SMPS Greater Cincinnati Reaches Out to the Community
James A. Wasserbauer, CPG, CPSM, SMPS Greater Cincinnati Chapter President

When SMPS National tasked chapters across the nation with reaching out to local organizations, the Greater Cincinnati Chapter embraced this challenge and set out to expand our horizons.

Joseph Hummel and James Wasserbauer holding the SMPS/ACI Partnership Agreement.

James Wasserbauer and Kristina Dewberry holding the SMPS/NAWIC Partnership Agreement.

Because our chapter’s mission is to be the premier resource for education in the natural and built industry, we felt that connecting with other Cincinnati organizations would provide an opportunity to increase that educational outreach, along with increased networking opportunities.

Two area organizations we approached were Allied Construction Industries (ACI) and the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), about sharing resources to better benefit our members.

Allied Construction Industries (ACI) is a nonprofit trade association composed of over 600 member companies who employ more than 30,000 individuals throughout Greater Cincinnati. Founded in 1929, ACI's membership includes general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, developers, material suppliers, and service providers to the construction industry.

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) originally began as an association located in Fort Worth, TX, in 1953. Knowing that women represented a small fraction within the construction industry, the organization was developed to create a support network. Currently NAWIC has more than 5,500 members, from trades women to owners, with 179 chapters in the United States. In addition, it has gained international status by forming agreements with other NAWIC associations in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

SMPS Greater Cincinnati’s December meeting celebrated these partnerships, as we hosted an official signing of the shared membership agreements, with representatives from both ACI and NAWIC in attendance. ACI and NAWIC spoke to the large group about their excitement regarding the partnership, which we wholeheartedly echoed. The agreements allow all groups to cross-promote and offer membership benefits such as events, training, facility space, diversity, and networking to all members.

This initiative has been well-received and well-utilized in the past few months, and we look forward to a long-standing relationship with both organizations, as well as the opportunity to forge new agreements with other area organizations.

For more information, please contact Sarah Pasquinucci at spasquinucci@cgmarcom.com. [ return to top ]