Construction Industry Must Attract 349,000 New Workers in 2026
January 28, 2026ABC Florida East Coast had a strong, coordinated presence at the 2026 Tallahassee Legislative Conference, with over 35 members representing us at the state capital. Our team met directly with Senate and House members to advocate on behalf of the construction industry, from Brevard County to the Keys, and advance the chapter’s first-ever state appropriation request.
Over the course of the conference, six ABC-FEC teams successfully completed over 40 legislative meetings. Each discussion reinforced the chapter’s role as a trusted voice on workforce development, postsecondary education, and industry priorities that directly affect merit shop contractors across Florida. Central to those conversations was ABC-FEC’s appropriation request, which received focused attention from key lawmakers, including Rep. Demi Busatta, Chair of the House Higher Education Budget Committee.
Our members engaged with a broad group of elected officials, including Senators Bryan Ávila, Corey Simon, and Tina Polsky, as well as Representatives Tom Fabricio, Ashley Gantt, Christine Hunschofsky, Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds, Chip LaMarca, Omar Blanco, Lisa Dunkley, and Demi Busatta. The chapter also met with Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, underscoring the breadth and depth of its legislative outreach.
ABC-FEC was represented in Tallahassee by a strong delegation of Board Members, Legislative Committee Members, Young Professionals leadership, and chapter staff. They were joined by engaged students from Florida International University and Florida Tech, reinforcing ABC-FEC’s commitment to workforce development and the future of the construction industry.
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- Representative Tom Fabricio (District 110) met with members of the Florida East Coast Chapter, including Board Members and Legislative Committee Members Gus Arana and Luis Carbonell; Legislative Committee Members Jorge Lopez and Paul Bessell; Young Professionals Ex Officio Sabrina Ponce; and FIU student Daniel Gil Sanchez.
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- Representative Ashley Gantt (District 102) met with members of the Florida East Coast Chapter, including Board Members Luis Carbonell and Israel Silva; Legislative Committee Member Craig Baker; and Jon Carter, FEC’s New Assistant Director of Government & Political Affairs.
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- T.J. Long, FEC’s Director of Government & Political Affairs, with Senator Corey Simon (District 3), Vice Chair of Postsecondary Education Committee.
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- FEC Legislative Committee Chair Shawn Oden with Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and FEC Board Member Luis Senra.
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- Senator Bryan Avila (District 39) with FEC Board Members and Legislative Committee Members Gus Arana and Luis Carbonell; Legislative Committee Members Jorge Lopez and Paul Bessell; Young Professionals Ex Officio Sabrina Ponce
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- Representative Christine Hunschofsky (District 95) met with FEC Board Member and Past Chair Annie Mecias- Murphy; Board Member Israel Silva; Legislative Committee Member Paul Bessell; Member John Mecias and his son, Alexander; and T.J. Long, FEC Director of Government & Political Affairs.
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- Representative Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds (District 88) with FEC Board and Legislative Committee Member Hu Montague; Legislative Committee Members Sam Wilcox and Vince Cozzolino; FIU Student Daniel Gil-Sanchez; FIT Student Gabe Kuntz; FEC Director of Government & Political Affairs T.J. Long
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- Representative Chip LaMarca (District 100) with FEC Past Chair and Board Member Annie Mecias-Murphy and FEC Board Member Israel Silva. This legislative session marks Chair LaMarca’s final session before terming out in November. We are grateful for his friendship, leadership, and dedicated service over the past eight years.
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- FEC Past Chair and Legislative Committee Member George Cuesta, Legislative Committee Member Jorge Amador, Jr. and Chapter Members Marta Amador, John Mecias, and Alexander Mecias met with Representative Omar Blanco (District 115).
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- Representative Lisa Dunkley (District 97) taking some time out of her busy schedule to speak with FEC Board Members Israel Silva and Luis Carbonell, along with FEC’s Assistant Director of Political and Government Affairs, Jon Carter.
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- Senator Tina Polsky (District 30) with catching up with T.J. Long
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- Representative Demi Busatta, Chair of the House Higher Education Budget Committee, discussed FEC’s first appropriation request with Chapter Board and Legislative Committee Members Gus Arana and Luis Carbonell ; Legislative Committee Members Jorge Lopez and Paul Bessell; Young Professionals Ex-Officio Sabrina Ponce; and FIU student Daniel Gil-Sanchez.
