WILMINGTON — Bryon Short, the executive director of the Delaware Contractors Association (DCA), will be stepping down to join the staff of U.S. Representative-elect Sarah McBride as her state director as of Jan. 3.
As the leader of one of Delaware’s top construction trade groups, Short has worked as one of the chief voices for the state’s builders and contractors in local and federal issues since 2018. He has also worked with contractors on how to best boost the regional construction economy, providing training and education to build the next generation of workers.
Short, 58, told the Delaware Business Times that while he was proud of his work with the DCA in his six year tenure, he had always hoped to return to public service. One of his first roles was an assistant for then-Gov. Tom Carper in his district office, still remembering the case of one constituent, a Vietnam veteran, who suffered significant brain damage from a bullet ricocheting under his helmet.
“I probably worked two years with Veteran Affairs to get him additional care in a special facility in Pennsylvania, because he just kept getting hit with denials,” Short said. “Ultimately, I was able to get him in that facility to improve the quality of his life.”
“We did some life-changing work there, and all district offices do that. When people run headlong into bureaucratic law and don’t know where to turn, it’s those offices that are there to help and navigate that,” he added. “This job is like going back home.”
When Short departs the DCA, the group will be tasked with setting the direction for the trade association that represents both union and open shop construction companies which are responsible for handling 80% of all building, commercial, heavy, highway, industrial, institutional and utility construction in the state.
To date, the DCA has formed a selection committee — composed of members from highway construction, union, non-union, construction management and associate members — and is currently interviewing candidates for its next executive director. The final decision will be made by the DCA executive committee.
Short’s rise to the head of the trade association mirrored his interest in public service and construction – he also worked in the Delaware Department of Transportation as a principal assistant and later started his own real estate investment and construction business focusing on infill development of market-rate new housing.
Along the way, he was elected to represent the Seventh District in the state House of Representatives in 2007. He eventually stepped down after 18 years in the state house, but not before he unsuccessfully ran for Congress himself in 2016. During his time in state politics, he helped pass legislation to expand telemedicine and expand school wellness centers and non-discrimination laws for gender identity in the workplace.
McBride said she was honored to bring Short to the team, noting that he was a “public servant to his core.” The offer was unexpected, though McBride and Short knew each other through work in state politics when McBride had worked with former Attorney General Beau Biden and Short himself ran for office.
“As a leader in government and business, Bryon has fostered economic growth by bringing workers and employers together. And as a former Delaware state representative, Bryon understands firsthand that our office and constituent service work will be a vital lifeline for the Delawareans who reach out to us in some of the most challenging moments in their own lives,” McBride said in a prepared statement.
During his tenure at the DCA, Short was instrumental in lobbying Gov. John Carney to ensure that construction continued in the First State during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many surrounding states shut down sites as the disease spread. That helped keep Delaware workers in business, though there have been tough times ahead since lumber and metal costs have skyrocketed in the years since.
But even in the tough times, Short said he had plenty to be proud of during his tenure. He pointed to his and his team’s work in elevating the discussion around addition and suicide in the construction industry among managers, owners and supervisors. The DCA also heavily expanded in workforce development and boosted awareness for apprenticeship programs in the state.
“I really can’t take credit for one thing, because collectively, we’ve all worked to have an impact,” Short said.
Come January, Short will be traveling all over Delaware and making connections with constituents to serve as a resource to the community. McBride is expected to lease offices in both Wilmington and Sussex County, much like the other members of the Delaware Delegation.
