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A 20-year career in the hospitality industry may seem like an incongruent qualification for working in the construction industry. But Laurie Kendall, who last year was named president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pacific Northwest chapter, says the two have more in common than appears on the surface.

“It’s something I’m passionate about; getting to know businesses and employees, working to make their lives better, making introductions that improve networking and building relationships – those are common to the hotel industry, the same as with construction and most any other business,” Kendall said.

She originally joined ABC, a group that serves firms and companies that follow an open-shop approach to the building industry, in 2005 as membership director. In that role, Kendall worked steadily to build the group’s member numbers, even as the recession took a toll. At the lowest point during the economic downturn, ABC’s roster listed 100 contractors.

Kendall isn’t one to give up easily, though. She and Stephanie Cannon, the chapter’s chairwoman, have ramped up recruitment during the past year. The effort has paid off. The chapter’s membership has increased to 115, and Kendall expects the number to continue to grow as the economy improves.

Even though the construction industry in Oregon is showing signs of activity, Kendall knows the coming year will require more hard work. Like many trade organizations that serve the building industry, the chapter is looking at a tight budget, even as it plans to increase outreach and mentoring programs.

Luckily for the chapter, Kendall is the kind of person who thrives on meeting challenges head on.

“I came into this position because as membership director, I saw problems – holes that needed to be filled,” Kendall said, “and I invested myself in solving those problems.

“It’s stressful, but we have a great board, and the people I work with are fun as both professionals and friends. It’s a really dynamic, progressive-minded group. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary and everyone on the board is younger than the chapter. I think their motivation is to be … a part of what we do for the industry. I’m happy to be a part of it too.”