Higdem and Schiller will each serve a two-year term on the board. Higdem previously served on the board of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) from 1999 to 2009, eight years in the capacity of Vice President.
They join four other directors currently serving terms on the board. They are:
- J. Chris Ryan, Boh Bros (retired), President
- Peter Juhren, Morrow, Vice President
- Tim Watters, Hoffman Equipment, Secretary/Treasurer
- Kerry Hulse, Deep South Crane & Rigging
“Garry and Ingo are exceptionally well-qualified to join the NCCCO Foundation Board of Directors,” said NCCCO Foundation President, J. Chris Ryan. “We could not be more delighted to have both of these consummate professionals join the board. Both have spent their working lives in the construction industry and bring to the foundation a wealth of expertise from which this organization will undoubtedly benefit enormously.”
Higdem spent 25 years at Granite Construction before leaving to become President of APAC to oversee a turnaround prior to its sale. A subsequent 10-year tenure with CH2M Hill saw Higdem first as President of EPC, then as President of the Energy Division, and finally as the Project Director of the $5.4-billion Panama Canal expansion program. He later led the turnaround of the Parsons Construction Group as its President. He joined Mario Sinacola & Sons in 2020 as CEO to oversee the transition from family ownership to a full ESOP.
Schiller started his almost 30-year career in the crane industry in his family’s crane dealership before a four-year stint with Liebherr Cranes, Inc. His subsequent eight years with Manitowoc Cranes saw him rise through various senior sales and marketing roles before being appointed Executive Vice President of Manitowoc Crane Care and, finally, Senior Vice President of rough terrain, boom truck, industrial, and military cranes product management. He joined Tadano America in 2016 and became its first non-Japanese President and CEO a year later.
The NCCCO Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of construction industry safety through three major pathways: education, research, and workforce development. By facilitating access to training and certification by youth, veterans, and underserved communities through scholarships and grants, the foundation seeks to ensure a safe and skilled workforce now and for the future.
