Construction industry veteran Dave Fleming, Sundt‘s Director of Dispute Resolution, has been with the company since 1991. Among Dave’s many accomplishments is his recent appointment as National President of the American Institute of Constructors (AIC), a non-profit membership association dedicated to advancing ethics and professionalism in the construction industry. Prior to becoming AIC’s president, Dave spent two years as chairman of the organization’s Constructor Certification Commission, which offers two levels of certification to construction professionals through nationwide exams offered twice each year.
What are your plans for the AIC as its new president?
My plans as the new president revolve around marketing the advantages of becoming a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC) to as many groups as possible within our industry. One of the key groups is the 70-plus universities hosting the Associate Constructor (AC) level test for graduating seniors. We want to help them get a leg up in marketing their skills to new employers. My other main objective is marketing Sundt CPC’s, and in turn Sundt, by displaying a national image of ethics and professionalism in our work. Educating owner groups to look for Certified Professional Constructors in their selection of the next qualification-based proposal is another top priority.
What’s the value of CPC certification?
The AIC is focused on raising the bar for individuals within our industry. The organization supports individual constructors throughout their careers by helping them develop the skills, knowledge, professionalism and ethics that further the standing of the construction industry. Sundt’s management sees this issue the same way and supports professional development of its employees by sponsoring the cost of preparing and taking the CPC exam, as well as paying a bonus to those who pass it.
Why is national certification needed in the construction industry?
A company needs one person to be licensed in a state to perform work there. Many times the business owner and others within the company work under one license. In that situation, how do we know these people know what they are doing and will manage and perform the work professionally and ethically? AIC’s CPC program is the answer because the individual is tested and earns the nationally recognized CPC certification. AIC’s initial testing and continuing education program assures people inside the industry and those using the services that the person managing their construction has achieved a level of construction management knowledge, as well as an ethical standard, that is recognized nationally by our industry.
What might you be doing if you weren’t working in the construction industry?
If I won the lottery I’d be sailing fulltime in the Caribbean islands. I love to ocean sail and try to join my retired brother off the coast of Maine each summer to decompress. He takes my cell phone away for a week of “getting away from it all.” There is something about sailing up to the stern of a lobster boat and offering 20 bucks cash and getting four live lobsters for dinner that makes one appreciate that there is more to life than work all the time.
Where would you most like to travel?
Having a million miles on three different airlines makes answering a question about travel a very questionable thing. I have a desire to see more of America than what I have seen from a window seat of an airplane! In 20 years I have never driven from Texas to Arizona or California. I think seeing all the US state parks in the west would be an adventure, but by car – not flying. Guess that may be a “bucket list” item of mine. My wife wants to take me to Ireland; that would be good, too.
What’s the best book you read in the last year?
“Level Headed,” the book Doug Pruitt (Sundt’s former CEO) wrote about Sundt’s turnaround, because I lived it with many Sundt employees when it was happening. It reflects on how the people of Sundt came together under Doug and our current CEO Dave Crawford’s leadership to become a great company. “Our people make the difference” is not just a slogan; it is the culture and the will of some really fine people at Sundt.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I like to do things that are simple and away from the current stress of TSA lines, FAA delays, and hotels. So I guess staying at home or sailing.