MCAA congratulates our very own Michele Hoffman on her selection as the recipient of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Education Foundation’s Carol A. Kueker Construction Education Visionary Award. The annual award recognizes an individual who has worked aggressively to promote construction as a viable career path, and Michele certainly fits the bill. MCAA CEO Tim Brink said, “Michele’s accomplishments are the result of years of hard work and dedication. I’m proud to have her as a member of the MCAA team.”
Since becoming MCAA’s Director, Career Development in January 2022, Michele developed the student programming for the MCAA Annual Convention in March. She is currently putting the final touches on the GreatFutures Forum, which will take place September 29 – October 1 in Boston. This student-focused conference will include a reimagined non-traditional job fair that removes company booths and will focus on finding internship and full-time employment matches in a relaxed environment. During the last seven months, Michele says her primary focus has been to “connect the dots” from student to contractor, student to local affiliated association, student to MCAA, and most recently peer-to-peer after graduation through the new MCAA GreatFutures Alumni group.
Before joining MCAA, Michele spent 13 years at MCA-Omaha, where she served as the Industry Advisor for the University of Nebraska Student Chapter, which was named MCAA Student Chapter of the Year in 2015, 2019, and 2020. She also worked with their local board and committees, as well as in event management and communications roles. Appropriately enough, it was Karli Meisinger, one of Michele’s former MCA-Omaha Members and one of the Founding Four contractors involved with the rebranding of the Nebraska student chapter, who nominated her for the NAWIC award.
Michele, who has been a member of MCAA’s Career Development Committee since 2018, received the award during an August 19, 2022, gala on the final day of the NAWIC Annual Conference in Minneapolis. “I’m unbelievably honored to receive this award, an award that’s rooted in celebrating passion for education in construction and from an organization as outstanding as NAWIC,” she said.
So, what happened to Michele’s role at MCA-Omaha? Naturally, it was filled by University of Nebraska Student Chapter alumna, Ali Brown. Now that’s taking career development full circle!
