Giving Back From the Start
Each year, MSCA teams up with Convoy of Hope to make a meaningful impact in the cities that host our annual conferences. This year, on Friday, November 7, MSCA Board members and volunteers spent the day supporting Maggie’s Place in Phoenix, Arizona—helping refresh the facilities and create a more welcoming space.
Maggie’s Place offers safe, secure homes for homeless, pregnant women and their babies, along with the resources and programs needed to achieve independence. Our volunteers’ efforts helped strengthen this vital community mission.
Education, Annual Convoy of Hope Packing Party, and Social Activities
Adam Wallenstein and United Association General President Mark McManus kicked off the conference, followed by keynote speaker and author Stan Phelps, who explored how to “Excel Under Pressure and Thrive in the Game of Business.”
After Monday’s general session, members visited the exhibitor display to see the latest innovations from our manufacturers. Following lunch, Alex Willis, CEO of Leadership Surge, led Talk of the Trades, an interactive review of the 2025 MSCA Benchmark Survey. Members then closed out the day’s educational programming with a series of engaging roundtable discussions.
The networking continued into the evening with the WiMI Networking Session, sponsored by DeWalt, and the Evening Reception, sponsored by BuildOps.
Tuesday morning, we celebrated our 11th Anniversary MSCA Everyday Hero Award recipient and the Barb Dolim Scholarship winner before hearing from keynote speaker and retired U.S. Army Ranger Kris “Tanto” Paronto. He shared lessons learned from the attacks in Benghazi and deployments in some of the world’s most hostile environments, offering insights on perseverance, leadership, focus, and strategic decision-making in the midst of chaos.
Later that morning, spouses and students continued our commitment to service by participating in the 15th Annual Convoy of Hope Packing Party, assembling thousands of hygiene kits for distribution to people in need worldwide. The day continued with additional education sessions, roundtable discussions, and the 32nd Annual Golf Tournament, sponsored by ServiceTitan.
Members began Wednesday with the invigorating 12th Annual Sun Run and Walk, sponsored by Porter Pipe & Supply. The action-packed day continued with education sessions featuring speakers Steve Thomas, Marc Koehler and Frank Favaro. The program also included a presentation by United Association Training Specialists Joe Fernandez and Robert Vilches on UA HVACR and plumbing service training.
More Education, Presidential Remarks and Changing of the Chair
Another special guest from the United Association, Director of HVACR Brian Kelly, joined Martin Naranjo, vice president of service for A.O. Reed, and Randall Chenworth, executive director of ARCA/MCA of Southern California for a session on recruiting the next generation and partnering with HVAC Excellence schools to support service tech success.
We closed out the educational programming before shifting gears and listening to remarks from MCAA President Brian Hughes, CEO of Hughes Environmental Engineering. The final general session featured wellness coach and mindfulness advocate Alison Canavan, who spoke about “Leading From Within” and the importance of energy management. Outgoing chair Adam Wallenstein then introduced his successor, David Geith, who shared his vision for the year ahead and recognized the incoming MSCA Board of Managers.
Closing Party and Fireworks
MSCA wrapped up with a closing party in full Stagecoach style, featuring sizzling barbecue, cold drinks and a Western-themed music festival with reggae legend Junior Marvin and The Wailers—capped off with a fireworks finale.
To see more photos from the event, click the link below. If you are interested in materials from sessions you attended or materials from our attending sponsors, please revisit the MSCA25 app!
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