agchouston.org Summer2025Cornerstone3 F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N Advancing Safety, Leadership & Connection C ONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE AGC Houston member com- panies who represented our chapter this year at the AGC of America Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio, through the Construc- tion Safety Excellence Awards! I had the privilege of attending the convention, and it was inspiring to see our industry and chapter showcased so strongly in the national finals of these prestigious safety awards. I always find the convention incredibly rewarding. Highlights this year included seeing Houston members honored for their excellence, attending the Education & Research Foundation Gala, hearing national advocacy updates from AGC of America, and participating in several insightful sessions that directly impact my business and our industry. If you’ve never been, I encourage you to make plans to attend next year’s convention in Orlando, March 24–26, 2026. In addition, I want to share a few thoughts from our recent AGC Houston board retreat. While past retreats have typically focused on strategic planning or other special purposes, this year we took a new approach by combining our spring board meeting with a ded- icated off-site retreat. By setting aside dedicated time to conduct board busi- ness and discussing matters currently affecting our chapter and industry, we experienced the beneficial byproduct of strengthening the relationships among the board members. The group gathered at Lake Conroe and the event was a huge success. Prior to the retreat, I challenged the members with three asks: to be present, to engage and to learn. We began with our formal board meeting to address chapter business, and the engagement “ask” was especially felt when we spent time focusing on the expectations of AGC board members. At every board meeting, we work on a specific topic; this time, we had a robust conversation about the chapter’s long- term sustainability. Afterward, an outdoor dinner allowed board members to get to know each other better in a more casual setting. Although I enjoyed the meal and eve- ning’s conversation, watching a thunder- storm roll in over the lake was a pretty awesome experience! The next morning, we took on the “learning” challenge with a dynamic, storytelling-form market forecast from a representative of RW Baird. Special thanks to the RW Baird team and our AGC Select 401(k) Plan for sponsoring our retreat this year and for everything they do to support our chapter! Lastly, we wrapped up with an inter- active session led by our AGC staff. Board members rotated through sta- tions to learn about the full spectrum of our chapter’s programs and services from each individual. It’s often easy to get tunnel vision and only know about what you’re involved in, so this format allowed the board members to return to their companies with knowledge of the endless possibilities for member engagement. Thank you again to our incredible staff for sharing about your areas of expertise and for all you do for our industry. Overall, one of my key takeaways from the retreat is a fresh reminder of the qual- ity of the caliber of leadership within our board and member companies. Whether at a national convention or right here at home, I’m constantly reminded of what sets our chapter apart: a culture of mutual respect, technical excellence, and shared purpose. Our chapter truly represents the best our industry has to offer, both in terms of quality builders and quality people. Recently, a fellow board member called me to share a technical lesson that his team learned from a project similar to one Brookstone is working on—just one of many examples of the intangible qual- ity that binds AGC Houston’s member companies. For that, we can be thankful! Mutual respect and relentless dedi- cation to making our industry the best it can be are the hallmarks of our chap- ter’s legacy. I’m grateful to be part of this organization, and I look forward to working with each of you to carry these qualities forward for the next 100 years of AGC Houston. Mutual respect and relentless dedication to making our industry the best it can be are the hallmarks of our chapter’s legacy. Jeremy Stovall Brookstone Construction Chairman, Board of Directors, AGC Houston
