Easy Foster, CPC, is the Director of Planning & Construction for Conroe Independent School District (CISD) in the Greater Houston area. Easy currently serves on the AIC Board of Directors and plays an integral role in helping our organization stress the value of construction ethics and professional certification to aspiring construction professionals.
Easy has been connected to our organization since graduating from college. He completed the CAC Level I exam (formerly the AC exam) as part of his Construction Management and Science degree program at Texas A&M. Seven years after graduating, Easy took the CPC Level II exam and passed with flying colors.
Easy believes that our robust and challenging exams provide individuals with the validation they need to manage complex construction projects and develop a stronger appreciation for ethics. That’s why he continuously encourages construction professionals to pursue CAC and CPC certifications.
– To learn more, we sat down with Easy Foster for an interview about the value of ethics for the professional constructor.
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Easy Foster Interview: Why Ethics Matter
Easy is committed to helping re-frame the construction industry’s reputation. He believes the construction industry has a subpar reputation because of situations where companies have taken shortcuts, overlooked ethical issues, and looked out for their own best interests – at the expense of what was right.
This is why Easy stresses the importance of the AIC Code of Ethics to create more awareness about how construction professionals should carry themselves.
“With AIC, ethics is a very important part of how we are established as an organization,” says Easy. “The Code of Ethics is put together to make the consummate professional in our industry.”
AIC Collegiate Ethics Competition Supports Future Managers
Easy recognizes that ethics starts at the ground floor connecting with new construction professionals entering the workplace. It’s why he regularly participates in the AIC Collegiate Ethics Competition to put ethics front and center.
The Collegiate Ethics Competition helps prepare the next generation of construction professionals by engaging students from various Construction Management degree programs around the country.
The competition relies on actual ethical examples so students can grasp the importance of ethics in real-world situations. The students receive a prompt, then research and create scholarly responses for industry professionals to review. Additionally, students put their speaking skills to the test through oral presentations discussing the ethical prompt.
“It allows all of our participants to show off their own level of professionalism. It’s one thing to be scholarly and intelligent in a paper. It’s another to be scholarly and intelligent in a personal presentation,” says Easy.
As a frequent judge, Easy says the competition is a great way for students to get their feet wet in the industry. Not only is it fully virtual, which allows a variety of students to participate, but the students can listen to insight from the professionals. There have even been instances where companies have recruited high-performing students!
Overall, Easy says the main purpose is to help advance the construction industry by providing students with an opportunity to understand the ethical issues that affect our industry on a daily basis. Easy is confident this exercise will help make the construction industry better over time.
“The overall vision is to improve the entire industry,” says Easy. “In my own position in leadership, I am trying to find good, solid, well-experienced people to fill roles within my own organization.
“At the same time, the rising tide raises all ships, so if we can make the whole industry better, that is what we are all after. We want to make sure everyone gets the exposure and experience necessary to be better at their job.”
Better Ethics Leads to Better Talent in the Industry
An additional benefit of improving ethics throughout the industry is being able to recruit higher caliber talent to enter the construction workforce. An improved reputation will help top talent see the industry as a more desirable profession to pursue.
“We want to make the construction profession a valued profession rather than an afterthought,” says Easy. “A lot of people end up in construction. We want people to target construction.”
AIC is committed to the mission of accelerating constructor excellence through a strong emphasis on ethics and our rigorous certification programs. We appreciate the leadership provided by Easy Foster and other key leaders in our organization who are driven by the same purpose.
Learn More About How to Get Involved with AIC
We offer many opportunities for construction professionals to make a difference in the industry. Whether you are passionate about supporting ethics at the collegiate level, like Easy Foster, or are interested in supporting another aspect of AIC, we would value your involvement.
Contact us today to learn how you can get involved and help create a brighter future for the industry.
You can also follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities to participate in the mission of AIC.
