Click here to listen to full podcast
Samantha DeAlmeida Roman, serves as the President of the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey. She is a passionate and dedicated government affairs professional with a comprehensive educational background and a proven work ethic. Samantha excels in managing and supporting all facets of strategic communications and government affairs, known for her ability to deliver exceptional service in fast-paced environments.
Her professional prowess is marked by her skill in building productive, professional relationships and aligning communication efforts with organizational goals. Samantha is recognized as an out-of-the-box thinker, equally comfortable working in teams or independently, ensuring that her solutions consistently exceed expectations. Her strategic approach and adaptability have made her a valuable asset in the realm of government affairs.
Samantha’s exceptional academic qualifications include a Master of Arts in Public Policy and a Master of Science in Homeland Security from Monmouth University. These credentials underpin her expertise and reinforce her commitment to excellence in her field. Her blend of academic excellence and practical experience positions her as a leader capable of driving significant advancements in government affairs and strategic communications.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association representing 22,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms across 68 chapters in the United States. Catering to all specialties within the industrial and commercial construction sectors, ABC is dedicated to helping its members develop their workforce, secure projects, and execute them with a focus on safety, ethics, and profitability. Through these efforts, ABC aims to enhance the communities where its members operate.
Laura: Welcome to the Women’s Roundtable podcast, powered by the Think Factory, where we learn how women think big and grow their businesses. My name is Laura Siclari, a partner with Outside General Counsel Solutions, and I am the host of today’s episode. Today’s guest is Samantha Roman, the president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors of New Jersey. Samantha rocks this traditionally male dominated industry to lead with amazing innovations over at ABC, New Jersey. Welcome to the show, Samantha.
Samantha: Thank you so much for having me, Laura.
Laura: Wonderful. I’m so glad to talk about this today. When you told me some of the things that ABC, New Jersey does, I was really excited to be able to highlight them. So first, why don’t you tell me in general about ABC, New Jersey? You know, the trade organization. So, we get a sense of who you guys are.
Samantha: Sure. So, we’re a national association. ABC stands for Associated Builders and Contractors, and we have 68 chapters throughout the United States. Some states have more than one chapter within it. We happen to serve all of New Jersey. So we’re a little unique in that way. We also happen to be the largest in the country as well. So we serve upwards of 1400 members. That’s contractors, suppliers, associate members, and we have a very robust apprenticeship program as well. That’s a separate entity. That one is a501c3, and it’s a United States Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program where we do training in 26 trades. So it’s it’s ever growing. It’s something that was started a couple of years ago and has really blown up and it’s been very successful and we’re continuing to to grow it. But there’s so many aspects of this organization that I am proud of. I can talk for four days about it.
Laura: Tell me more about the apprenticeship program, though. Is it designed for certain ages or, you know, young adults coming out of certain programs or high schools? Who’s your target with this apprenticeship program?
Samantha: We’re inclusive of the populations that we serve. There are, you know, minimum qualifications. You have to be 18 to enter into the program. A high school diploma is preferred. However, you know, we have folks with GEDs that have come into the program as well without actually even being able to help some folks with their GEDs so that they can get involved as well. And we have all different populations. I mean, I have people that have been in the trades for quite some time and they’re going for licensing, and they want to go through an apprenticeship program. And then I have the fresh green beans that are right out of high school that want to come and get involved in the trades. And they just see a path and a career for them, and they want the training. I will tell you; I did an Op-Ed recently where Gen Z is really leading the way in in terms of entering into the trades. We saw a little bit we saw a little bit of an uptick, but Gen Z is starting to really enter the construction field with some force. And I think it’s due to the fact that college debt is substantial and programs like ours are free. They can get a license or a journeyman card and really be top of their class in terms of training and not have to incur any debt and have that investment by their employer.
Comments are closed