2025 Convention Program & Auction Catalog 21 A New Tradition Back by popular demand! During Sunday night’s Annual Auction, PCCA President & CEO Tim Wagner is again raffling off his luxurious suite--this time for the 2026 PCCA Convention at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla. Last year, the suite raffle proved to be an exciting addition to the Auction and provided a big financial boost to PCCA programs. We are raffling off the Diplomat’s fabulous Presidential Suite for six nights. This beach-luxe 1,620-square-foot suite allows for comfort and luxury with incomparable breathtaking sunset views over the intracoastal waterway and cityscape. Featuring a sophisticated palette of coastal colors, this exceptional room includes a spacious living room, an entertainment wall featuring 60” HDTV with Google Chromecast, a dining table set for five, a welcoming workspace, and a study where a plush pull-out sofa sleeps family or friends. The private king-size bedroom includes a secluded outdoor space to bask in the warm Florida sun. En suite bath includes a separate glassenclosed shower plus a deep-soaking tub and all the right touches. When you sit down for dinner at this year’s Auction, you’ll find a 2026 Convention Suite raffle form at your table. Don’t miss your chance to win this coveted presidential suite, which could be yours for as little as $1,000-- a rare opportunity to indulge in beachfront luxury! Recipients of PCCA’s 2024-25 scholarships were Dawson Hudson, Greenwood, S.C.; Samuel Tholen, Bristol, Ill; Connor Keenan, Waunakee, Wis.; and Avery Pillaro, Lowell, Ark. Recipients of the “Who Will Do the Work?” scholarships are all State Tech students: Cassius Mitchell, Macon, Mo.; Oliver Harper, Salem, Mo.; and Grant Harper, Clinton, Mo. Workforce Development The worker shortage crisis affects almost all industries and greatly hinders American business. As the companies that build America’s electric power facilities and broadband networks, PCCA members know that projects that could bring vital broadband connectivity to rural America sit idle, awaiting crews to run them. And they see energy projects languish without necessary workers. To battle the worker shortage, PCCA partners with technical schools and community colleges to create utility construction programs, participates in Department of Labor apprenticeship programs, and provides scholarships for students looking to work in the construction industry. PCCA members have beefed up their recruiting staffs and greatly broadened their recruiting and retention strategies. Yet, we all still need workers. PCCA has been working with individual states on their efforts to bolster the workforce, particularly on the broadband side. PCCA is now working with the Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, the Wisconsin Broadband Workforce Coalition, and the Mississippi Broadband Association and Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi. At the 2024 Mid-Year Meeting in July, PCCA announced a partnership with the Learning Alliance Corporation (LAC) to aid PCCA contractors in recruiting and retaining a much-needed workforce. LAC provides educational opportunities, diplomas, and certifications in the telecommunications industry, focusing on helping individuals to get trained, get certified, and obtain a career in a highskill, high-wage occupation. Immigration Reform Despite the hard work by PCCA and its members, and really by the entire business community, everyone still needs workers, which is why PCCA leaders maintain their staunch commitment to immigration reform and to changing hearts and minds on this issue. PCCA supports full funding for border control but also wants immigration reform that allows good, hard-working people a legal way to enter the country, become taxpayers, and pursue the American dream. We will continue working on Capital Hill and with the Trump administration to find a workable solution on immigration. To learn more about any of the issues discussed in this article, visit pccaweb. org and look for us on social media.
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