Organizations

Alex Morales has joined the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute in the newly created position of manager of plant operations support

Alex Morales has joined the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute in the newly created position of manager of plant operations support. He brings to the role eight years’ experience as director of education and safety consultations at the National Precast Concrete Association, where he oversaw all educational programs and developed precast-specific courses for production, safety, quality, and technical operations.

In his new position, Morales will work closely with PCI producer members to manage and create programs aimed at improving efficiency of precast operations personnel. Accordingly, PCI’s personnel certification program will be under his management. Begun in 1985, the program provides instruction and evaluation to produce three levels of trained, knowledgeable, and certified quality-control professionals. Extending personnel certification into the field, it includes training of Certified Field Auditors (CFAs), who inspect and qualify precast concrete erectors. Morales will report to PCI Director of Quality Programs Dean Frank.

The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association promoted Eileen Dickson to managing director, Education, in recognition of her role in overseeing the organization’s Education and Training efforts. Previously senior director of the department, she assumes responsibility for managing NRMCA’s STEPS [Seminars, Training, and Education Programs] offerings, as well as relevant publications. In addition, her duties include administering annual Innovation and Excellence-in-Training award programs and serving as staff liaison to the Educational Activities Committee. Since joining NRMCA in 2000, Dickson has helped to introduce or expand a number of programs, seminars and classes, including the four-module Certified Concrete Sales Professional training and The Effective RMC Supervisor and Leadership: Manager’s Game Plan.

A. Derek Brown, BSc MICT, has joined CTLGroup as senior microscopist. Bringing 28 years’ experience in forensic testing and R&D support to his position, he continues his R&D work at CTLGroup by examining clinker quality and producing technical reports. An experienced concrete petrographer and clinker microscopist, Brown is also proficient in the use of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. He is an active member of the Institute of Concrete Technology, Concrete Society, Society of Concrete Petrographers, Cement Chemists Society, and serves on the ASTM C09 committee.

The Construction Specifications Institute has announced that Gilman K. M. Hu, FCSI, AIA, will assume presidency of the organization, effective July 1. Hu is an architect in private practice in Honolulu, and the first CSI president to come from the Honolulu CSI chapter. After joining CSI in 1967 as a charter member of the Honolulu Chapter, he has served in nearly every CSI leadership position, from Honolulu Chapter president to West Region Conference chairman to vice president-Professional on the national level. In 1994, CSI presented the President’s Plaque to Hu for exceptional work performed on behalf of the Institute. The following year, CSI elevated him to Fellowship, one of the Institute’s top honors.