ABC Honors Drinkwater at National Convention

Associated Builders and Contractors presented its 2005 Craft Professional of the Year award last week to Ray Drinkwater, an electrical foreman at Greiner Electric LLC in Littleton.

The award, given during the association's national convention in Orlando, is designed to recognize a craft professional who excels in his or her field, maintains a lifelong commitment to training and upholds the merit shop philosophy."

"Ray Drinkwater's dedication to excellence in the electrical field and to the merit shop philosophy, along with his inspiring decision to improve his life by entering the construction industry, made him an outstanding choice for this year's award," said 2005 ABC National Chairman Gary Roden, executive vice president and chief operating officer of AGUIRREcorp. in Dallas.

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Drinkwater has worked in the construction industry since 1993 when he was one of nine participants in an outreach project to bring disadvantaged youth into the construction trades. He entered ABC's Wheels of Learning apprenticeship program and went on to receive his journeyman's license in 1997.

In addition to his work at Greiner Electric, Drinkwater is a level one electrical instructor for the Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado. He has provided craft leadership on numerous projects and serves as a mentor to teenagers for the Mile High Youth Build of Denver.

The ABC Craft Professional of the Year winner is selected from seven craft category winners. The craft category winners are evaluated on several clear criteria, with the top candidates being chosen to represent their respective fields.

The criteria upon which the candidates were judged includes his or her mastery of job-related skills, jobsite and safety performance record, leadership, professionalism, community and industry service, personal motivation, credentials, commitment to the merit construction philosophy and recognition by others for excellence in craft skills and teamwork to complete projects successfully.

ABC is a national association representing 23,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States.

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