His ability to work with and help everyone involved regardless their level of service is what OCA Labor & Safety Affairs Director Mark Potnick counts among his many highlights with the association.
Potnick, who joined the OCA staff in 1997, will be retiring at the end of the year – culminating 25 years with the association.
“I’m most proud of my service to the members and cherish the wonderful, lasting relationships I have developed with many fine people throughout this rewarding industry,” he said. “I always tried to treat everyone the same and provide the same high quality of service no matter who was on the other end of a phone call, or who was sitting across the table in discussions or negotiations.”
“Mark has so capably filled that informational service niche for all these years,” said OCA President Chris Runyan. “The labor relations and safety components of our industry are just so tremendously important to our members in accomplishing what they have to do to get work done … Even if you haven’t had direct contact with Mark, the issues he has dealt with over the years have been impactful over the entire industry whether you’re a member or not.”
Potnick is an alumnus of The Ohio State University. With plans to attend law school, he initially utilized his political science degree working with the State of Ohio’s Attorney General Office as a legal investigator in the Civil Rights Section. However, his career path changed when he began working with Geupel Construction Co., a former national and international contracting company based in Columbus. Potnick developed the company’s safety program and added labor relations to his role after earning a graduate’s degree in industrial labor relations at OSU.
“I’ve always said I probably practiced more labor law working in the industry than if I had gone to law school,” Potnick said. “Employment law and labor relations has been my specialty.”
Through his 20 years with Geupel Construction, Potnick became involved with OCA as a member of its Labor Executive Committee. When Guepel liquidated in 1997, Potnick joined the association as its Labor Relations & Safety Affairs Director.
Potnick counts among his biggest accomplishments in the association’s Labor Relations & Safety Affairs Director role the removing of seniority from the Teamsters’ contract, which he said, “was a headache for a lot of OCA members.” Several other memorable accomplishments were securing more favorable scheduling arrangements with the Operating Engineers, obtaining more favorable apprenticeship ratios with each of the unions, securing a 401-K agreement with the Teamsters, and most recently, securing one hourly rate statewide with the Cement Masons. Potnick also believes his development of strong working relationships with the different union representatives and governmental officials impacting labor relations issues in Ohio helped key the current success among the state’s contractors and unions.
Potnick leaves Ohio’s heavy/highway industry in a strong position for several years to come, as OCA negotiated five collective bargaining agreements this year with the unions, which run through 2025.
“I think it goes without saying, Mark has put his thumbprint, his signature, in everything that is as good as it is now because of his guidance …,” said Dave Coniglio, formerly of John R. Jurgensen Company who will succeed Potnick as OCA Director of Labor Relations & Safety Affairs.
While Potnick looks to continue as an industry consultant – where he will assist companies regarding employment law, labor relations, safety, litigation and more – he is looking forward to much more in his “retirement.”
“I will be playing more golf. I’m going to try and play every day,” he laughed. Along with spending more time with their four grandchildren – including the youngest born in August – Potnick and his wife, Jan, are looking forward to checking off their travel bucket list. The list includes yet unexplored U.S. National Parks, return trips to California’s Napa Valley and an ancestral trip of Europe.