PHOENIX, Arizona – The Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA) appointed Dan Puente of DP Electric as the organization’s 2020 chairman. In his role, he will facilitate discussions with the board of directors, utilize their direction and support to ensure consensus on industry issues and challenges, and help the organization achieve success in 2020.
“The number one issue facing our industry today is the shortage of skilled labor. Dan Puente has proven himself to be a true champion at raising public awareness and creating pathways for the next generation of competent builders,” said Brad Lloyd, the ABA’s 2019 chairman. “With Dan Puente at the helm, the future of the Arizona Builders Alliance is looking exceptionally bright!”
In 2019, the ABA led the significant advocacy effort that repealed the sole use of hard-bid on K-12 construction projects. As a result, an estimated $500 million of projects were safe-guarded, continuing to protect procurement alternative project delivery methods.
“This year, one of the things I’ll be working toward is increasing our education and workforce development efforts,” stated Dan Puente. “We want to create opportunities for young people to have early exposure to the construction industry by offering numerous opportunities for them to get involved.”
Puente has been active in the ABA for 19 years and is serving his sixth year on the Board of Directors. He founded DP Electric in 1990, and currently serves as chief executive officer. Puente founded DP Electric with the vision of creating a company that values employees, is service-oriented, and delivers quality work. He started the business in his garage, utilizing 10 years of experience in the electrical industry.
Outside of the ABA, Puente is currently serving for the 13th consecutive year on the Board of Directors for ACE Mentoring. He is also a member of the Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona, which is responsible for representing and advocating on behalf of all minority and women-owned contractors to provide opportunities for education and events designed to help businesses grow. Dan’s passion and experience in workforce development and changing the perception of today’s youth has already made an impact on the need for trained construction workers in the electrical industry.