Organizations

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association engineer Karthik Obla has received the American Concrete Institute Young Member Award for Professional Achievement.

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association engineer Karthik Obla has received the American Concrete Institute Young Member Award for Professional Achievement. The award specifically honors contributions related to performance-based specifications for concrete, fiber-reinforced concrete, and the use of ultrafine fly ash in concrete, as well as outstanding service as an officer for the San Antonio ACI Chapter.

Additionally, Obla was elected an ACI Fellow for contributions to Institute initiatives. A longtime ACI member and author of 50-plus technical articles in the areas of concrete research and specifications, he has presented at various ACI sessions and international conferences. Also noted was his participation on several ACI, ASTM and TRB technical committees and his chairmanship of ACI sessions in the area of concrete materials.

During its annual convention, the National Concrete Masonry Association honored four Half Century members. Joining NCMA in 1959 Û when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as 49th and 50th states Û were Orco Block Co., Stanton, Calif.; Rockwood Pigments/Davis Colors, Beltsville, Md.; Smithtown Concrete Products Corp., Smithtown, N.Y.; and, Valley Block Co., Loveland, Colo. Representatives received etched crystal awards during an NCMA Business Luncheon presentation to commemorate their companies’ long-term commitment to the industry.

Separately, results of NCMA officer elections were announced following a board of directors meeting at the group’s annual convention. Elected to one-year terms were Chairman of the Board Michael Finch, president and general manager of RCP Block & Brick Inc., Lemon Grove, Calif.; Chairman of the Board-Elect Mark Wilhelms, sales and marketing manager for Kirchner Block & Brick Inc., Bridgeton, Mo.; and, Past Chairman of the Board William Holden, president of Block USA, Birmingham, Ala.

During the annual convention, NCMA also installed its 2009 board of directors: Region I Û Henry Camosse Jr., Camosse Masonry Supply (2012); Michael Genest, Genest Concrete Works Inc. (2011); Richard O’Connor, Taylor Concrete Products Inc. (2010); and, Brendan Quinn, Ernest Maier Inc. (2009). Region II Û Robert Corbitt, Blue Stone Block Supermarket Inc. (2009); Keith Haas, Oldcastle Architectural Inc. (2009); Tina Sheffield Kuncaitis, Mathis-Akins Concrete Block Co. (2011); and, Charles Newsome, Johnson Concrete Co., Inc. (2012). Region III Û Marcia Gibson, Oldcastle APG Midwest, Inc. (2011); William Meade, Meade Concrete Products Inc. (2012); William Oberfield, Oberfield’s Inc. (2010); and, Gary Schripsema, Consumers Concrete Corp. (2009). Region IV Û R.G. Atwood, Featherlite Building Products (2009); Lisa Lackovic, Watkins Concrete Block Co., Inc. (2010); Jon McCoy Sr., Valley Block & Brick (2011); and, Major Ogilvie, Block USA-Midsouth Division (2012). Region V Û Erik Absalon, Basalite Concrete Products (2009); James Anderegg, Mutual Materials Co. (2012); Wade Ficklin, Oldcastle Architectural Inc-West (2010); and, Matt Morey, Calstone Co., Inc. (2009). Region VI Û Georges Archambault, Groupe Permacon-Oldcastle Canada Inc. (2009); Bruce Clark, CCI Industries Ltd. (2009); Paul Hargest, Boehmers/Hargest Block Ltd. (2012); and, Terry MacDow, Shaw Brick (2010).

The Tilt-Up Concrete Association announced the election of new board members and officers for 2009. Jim MacKinnon, preconstruction manager at Saunders Construction Inc. (Centennial, Colo.) was elected president of the TCA board of directors at its annual meeting Other officers include President-elect Jimmie Ballard of CMC Construction Services (Houston); Vice-President/Secretary Ed McGuire of Bob Moore Construction (Arlington, Texas); Treasurer Glenn Doncaster of Citadel Contractors, Inc. (Raleigh, N.C.); and, Past-president Alan Wilson, AIA of The Haskell Co. (Jacksonville, Fla.)

This year also marked the formal implementation of a new TCA Global Associates Council, comprising one voting seat per Global Associate member, which is responsible for all activities and directions pertaining to interests of supplier and manufacturer members, i.e., National and Local Associates. Four seats on the board of directors Û reserved for representatives selected at-large from this membership body Û will be occupied by Chair of the Global Associate Council and President-Elect Jimmie Ballard; Kim Corwin of A.H. Harris & Sons (Newington, Conn.) for a three-year term; Tom Stecker of Composite Technologies Corp. (Boone, Iowa) for a two-year term; and, Mike Wolstenholme of Meadow Burke (Chesterfield, Va.) for one-year term.

Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute announces the addition of three new members to its board of directors: Matthew Brace, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, CMC Americas, Seguin, Texas; David Rosene, region manager, Gerdau Ameristeel, Charlotte, N.C. (Reinforcing Steel site); and, Anthony Buck, senior sales manager, CMC Fontana Steel, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The new board members were elected by CRSI members at their 85th Annual Membership Meeting in Tucson.