Graham Brent has led the NCCCO Foundation since 2019 when he stepped down after 23 years as CEO of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. In that time, the Foundation has achieved industry-wide recognition for its studies on crane operator evaluation and virtual reality, its accreditation and operator certification reference directories, and its advocacy for the crane and rigging industries in outreach to youth and veterans. 

The Foundation also hosts the annual Industry Forum on Personnel Qualifications which last year attracted almost 500 registrations from safety and health professionals from across the USA.

“We are sorry to see Brent go,” said NCCCO Foundation President, J. Chris Ryan. “We are very proud of the sound footing he has established for the Foundation.  We are confident that the organisation is poised to capitalise on the progress made to date and that it will continue to impact the industry with its safety-driven mission.”

“The last 26 years have been extraordinary in so many ways,” said Brent. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served NCCCO during that time, the last three years as CEO of the NCCCO Foundation. I look forward to working with the NCCCO and Foundation Boards and staff to achieve a smooth and seamless transition to new leadership.”

A search for Brent’s successor has been initiated by the non-profit organisation. “We are looking for a highly self-motivated individual,” said NCCCO President, Tim Watters, “who is in complete alignment with, and has demonstrated commitment to, the stated mission of the NCCCO Foundation in advocating for personnel safety and education, and facilitating access by youth, military personnel, and underserved communities to the crane and rigging and associated industries.” 

Interested parties may seek further information from, and send expressions of interest to, Thom Sicklesteel, CEO, NCCCO at tsicklesteel@nccco.org.

Cranes Today connection

As many readers will know, Graham Brent edited Cranes Today back in the 1980s before he moved to the USA where he edited the SC&RA’s crane and heavy haulage magazine Transportation Engineer. He then teamed up with Cranes Today contributor Stuart Anderson who, at that time was working for Grove International in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. Together they published the Crane Report, and Market Report newsletters.

Stuart Anderson commented, “I’ve known Graham since he was editor of Cranes Today before he joined the SC&RA as editor of the long-standing US-based crane and heavy haulage magazine Transportation Engineer where he worked in partnership with SC&RA executive VP Gene Brymer based in Vienna, VA.

“In 1981 I transferred from Grove International based in Oxford where I was general manager of marketing to become vice president of marketing and product development for Grove worldwide based in Shady Grove, PA. During various crane industry events Graham and I naturally crossed-paths again. One Sunday, in mid-1987 we met for brunch in Alexandria, both looking for a new opportunity. We recognised that the existing crane magazines had become rather advertorially-oriented and agreed to start ABH Partnership – a subscription-based crane information service including the monthly newsletter The Crane Report and quarterly Market Report crane market publication which launched in late 1989. We worked together on these successfully for five years. By this time I had started Chortsey Barr Associates as a crane industry consultancy, sharing its costs and income 50:50 with Graham. Chortsey Barr's business quickly became very significant and by 1983 my workload serving both ABH and Chortsey Barr was too heavy so we amicably agreed to go our separate ways, Soon after that Chortsey Barr Associates started The Crane & Lift Report – a monthly newsletter covering both crane and access while Graham joined the NCOO crane operators initiative. I personally published and edited The Crane & Lift Report for another five years but the consulting work had grown so much that I had to cease the newsletter and focus all my efforts on the consulting.”

Following his work with Stuart Anderson, Graham again worked with the SC&RA to form the crane operators safety certification programme, which then became the NCCCO in 1986.

Cranes Today wishes Graham all the best on his well-deserved retirement.