I’ve never made the most important aspect of my life a secret. Family always has and always will hold the top spot. I’ve been privileged to enjoy a fantastic marriage to my wife Anna for 35 years and we’ve raised four wonderful daughters together, with our family continuing to grow with the addition of our son-in-law.
In my first career in the banking industry in Los Angeles, I was offered a promotion that would have sent Anna and me to Tokyo, San Francisco or Berlin. It was with family in mind that Anna and I decided instead to return to Bakersfield – where we were both born and raised and where our families primarily reside – to start our first business together. We wanted our kids to grow up with the same family oriented lifestyle we did and I’m thankful we made that decision.
While each NPCA member’s family, business and membership journey is different, our core belief in family fits right in with the NPCA culture. Our members tend to be family-oriented folks, and together we form an NPCA family of sorts. Now in my 25th year of membership with NPCA – and especially in the past 10 years or so as a committee and Board volunteer – I’ve seen the strength of the NPCA family countless times. I know networking ranks at the top of every member satisfaction survey and I’ve seen that in action at the Annual Convention, The Precast Show and anywhere else members come together. I’ve called on fellow members for help, had others call on me and developed some lasting relationships. I know I’m certainly not alone in that very large boat.
While we all have our challenges, at the end of the day the strength of this association truly lies within the bonds we share with one another. Together, we make the precast concrete industry better, and as we approach our 50th year as an association, the future is bright. If you’ve never been involved with NPCA beyond just paying your dues, now is a great time to start. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can gain from your membership. If you’ve been involved in the past, come on back and try something new. The greater the involvement, the more we can share, learn, grow and propel our industry into the future. Joining a committee is a great place to start and you can learn all about it on the NPCA website.
I’m lucky to have two families I’m proud to be a part of, and I hope NPCA holds that same place for you. Let’s “build the future” of precast together!
Brent Dezember, Chairman, National Precast Concrete Association
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