New CCA president looks at engaging members in advocacy and technology

The new president of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is focusing on three key priorities to carry the association into the future: advocacy, image and technology.

Mary Van Buren, a marketing, strategy and digital expert, said she was intrigued by what the association and the industry had to offer when she contemplated taking on the role. “As I learned more about the industry, I was really excited by it primarily in two areas,” explained Van Buren, who was looking for a position in a national association when an executive recruiter called her about the position at the CCA.
“One is just how important construction is to Canada’s GDP. It contributes billions of dollars. Secondly, the industry is going through a transformation in terms of technology, business practices and the workforce, so with those elements I thought ‘well, that’s a really good fit for my skills.’ ”
“The industry is transforming itself and I think there is a really bright future if you look at the aging infrastructure Canada has. It needs to be modernized.”
Van Buren officially took over the position from longtime CCA president Michael Atkinson Oct. 16. She holds an MBA in international business from McGill and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.She is also a Certified Association Executive. She has held roles at a Canadian Medical Association’s subsidiary, MD Financial Management, Export Development Canada and most recently as vice-president of marketing and IT at the Canadian Real Estate Association.
“I’m a change leader and I have a unique combination of marketing, strategy and technology expertise,” said Van Buren. “I also have broad experience in financial services, health, economic development and real estate in both the public and private sectors.”
One of her priorities in her new role is advocacy.
“Advocacy is core to what CCA does and I know we have a great track record already but I would like to be more proactive and look at ways to engage our members more in political advocacy,” said Van Buren. “It’s really important for MPs to hear from their own constituents. We have close to 1.4 million Canadians working in the industry, so it’s looking at ways we can better leverage their voices and connect them to their MPs carrying the construction industry message.”
She is also hoping to work on the image of the construction industry.
“People have different views of the construction industry, whether it’s the person on the street holding the stop sign all the way up to builders of the community. I would really for like us to work more toward that end of the builders of the community because it’s very emotional, I think it resonates with people,” Van Buren stated. “When you’re living somewhere and you know that the construction industry is helping to create these new, sustainable buildings or smart cities, that’s really exciting.
“We need to attract a diverse and technology savvy workforce. There are predictions about us having a severe shortage of workers, so if we can become the employer of choice, and there’s no reason for us not to, we offer great, exciting careers.”
With a strong background in technology, Van Buren hopes to help members adopt new and emerging trends.
“We know that technology is here — everything from autonomous vehicles to smartphones being used on the worksite,” she explained. “Helping our members adopt technology, understanding what is out there, particularly our small and medium-sized firms who don’t have the resources some of the big players do to try stuff. They really need to learn from others and best practices to adopt what makes sense for them.”
Van Buren says she is looking forward to engaging and working closely with members to influence change in the industry.
“I am a very collaborative leader and I want to reach out more to our local associations and work with them to deliver even more value to our members,” she said. “We have a great track record and very dedicated staff. I think there is an opportunity for us to be more proactive, dial up our innovation and also to better communicate how we help our members in their success.”