By- Mary Dougherty in SRQ Daily

The Primary Election is over. There were winners and there were losers, but the biggest winner was the community!

Residents let their voices be heard. Perhaps the one thing I saw more of this election cycle than cycles before was that calculated misinformation was quickly disputed and facts were quickly disseminated. It would be great if this would continue through the rest of the campaign cycle in November. Hopefully, this will be the start of a trend that will render these shady campaign tactics obsolete. You may get mailers at your home that cast candidates in dark shadows that make them look less than trustworthy, but frankly they are just people with different views than your own. Yet, they put themselves out there to run for office and make a difference in the community. Now, it is time to come together and work towards solutions for the community. I always believe that we have more in common than we have that divides us (okay, call me naïve).

As we saw recently in the community, there are problems we didn’t realize existed to the magnitude that they showed themselves. I’m speaking specifically about the flooding in both Manatee and Sarasota counties after Tropical Storm Debby. I’m not an expert on this subject and I won’t pretend to know what caused this calamity in the lives of so many of our neighbors, but I do know that I’ve lived down here since 1979 and I don’t recall ever seeing anything like it before. We must work together to identify and solve what caused the flooding so it doesn’t happen again.

Though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the outpouring of goodwill and generosity we have seen after the storm, which is so typical of the great community we live in.

As after every election, the sun came up the next day. We went on with our lives and everything was and will be okay. 

Our elections have become like action movies where the Super Hero must defeat the evil villain. Maybe we just watch too many movies or maybe once again I’m just naïve. These are differences of opinions, different visions, but not good versus evil. I’m old enough now to have seen the pendulum swing several times from one way to the other and I’m still here to talk about it. The world did not come to an end during any of the swings. Our country and our community are stronger than any one election cycle. 

Our democracy is stronger than any one election cycle, no matter what those shiny dark mailers may want you to believe.

Yes, I may be naïve, but I’ve seen over and over again that what binds us together as a community and our vision for a community where we want our children to grow and prosper is far stronger than what divides us. So, let’s continue to discuss and debate. Let’s continue to hold our elected officials accountable both while they are in office and at the ballot box. Perhaps most importantly, let’s continue to come together to build a stronger, more robust and more resilient community.

Mary Dougherty is executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange. 

Submitted by Carrie Butler

Today’s high school students are faced with many choices, but also a lot of pressure from parents, peers and educators to head straight to college after they take off the graduation cap. It’s no secret that this path isn’t right for everyone, but many students get swept away and maybe waste a year or two before finding their way.

For Julieanna Etter, a recent graduate of Riverview High School, there was never any doubt that she was going to take a different path.

'I have always loved construction and learning the different stages of construction and what goes into all of it,' Etter said.

Etter was part of Riverview’s Construction Academy, designed to prepare high school students for a career in the building industry. Neal Communities, one of the primary funders of the academy, has also given Etter a start in the industry with an internship, working in construction management and warranty.

'The Construction Academy at Riverview High School piqued my interest because I love learning new things,' Etter said. 'I’d say certain aspects of the class were more helpful than others but since I’ve started here at Neal, they’ve filled in all the gaps and broadened my knowledge of the subject. I’ve learned so much from the different people and everyone is just always trying to help me learn more every time they see me. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.'

The Construction Academy was created to help an industry that is in need for current and future workers because of dramatic growth and the increasing number of individuals retiring from the trades. The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor, according to a report by the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group. In 2025, the industry will need to bring in nearly 454,000 new workers on top of normal hiring to meet industry demand. The report also indicated the industry’s average age of retirement is 61, and more than 1 in 5 workers are currently older than 55.

Over the past two years, Neal has donated $100,000 to the Construction Academy, with the donation spearheaded by Charlene Neal, president of Charlene Neal PureStyle and also a Riverview alum. The Construction Academy incorporates a curriculum from the National Center of Construction Education and Research along with providing hands-on experience for students.

'I have chosen to go straight into the workforce instead of college or schooling,' Etter said. 'I’m more of a hands-on worker and like going straight into my field of work and learning how everyone manages their workload and taking tips from everyone to find my rhythm.'

At GCBX, 63% of our members have been in business over 20 years and 24% have been in business 11–20 years, so they are an important part of the community and have been an economic engine in the economy for a long time.

Learn More.

SRQ Daily

The Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX) has represented the Commercial Contracting Industry in the region since 1952. We build schools, hospitals, libraries, roads, firehouses, police stations, the places you go to work and the restaurants where you go to dinner. As an organization we have over 400 business members with a constituency of over 50,000 employees. These are your friends and neighbors that work in the construction industry and help support a thriving local economy.

Learn More.

SQR Daily,

Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX) members build hospitals, schools, libraries, the places where you go to work, cool things like Mote SEA and all types of other commercial projects. The costs for these projects have increased significantly over the past several years for many reasons. 

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SQR Daily,

There are many reasons a strong educational system is good for the community, but it is also a necessity for strong economic development. We need an educated and trained workforce for economic development.

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SQR Daily

Since the 1800s, it has been said "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session" and it seems this saying still holds true today.

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