Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) founders, Joseph Hunt and William Brown, will be honored on Thursday, September 11, 2008 at the American Institute of Steel Construction's (AISC) annual meeting, in Colorado Springs, CO, for receiving the AISC Special Achievement Award.
This award honors individuals who have made a difference in AISC's and the structural steel industry's success. The award provides special recognition to individuals who have provided outstanding service over a sustained period of years to AISC and to the structural steel design, construction and academic community.
"We are both very honored to receive such a special recognition from AISC," said Hunt. "Our dedication to ironworkers and the construction industry as a whole is something we take very seriously and will continue in the future for many years to come."
IMPACT's accomplishments include: a national drug testing program; a national safety insurance program for work comp and general liability insurance; establishing 10 labor-management Regional Advisory Boards around the country to strengthen and improve relations between contractors, shop owners and local unions; and multiple new and innovative training programs.
"AISC has had a long tradition of outstanding service to the steel construction industry, and we find ourselves humbled by them bestowing such an award on us and recognizing IMPACT's achievements," said Brown.
Joseph J. Hunt was elected general president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers on February 23, 2001. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he is a third generation ironworker. Over the years he has served in many labor related positions including vice president and executive board member of the St. Louis Building Trades Council, executive board member of the Missouri Building Trades Council, trustee and executive board member of the St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO, chairman of the National Stack and Chimney Committee and secretary of the Regional Committee of the National Infrastructure Alliance. Currently, he is a vice president of the AFL-CIO and chairman of the board for the Union Labor Life Insurance Company (ULLICO).
William Brown is president and CEO of Ben Hur Construction Company. Brown has served as vice chairman of the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship, and has also co-chaired OSHA's negotiated rulemaking committee. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Ironworkers and Employers Apprenticeship Training and Journeyman Upgrading Fund. Bill was elected president of The Association of Union Constructors, the former NEA, from 2005-2007. He serves on the Board of Directors of Premier Bank in Jefferson City, Missouri, the Community Board of Barnes Jewish Christian Hospital in St. Charles County, Missouri and the Board of Overseers of Lindenwood University. Brown is a member of Ironworkers Local 396, St. Louis.