January 2025
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Special Feature Strengthening the AEC Community:
A Conversation with CBC’s New President, Kurt Prochorena High-Profile’s Anastasia Barnes recently sat down with Kurt Prochorena, the new president of the Connecticut Building Congress (CBC) and vice president at Loureiro Engineering Associates, to discuss his initiatives and the organization’s plans for the upcoming year.
AB: How do you see the CBC evolving to meet the changing needs of the commercial construction, architecture, and engineering industries in Connecticut? KP: The CBC must remain agile and well informed regarding evolving industry trends to continue serving our members effectively. As our industry adapts to new technologies and practices, we will focus on:
Kurt Prochorena
Anastasia Barnes: As the newly appointed president of the CBC, what is your primary vision for the organization over the next year? Kurt Prochorena: My primary vision is to strengthen our role as a key resource and advocate for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry across the state. Over the next year, I will promote strong collaboration within our membership and increase engagement through valuable programming and networking opportunities. This will position our members to thrive in a rapidly changing industry landscape. AB: What are the key initiatives or programs you plan to implement during your tenure? KP: I plan to implement several initiatives that align with the evolving needs of
our industry and enhance the value of CBC membership: • Membership: Increase the number of AEC firms and members in the organization to enhance and diversify interactions between architecture, engineering, construction and allied sectors. • Engagement: Enhance the ways our members can communicate, interact, and exchange information within the organization. Strengthen our members’ connections and offer platforms for mentoring and professional growth. • Workforce Development: Position CBC as a resource to help fill the growing skills gap in our industry by collaborating with educational institutions and providing visibility to the benefits of a career in the AEC fields.
29th Annual LeFloch Memorial Golf Outing & CBC Scholarship Fundraiser held in the fall of 2024
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• Embracing Innovation: Keep our membership apprised of evolving design and construction tools/practices that enhance efficiency and quality. This includes advanced data capture, AI BIM, smart building materials and prefabrication. • Sustainability and Resiliency: Support the adoption of sustainable and resilient design and construction. • Regulatory Advocacy: Ensure that CBC members are well-informed about changes in codes, laws and regulations which impact their work. AB: What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing CBC members today, and how can the organization help them navigate these? KP: Significant challenges that face our members include access to new talent that can sustain the industry’s workforce, and finding effective ways to transfer the industry’s “institutional knowledge” to the next generation of designers and builders. CBC can leverage the collective knowledge of our diverse membership to create mechanisms to foster engagement of potential talent and contribute to workforce development across the industry.
“ CBC will continue to play an instrumental role in shaping the future of construction by serving as a resource for informative programs, creating platforms for mentoring and professional growth, and being a proponent of workforce development to fill the growing skills gap in our industry.” AB: For current members, how do you plan to enhance the value of CBC membership? KP: Goals for the year that will enhance the value of CBC membership include: • Enhance CBC’s Industry Practices Council to keep our membership apprised of evolving design and construction tools/practices. • Provide our members with exclusive industry insights. • Offer informative programs that provide current and relevant information to our members. • Offer more targeted networking events that connect members with potential partners and clients. continued to page 18
Bags and Brews Networking Social held in September 2024