Hot off the press: Individuals in California are required by law to maintain Minimum Essential Health Coverage (MEC) or face a significant financial penalty. What, exactly is MEC? Who's exempt? As an employer, how can you help your employees stay compliant? Jay Heydt, of Crest Insurance , answers these and more questions in this article .
Your ASA president says ...

“Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” Okay, maybe this has become an overused cliché, but there’s a good reason for that: It’s what needs to happen if a business is to thrive into the future.

ASA is no exception. In a few years, the people who’ll be candidates to join our association will be of a different generation and mind-set than most of us are today. They’ll have been computer-literate since they were little kids, for example, and they’ll be accustomed to managing many, if not most, aspects of their lives in ways we don’t really understand. (Yes; I feel old writing this.)

Perhaps they’ll socialize and network differently, view their family and personal lives differently, or hold different opinions regarding their companies’ and their own roles and responsibilities in the community.

At our annual strategic planning meeting in August, the ASA Board of Directors talked about what “The ASA of the Future” might look like, and we committed to begin skating where the puck is going. Step one, we decided, is to learn what the new members of the future might expect from a professional association such as ours. What would attract them to join?

To get the ball rolling, we invited young men and women from several companies to participate in a no-holds-barred brainstorming. (Scroll down to see the photo and story.) What we learned from this will be analyzed at future board meetings and will become a foundation for us to start thinking about possible changes (immediate or long-term) we might implement. Some changes cost nothing to make; others can be costly. By identifying and prioritizing possibilities now, the Board can arm itself with good information for budgeting purposes for the future.

As your new President, I’m excited by all of this. I hope you are, too!

John Luft
ASA President
Harassment prevention training deadline extended
With SB 778 signed into law, the deadline for sexual harassment prevention training has been extended by a year, to January 1, 2021. If your company has already provided training this year, you now may have up to two full years from the date of that training before it must be provided again. This is good news for the non-supervisory employees who recently attended a training session provided by our Affiliate, BBSI . By the way, members of the ASA Education Committee have begun discussing the possibility of providing this training in Spanish in the future.
Wanted: EDGRC chair
ASA's Economic Development & Government Relations Committee is in need of a leader. This committee r epresents the membership through meetings with the contracting/procurement departments for local governmental agencies and provides communication between subcontractors and these agencies. Meetings are on an as-needed basis.

Currently serving are Toby MacDonald of Western Fire Protection ; Owen Curtis of A&D Fire Sprinklers ; Richard Gabaldon of Brady SoCal ; John Luft of Southland Electric ; and James Simpson of Pacific Southwest Structures .
"With a culture of collaboration, we work toward a common purpose ... proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence."

Wow! This event was "SOLD OUT" almost immediately after the first notice went out. Obviously, many of you are interested in collaborating with this ASA Industry Partner, meeting with the company's decision-makers, and learning what projects are in the pipeline. We've started a wait list ; contact diana@sandiegoasa.org if you'd like your name to be added to it.

WHEN:
October 23 -- 3:00 - 5:00 pm
WHERE:
16798 West Bernardo Drive
San Diego, CA 92127
DETAILS:
Members only
Free to attend
No walk-ins
Fall Golf Classic update
ASA members love golf! Only few foursomes are still available, as are sponsorship opportunities. Contact nancy@sandiegoasa.org for details.
Look who's rolling in dough
Tom Daus of Turner Construction earned two $100 Visa gift cards for bringing in new ASA members Angelus Waterproofing & Restoration and Bali Construction . Tom Rose of Rocky Coast Builders earned $100 for bringing in Boise Cascade. Now it's your turn to bring in a member and score a gift card! Executive Director Nancy Grimes has information that will help you. Email nancy@sandiegoasa.org .
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Check out these GC & Public Agency Showcase photos
Visit the ASA photo galleries online HERE to see the Who's Who of San Diego's construction community -- because that's who attended this incredible networking event.
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Members-only event
Non-members welcome

2019
OCT 23
Meet Your General Contractor @ Swinerton
NOV 4
Fall Golf Classic @ San Diego Country Club
DEC 4
Holiday Mixer & Casino Night @ William D. Evans Sternwheeler

2020
JAN 23
Meet Your General Contractor @ Facility Builders & Erectors
FEB 12
Legal Update & Member Showcase @ Admiral Baker Clubhouse
MAR 12
Managing an Aging Workforce Seminar @ TSIB
MAR 20
Sporting Clays Tournament @ Lemon Grove Gun Club

Visit ASA's online calendar here .
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Have you joined The Producers Circle yet?
These generous ASA members have donated $1,000 toward the production of the 30th-Annual Awards & Installation Banquet on July 31, 2020. Your donation would be most welcome! (Please note that donations may be tax deductible; you're encouraged to consult your CPA.) For details, email diana@sandiegoasa.org .
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How to get 2020 vision
Can you believe it's nearly time for the ASA's annual Casino Night aboard the William D. Evans Sternwheeler? Plans for this festive event are well underway ... and we're adding a new twist to make it more fun than ever before!

Madame JuJu, palm reader and numerologist extraordinaire, will be onboard to tell you what's in store for you in 2020 . Believe us; she sees, knows, and tells all! Be sure to look for her upstairs (in the dinner area) for your personal reading.

And ... will your company be one of our sponsors for this fun and festive event? You'll find a list of opportunities HERE .
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ASAC-sponsored bill awaits signature
AB 1736 has made it to the Governor's desk, thanks to hard work and persistence by our lobbyist in Sacramento. This bill was introduced because contractors are not timely informed when they're deemed to be the lowest bidder on a project. Notification delays of one month or more occur up to 68% of the time. This causes contractors -- especially smaller ones -- to postpone bidding other projects or raise prices on other bids while awaiting notification of the first bid. 

Per AB 1736, local entities shall develop policies to expedite the notification process by July 2020. Each entity may develop its own policy that suits it best. Their processes are to be included in the RFPs.
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No wrinkles -- just fresh perspective
This dynamic group of young people gathered recently for a brainstorming session focusing on what "The ASA of the Future" will look like. Great ideas flew around the room regarding possible changes in how our association will attract new members 10 years from now and how it can encourage more young people to become involved today.

Shout out to these member companies that loaned us their young visionaries for a couple of hours: South Bay Welding, CMR Risk & Insurance Services, Kelar Pacific, and Brady SoCal. And a big thank you to Matt Becker of Cement Cutting , who stepped up to facilitate this effort on behalf of the Board.
We're asking our members to help us promote membership in ASA. If you're interested in making this happen, please contact diana@sandiegoasa.org to obtain a file that your webmaster can use.