Kevin Renley, president and CEO of Market & Johnson, is stepping into his role as leader of the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin with a clear priority: addressing the construction industry’s ongoing workforce shortage.
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With more than 25 years at Market & Johnson, Renley now leads the association at a pivotal moment as it approaches its 100th anniversary. Backed by a five-pillar strategic plan, he aims to strengthen advocacy, education, member value, workforce development, and the organization’s brand.
Renley said he’s proud and honored to be selected to lead the group on the heels of the “who’s who” of the construction industry.
A central focus of Renley’s leadership is recruitment, which he identifies as the industry’s most pressing challenge.
“Our industry needs to recruit more people. We’re going to have a shortage of folks.”
To address this, AGC Wisconsin is expanding its outreach through programs such as Leadership AGC, ACE Academies, and Supervisory Training Programs (STP). These initiatives aim to introduce younger generations to construction careers while also supporting skill development for experienced professionals.
Renley emphasized that construction offers a wide range of career paths beyond traditional field roles.
“A lot of times when people talk about construction, they think of the brick and mortar side of things. But there’s so many different career paths in construction. You could be in the field, putting units into place, you can be a project manager, you can be an estimator, we have accountants, IT people.”
Education remains another cornerstone of AGC Wisconsin’s strategy, with programs designed to build leadership skills, improve safety practices, and enhance workforce readiness across all experience levels.
Renley pointed to the organization’s strong educational offerings as a key value for members, including leadership development, executive training, and initiatives like She Builds, which promotes greater participation of women in construction.
Looking ahead, he expects technology to play an increasingly significant role in shaping the industry’s trajectory.
“We’ve experienced some good years. I think it’s going to continue on an upward trajectory, maybe slow down just a little bit. I think the biggest impact moving forward is going to be technology in the construction industry.”
As AGC Wisconsin prepares to celebrate its centennial, Renley sees the milestone as both a reflection of the organization’s legacy and an opportunity to position it for future growth.
“To be the president of the AGC is a true honor. Coming up, we have our 100th year anniversary, it’s going to be a big celebration towards the end of the year, and I’m looking forward to that. And there’s been so many past presidents that are the who’s who of the construction industry. So, it’s a big honor for me, and something I’m very proud of.”
Originally reported by Adam Kelnhofer, Special to The Daily Reporter in Daily Reporter.
