May 26, 2006

Specification

CSC lauds its industry veterans

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

WINNIPEG

Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) has conferred its coveted life membership award this year on industry veterans Chris MacPhail of Ottawa and Edmonton-based Gino Ferri.

The award is the highest one the association can bestow upon an individual member.

Qualifications are long-term membership and active participation in the advancement of the association’s goals.

MacPhail, president of MacPhail Consultants Ltd., joined CSC in 1966. Since then, he has contributed “significantly” to the association’s development, CSC said.

President of the predecessor Specification Writers Association of Canada in the early 1970s, MacPhail was instrumental in advancing industry education.

He also assisted in the development of the Uniform Construction Index, the forerunner to the MasterFormat.

During his tenure on the CSC executive council, MacPhail dealt with a variety of issues such as promoting standards for manufacturers’ literature as well as the more traditional guide studies for specification writers.

He also maintained liaison with the federal government on development and marketing of the National Master Specification.

Ferri, past chairman of Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd., has been an active member of CSC since becoming a member in 1976. He held a wide variety of offices and appointments at both the chapter and national levels.

Gino Ferri

CSC said Ferri has always been “a stout believer” in the education programs offered by the organization.

Vice-president of education from 1982 to 1984, Ferri was one of the key executive council members responsible for development of these programs.

A past president of CSC and long-time member of the Edmonton chapter, Ferri has also held the position of CSC Foundation chair and a trustee of the CSC-Alberta Training Trust fund.

The fund has played a substantial role in the development of CSC technical and educational documents such as CSC TEK•AIDS and the Certified Technical Representative and Certified Contract Administrator programs.

“Ferri has been a mentor and motivator for many members of CSC,” the organization said. “He always took the time to make a new member feel welcomed.”

CSC is a multi-disciplinary, nonprofit association dedicated to improvement of communications, contract documentation and technical information in the construction industry.

The awards were presented at a luncheon yesterday co-sponsored by Reed Construction Data during the CSC’s annual conference in Winnipeg.

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