ORGANIZATIONS – JUNE 2020

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and Portland Cement Association have named Joe Roche as chief financial officer, reporting to NRMCA President Mike Philipps and PCA CEO Mike Ireland. Roche arrives with 30-plus years’ management experience supporting non-profit and trade organizations, and immediately transitions from the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Md. He will lead ongoing evaluation, development and implementation of NRMCA and PCA financial processes and systems, and oversee the groups’ Finance Shared Services agreement. Based primarily at the Alexandria, Va., association offices, Roche will work with external finance partners to implement process improvements, maximize system capabilities, and focus on staff development.

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Josh Leftwich

Josh Leftwich has joined the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association as president and chief executive officer. With 20-plus years of experience in the mining and energy sectors, he brings an extensive and diverse range of knowledge in regulatory policy, legislative engagement, environmental permitting, business planning, risk management and stakeholder engagement. Prior to TACA, Leftwich served as Knife River Corp. Southern Division manager of Business Development, Environmental and Safety. Leftwich has served on the TACA Board, plus Executive and Governmental Affairs Committees, and been active in Associated General Contractors of America, National Mining Association, Texas Mining and Reclamation Association and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration.

“[Josh Leftwich’s] versatile industry experience will prove invaluable to TACA and its membership as we face the many challenges ahead, most importantly ensuring that Texas has the infrastructure to sustain the needs of a growing state,” says TACA Chairman Paul Rouse.

“I am encouraged by the many opportunities on the horizon for our association. We have much work to do to reopen the economy and provide the foundation for the long-term growth and prosperity of the Lone Star State,” adds Leftwich, who succeeds David Perkins, newly appointed vice president of Government Affairs and Communications for Texas-based Lehigh Hanson Inc.

The American Concrete Institute has awarded the Concrete Industry Management program with the Henry C. Turner Medal for notable achievements in, or service to, the industry. “This honor was given to CIM by the ACI Board of Direction for our program’s mission of ‘advancing the concrete industry by degrees’ through our program of identifying and supporting future leaders in the concrete industry,” says CIM Marketing Committee Chair Brian Gallagher.

“ACI plays an important role in the advancement of the concrete industry,” adds National Steering Committee Executive Director Eugene Martineau. “For ACI to recognize CIM, whose mission is to develop the next generation of leaders of the concrete industry, is a true honor.”

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Frank Vecchio
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John Wallace
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Kamal Kayat

The ACI Foundation has named the University of Toronto’s Frank Vecchio as recipient of the 2020 Arthur J. Boase Award for outstanding contributions to the field of structural concrete and in recognition of work leading to the advancement of concrete modeling procedures and their application within nonlinear analysis software. University of California, Los Angeles’ John Wallace has received the Boase Award for outstanding contributions to earthquake-resistant design of tall reinforced concrete buildings that utilize shear walls as the primary lateral force resisting elements, and commitment to educating structural engineers.

Missouri University of Science & Technology’s Kamal Kayat has received the Robert E. Philleo Award for outstanding contributions to research, teaching, innovation, and leadership targeting the advancement of high-performance concrete with adapted rheology and self-consolidating mixes, plus “relentless pursuit of knowledge transfer regarding the science, performance, design, and testing standards of SCC.”

Separately, the Foundation’s Concrete Research Council has announced eight projects for 2020 grants: “Calibration of Simplified Creep and Shrinkage Models Developed Using Solidification Theory,” with lead investigators University of Minnesota, Duluth’s Brock Hedegaard and University of Colorado, Boulder’s Mija Hubler; “Validation of Service Life Prediction for a 28-Year-Old Parking Garage Constructed of Low Permeability Concrete,” with lead investigators Amanda Bordelon of Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University’s W. Spencer Guthrie; “Determination of the Curing Efficiency of Externally and Internally Cured Concrete Using Neutron Radiography,” with principal investigators Mehdi Khanzadeh Moradllon and Oregon State University’s W. Jason Weiss; “Full-Scale Testing of a New Double-Beam Coupling Beam with a Simplistic Reinforcing Layout,” with principal investigator Shih-Ho Chao, University of Texas, Arlington.

And, “Assessing ACI 318 Using Data from the 2015 and 2019 E-Defense 10-Story, Full-Scale Building Tests, with principal investigator John Wallace, University of California, Los Angeles; “Behavior and Design of Concrete Structures under Natural Fires,” with lead investigators Thomas Gernay, Johns Hopkins University, and Patrick Bamonte, Politecnico di Milano; “Reliability Evaluation of ACI 318 Strength Reduction Factor for One-Way Shear,” with principal investigators Robert Barnes and Andrzej Nowak, Auburn University; and, “Durability of Anchorage Pour-backs: Evaluating the Link between Surface Preparation and Bond,” with principal investigator Natassia Brenkus, Ohio State University. CRC seeks concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction, and structures. The Council recommended the eight projects for funding, based on impact to industry.

The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute has promoted Amy Trygestad, P.E., FACI, to vice president of Engineering. She joined CRSI in 2016 as director of Codes and Standards, identifying opportunities, developing strategies, and creating code change proposals or revisions to current standards. She also assisted in the development of new CRSI standards to further building requirements supporting reinforced concrete interests. Prior to CRSI, she was president of Chase Engineering and led the local partner design and construction of Minneapolis’ $1 billion US Bank Stadium. She also served in the PCA Buildings and Special Structures Group.

The Portland Cement Association has named recipients of the 2019 Chairman’s Safety Performance Awards, recognizing outstanding worker protection in cement production:

  • Grinding only category: Argos USA, Atlanta
  • Small category (< 200,000 hours): GCC of America, Pueblo, Colo.; LafargeHolcim, Theodore, Ala., and Morgen, Utah;
  • Medium category (200,000-300,000 hours): Buzzi Unicem, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Cemex USA, Clinchfield, Ga.; Lehigh Hanson, Tehachapi, Calif.; Titan America, Troutville, Va.
  • Large category (> 300,000 hours) Cemex USA, Victorville, Calif.; Lehigh Hanson, Cupertino, Calif.; Titan America, Medley, Fla.

“Our industry is constantly focused on doing everything possible to assure our employees go home in the same condition as they arrived,” says PCA Chairman and Continental Cement President Tom Beck.