Featured speakers during the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) annual convention conveyed a message about the importance of perseverance to success in professional and personal endeavors. The words of former astronaut and retired naval aviator Capt. Mark Kelly were no exception.

During the Annual Awards of Excellence Breakfast, Kelly inspired attendees with his “Endeavor to Succeed” presentation. The speech highlighted events and experiences that influenced his life and career including his determination to become a naval aviator and a NASA astronaut despite several setbacks and his wife Gabrielle Giffords’ undaunted will to recover from her injuries following an assassination attempt on Jan. 8, 2011.