NUCA 2026 National Convention Celebrates Advocacy, Looks Forward in Tucson
The National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) hosted a successful 2026 National Convention Feb. 10-13. The event brought together utility contractors and other NUCA members in a quiet, scenic setting at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in the Catalina Foothills of Tucson, Arizona.
NUCA’s National Convention is the association’s annual event for members, NUCA National Partners, chapters and affiliates. Last week, contactors and their peers enjoyed several opportunities for association/industry updates, networking, awards presentations, meetings and family time. Educational sessions and discussions throughout the week focused on issues closely followed by NUCA, along with priorities for the year.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, the activities kicked off with the return of NUCA’s annual golf tournament at Skyline Country Club hosted by the Arizona Chapter of NUCA (AZUCA).
On Wednesday, executive councils and regional boards held meetings and planned agendas and priorities for the year ahead. A salsa, guacamole and margarita making challenge sponsored by Caterpillar offered an afternoon break and ideal teambuilding opportunity for the group.
The day was capped off by an opening keynote from father-son duo, David and Jonah Stillman, co-authors of the best-seller “When Generations Collide.” The Stillmans’ talk, sponsored by Core & Main, highlighted generational differences, their impact on the culture’s approach to work and the traits recruiters should look for in prospective Gen-Z employees entering the workforce. The talk perfectly underscored one of the convention themes of looking to the future and attracting young talent into the construction workforce.
The keynote was followed by a Welcome Reception sponsored by United Rentals.
At a Thursday morning breakfast, NUCA’s William H. Feather Safety Awards celebrated member companies who have shown a significant commitment and effort to safety. The awards were formally presented to all the winners led by overall winner J.F. Wilkerson Contracting Co. Inc., based in Morrisville, North Carolina. NUCA also announced its outgoing and incoming executive board members and officers.
On Thursday evening, NUCA formally awarded its Ditchdigger of the Year Award (2025) to Tony Privitera, executive vice president of Kansas City-based contractor Mark One Electric Co. and past chairman of NUCA. The Associate Member of the Year Award (2025) was formally presented to Phil Goodwin, director of marketing services at U.S. Pipe.
Both Privitera and Goodwin delivered inspiring acceptance speeches about the importance of advocating for the utility construction industry around the country and in Washington, D.C.
The winner of NUCA’s Job Tops project award for 2025 was the Twin Peaks Rattlesnake Pass Widening in the category of Excavation Site Development by Gilbert, Ariz.-based Hunter Contracting.
The chairman’s shovel was officially passed to incoming chairman David Howell of Midwest Mole, who takes over for outgoing chairman Kevin Cripps. (See sidebar below).
NUCA concluded its 2026 convention on Friday with its National Equipment Operator Championship, designed to showcase operators and their talents while bringing awareness to the types of skills needed to work in construction and underground utilities. The championship was sponsored by U.S. Pipe and awarded a top prize of $5,000 and bragging rights.
Utility Contractor will have a full recap of the 2026 Convention, as well as write-ups on the Ditchdigger and Associate of the Year award winners in its May/June issue.
Midwest Mole’s David Howell Becomes NUCA Chair
By NUCA Staff
NUCA’s Board of Directors formally inducted David Howell as their new Chairman on Feb. 13 at the association’s Annual Meeting held in Tucson, Arizona.
In his acceptance speech, Chairman Howell discussed the year ahead for the association and gave the meeting’s audience a look at his forthcoming work for the benefit of our member’s companies and the nation’s utility construction industry.
“This coming year we will continue the efforts that the last few Chairmen have been leading and that is the advancement and modernization of our organization,” said Howell in his acceptance speech. “The one thing we cannot do is to ever rest on our laurels. NUCA is the only trade group out there that represents the contractors and the American utility industry. We will continue to work together on funding, regulation, damage prevention, safety, and workforce development. My goal is that as part of our efforts we also work to find ways to provide for the future generations with the same opportunities I was able to take advantage of that NUCA has offered.”
Howell has previously served as NUCA’s Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. He has also represented multiple NUCA Chapters on the association’s executive committee, including the chapters in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Howell is the Vice President of Business Development for Midwest Mole. He has been with the Midwest Mole family of companies for over 20 years, beginning his career working on trenchless tech projects across the country. During his time with the company, he has also held a variety of roles, including Field Engineer, Project Manager, Safety Director, and Railroad Division Manager. Howell holds a degree in civil engineering technology from Purdue University.
Also elected to the leadership team at the Feb. 13 NUCA Annual Meeting was Jason Clark as Vice-Chair, Kirk Blomgren as Treasurer, and Victor Serrambana as Secretary. Kevin Cripps, the former chairman, now becomes Immediate Past Chairman.
The association also elected several new vice-chairs to its top leadership team. Tony Raposo (NorthEast Region Vice-Chair), Mike McShane (MidWest Region Vice-Chair), Luke Lopez (West Region Vice-Chair), Shawn Martin (Central Region Vice-Chair), and Jason Holden (At-Large) were also elected to the NUCA Executive Committee.
Howell’s term as Chairman of the Board will end one year from now at the next NUCA Annual Meeting, scheduled for March 2025 in Tampa, Florida. After his term is completed, he will then become the association’s Immediate Past Chairman and continue to serve on the Board of Directors.
