March 2017, he oversaw the operations of CRA, working hard to establish the mission and vision of the agency while focusing on education, outreach, and collaboration in the formulation of policies and programs to regulate the cannabis industry in the state. 

Andrew has spent nearly 20 years serving the public in a variety of leadership and frontline staff roles both within LARA and other state agencies. 

Chris Fisher
Having skillfully lobbied local, state, and federal governments, Chris Fisher is known for winning both the big fights and the behind the scenes battles on behalf of clients. With a keen focus on policy details, a strong ability to navigate Michigan’s lawmaking and rules process, and deeply-rooted relationships, his focus areas include construction management, criminal justice, economic development, higher education, insurance, labor law, regulatory systems, and taxation. His efforts have earned Chris a reputation as one of Lansing’s most effective lobbyists by the MIRS News Survey. Chris has recently been honored by Crain’s Detroit Business 50 Names to Know in Lobbying among more than 1400 registered lobbyists in the state.

Chris also has substantial business and trade association experience having previously served as CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, equipping him with association management expertise and a long list of accomplishments representing the industry’s interests before the Michigan Legislature and U.S. Congress. Prior to his business association and lobbying career, Chris worked for two Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives, the Assistant President Pro Tempore of the Michigan Senate, and the U.S. Congress.

Chris is a graduate of Hillsdale College with dual degrees in history and political science.

Jeff Wiggins
Jeff Wiggins is currently press secretary/senior advisor to Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt. Formerly, he lead ABC of Michigan from June 2016 until the summer of 2020. Before joining ABC, he served as a policy advisor in the House Republican Policy Office in the Michigan House of Representatives, serving as the lead advisor on the Energy and Regulatory Reform committees.

Prior to that, Jeff worked in the Michigan House since 2011, serving as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor in the office of Majority Floor Leader Aric Nesbitt from October 2011 – May 2015, and Legislative Assistant to Speaker Pro Tempore John Walsh from January 2011 – October 2011. Jeff also served as Special Assistant to Attorney General Mike Cox from October 2007 – August 2008.

Jeff is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (2011) and Michigan State University (2007).

Jimmy E. Greene
Jimmy E. Greene is the former President & CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan (ABC). He’s responsible for the Public Policy and Government Affairs in Michigan for ABC Members.

Prior to this role, he served as CEO and President of Associated Builders & Contractors, Greater Michigan Chapter, and The Greater Michigan Construction Academy companies that advocates, educates, and trains over 300 builders and contractors in 36 counties. He is the first Black CEO in ABC's 60-year history. 

Born and raised in Flint, Michigan: a graduate of Flint Southwestern High School he attended Washtenaw Community College, Delta College, and is a graduate of the College of Banking & Finance.   

Shane Hernandez
Shane Hernandez is the President of Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan (ABC). He’s responsible for the Public Policy and Government Affairs in Michigan for ABC Members.

Prior to this role with ABC, Shane spent time in both private business and a public office. He holds a master’s degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University and worked for SyDesign Architects for 12 years. Following his time at SyDesign, Shane served as the 83rd District Representative in the Michigan House of Representatives and was the House Appropriations Chair from 2019-2020. He also spent time as the Director of Strategy for Speaker Jason Wentworth, and Director of Caucus Services and Director of Policy for the House Republicans.  In 2022, following a short time as a project manager for a small construction company, Shane became the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor and running mate of Tudor Dixon.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsorship

Inquire about sponsoring the 2023 Michigan Construction Leadership Summit by contacting Breanna George at [email protected] or calling 517.853.2545.

Check out our sponsorship flyer HERE.

full page sponsor 2023638283986059022525