NUCA Swears In Jeff Rumer as 2016-2017 Chairman

In March, NUCA swore in its new Chairman, Jeff Rumer, Senior Vice President of Operations for Harrison Western Construction Corp. and President and COO of Underground Infrastructure Technologies, during the association’s annual convention in Puerto Rico. After receiving the ceremonious symbols of chairmanship, Rumer addressed the crowd and discussed his year ahead and the importance of membership involvement.

“I started participating in NUCA, first at my local chapter level and soon after at a national level,” Rumer said. “I quickly realized that there was a direct correlation between the contribution I make to NUCA and the benefit I receive. I realized that my voice in our industry and my ability to affect change was dramatically increased by the common goals and unified voice of all of us working with each other to create a better environment for our companies to thrive. Along the way, I raised my hand to volunteer a few too many times and somehow I find myself standing up here with the intimidating task of leading this organization through the next year. My saving grace seems to be that you are all standing here with me.”

Rumer, an industry veteran with more than 25 years under his belt, has been a part of NUCA since 2004 — a decision he says opened doors for him both professionally and personally. He even earned the honor of being named Ditchdigger of the Year in 2013, NUCA’s most prestigious award. At the time, Rumer discussed the importance of NUCA and how the association has given him a voice in the industry.

“NUCA is by far the strongest and most engaging voice we have in our industry today,” says Rumer. “The ability to be personally involved in that process, both locally and nationally, allows me to have some influence and control over my future both as a business owner and a member of the utility construction community. The opportunities provided through NUCA to have my voice heard with agencies that have a dramatic impact on how we operate our businesses every day is crucial to our continuing success. I have had the opportunity to speak directly to and have my opinions heard by representatives from our state and federal legislature, OSHA, EPA and many more, only as a result of the strength that NUCA represents to our national leaders.”

To learn more about Rumer, check out his Ditchdigger of the Year article from the May 2014 issue. Tags: Jeff Rumer, NUCA, Underground Infrastructure Technologies