2022 NUCA Chairman: Ryan Kinning
For Ryan Kinning, now is the perfect time to be leading NUCA. And Kinning, vice president and co-owner of Pender, Nebraska-based Penro Construction, knows a thing or two about NUCA. Penro has been a NUCA member since 1981, with Kinning attending his first NUCA Convention as a fourth-grader. Kinning started to become active as a professional within the NUCA organization beginning in 2009 when he played a key role in the formation of the NUCA of Nebraska chapter.
Based on his experience at the Nebraska Chapter, where he served as the chapter’s second president, Kinning became involved in the NUCA National leadership group starting in 2015 as a member of the Board of Directors, followed by a role on the Executive Council since 2019. The ascension culminated with his induction as NUCA Chairman March 5, 2022, at the association’s Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
“This is a great honor and I intend to make the most of it for the members and our industry,” Kinning said during his speech at the Annual Meeting. “When I first went to the NUCA Convention as a fourth-grader it seemed like every contractor on the planet was there, and I want to see us get back to that. I want to focus on growth during my term as chairman because I know what this organization can be.
“And this is great time to be leading NUCA: There is an energy that we haven’t seen in a long time, we are experiencing growth that we haven’t seen in decades, and the association is on solid footing because of the work of the leadership that has come before me. We are well positioned to continue the upward momentum.”
As an example of effective leadership, Kinning cited the 90 percent member retention and 10 percent overall growth achieved over the last 12 months.
Kinning accepting the Silver Shovel from Past Chairman Lauren Atwell.
Growth Minded
For his term, Kinning says he is focused on continued efforts toward growing the membership, which seems natural considering his background within NUCA’s leadership. After helping establish the Nebraska chapter, Kinning became Chairman of NUCA’s Chapter Formation Subcommittee in 2015 and was involved in the formation of 10 chapters nationwide. In 2016, he helped form what is now known as NUCA Advantage, a substantial member benefits program that serves as a marketplace for industry services to members and a non-dues revenue source for NUCA and its chapters.
Kinning’s vision for growing the membership involves three key areas:
- Membership engagement
- Membership retention, and
- Membership recruitment
Membership engagement, he says, is the No. 1 priority. Membership engagement includes promoting NUCA programs that provide tangible benefits to members. These include NUCA Advantage insurance programs, NUCA Advantage portal, NUCA WINS, Damage Prevention and Claims Avoidance Program, Train the Trainer, Crew Leader Trainer and a host of discount programs.
“With these programs we can make the case that you get a return on your investment by being a NUCA member, to the point where it is a poor business decision not to be a member,” Kinning said. “At that point retention becomes easier, and recruitment efforts are more effective. By focusing on engagement, retention, THEN recruiting we can sustain the growth and we should continue to grow in the future.”
Kinning on a Penro Construction jobsite.
On the recruiting side, plans are in place to bring in new members. For example, NUCA is investing in a series of educational sessions and webinars with an association recruiting expert to teach members how to sell the value of the association and chapter. And, new recruiting materials are being produced as a resource for chapters and their members. The first-ever NUCA Signing Day is planned for May 2022, and NUCA will host a fall membership drive with recruiters in each state. The association plans to continue building its chapter base by establishing new chapters and welcoming back former chapters.
NUCA’s strategic plans over the past decade or so have laid the foundation for the successful path that the association is today, Kinnings says. He points to recent examples as the development of the chapter formation program, which eventually brought him back to NUCA as a NUCA of Nebraska member and added chapters across the country, as well as NUCA National’s role in providing resources and benefits to support chapters and their members at the local level.
Serving in various leadership roles at the chapter and national level has helped shape his personal development, as well as given him the opportunity to learn from his peers in companies large and small. But, Kinning says, what is most rewarding is the chance to give back to an industry that has given so much to him. “It’s payback for everything that NUCA has done for us over the 40-plus years we’ve been members,” he said.
In recognition of his service to the association, Kinning was honored with the prestigious Ditchdigger of the Year Award, which was presented to him by fellow NUCA of Nebraska member and former NUCA Chairwoman Kara Habrock at the NUCA Convention in 2018.
Kinning accepting the Ditchdigger of the Year Award from Kara Habrock in 2018.
“You don’t have to be from a $100 million company to make a difference,” Kinning said at the time. “By getting involved in committees and local chapters, you can make a difference in the industry. And you can make a difference right away. I encourage everyone to pick a committee that they are interested in and participate.”
Kinning is a second-generation contractor whose father, Arlis (Bud) Kinning Jr., was a founding partner in Penro Construction in 1971. Kinning started working for the company at a young age and in 2000, he and his brother, Mark, bought the company.
Ryan with his children, Max and Corinne, and his wife, Holly.
Looking ahead, Kinning sees opportunity for construction companies that can navigate a changing landscape. “There needs to be a shift in thinking from getting the work and the people will be there to build it,” he said. “Now, we need to get the people first. We need to focus on workforce development. The companies that have the best systems in place for recruiting employees will have the most success over the next several years.”
Also elected to the leadership team at the March 5 NUCA Annual Meeting was Tom Butler of Tampa, Florida, as Vice-Chairman. Tony Privitera of Kansas City, Missouri, was re-elected as Treasurer, and Matt Mingus of Nashville, Tennessee, as Secretary. Lauren Atwell, the former chairman, now becomes Immediate Past Chairman.
Kinning’s term as Chairman of the Board will end at the next NUCA Annual Meeting, scheduled for March 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After his term is completed, Kinning will then become the association’s Immediate Past Chairman, and continue to serve on the Board of Directors.
NUCA Chairs 1966- Peter Ellis 1994- Ted Bragger 1967- Tom Marinelli 1995- “Spunky” Thaxton 1968- Tom Marinelli 1996- Johnny Hall 1969- Joe D’Annunzio 1997- Walter Gainer 1970- Harold Schneider Jr. 1998- Lino DeAlmeida 1971- Harry Peyton 1999- Andy Mayts 1972- Anthony Shuttle 2000- Angelo Di Paolo 1973- Fred Compagni 2001- Jeff Weitzel 1974- John Leach 2002- Thomas Henkels 1975- Peter Inzero 2003- Mark Accetturo 1976- Bill Lee 2004- William Bowman 1977- Ed Cruz 2005- Cheryl Yoder 1978- Ken Goodwin 2006- Jim Stutler 1979- Dave Shevock 2007- James King 1980- Paul Carson Jr. 2008- Terry Dillon 1981- Gorman Pinkston 2009- Lyle Schellenberg 1982- Dan Carapellucci 2010- Dan East 1983- Bill Burgett 2011-2012- Ryan Schmitt 1984- Leon Asadoorian 2013- Florentino Gregorio 1985- Loretta Simmons 2014- Ron Nunes 1986- Gerry Kenny 2015- Bruce Wendorf 1987- Vic D’Geronimo 2016- Jeff Rumer 1988- Rick Egge 2017- Kara Habrock 1989- Jay Matricciani 2018-Mark Fuglevand 1990- Mike Ellis 2019-Dan Buckley 1991- Ron Pacella 2020-Fred Chesney 1992- Delaine Nelson 2021-Lauren Atwell 1993- Gerry Dorfman 2022-Ryan Kinning