ORGANIZATIONS- September 2023

In partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Milwaukee-based ConExpo-Con/Agg show manager, has pinpointed three forests for the planting of 139,000-plus trees—honoring each individual who attended the Las Vegas show earlier this year. Planting projects will occur over the next several months, with a primary focus in priority reforestation sites or regions: 

• Dixie Fire. From July to October 2021, it ripped through northern California, leaving a burn scar of more than 963,000 acres—the second most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. The newly planted trees from the ConExpo-Con/Agg partnership will begin to reestablish disrupted animal habitats. As the trees grow into mature stands, root systems will prevent erosion while improving the water quality for nearby Lake Almanor.
• Oregon/Washington. Deforestation and flood control measures have degraded the region’s rivers and watersheds. Planting projects aim to use trees as restoration tools. AEM is helping to plant a diverse blend of tree species that will provide cooling shade and water filtration to protect critical salmon populations within Pacific Northwest ecosystems.
• Georgia Rare Habitat. Longleaf pine was once the dominant tree species in the South, but early settlers cleared the forests for agriculture and lumber. Today, the softwood variety covers less than 3 percent of its original range, greatly impacting nearly 600 animal and plant species. AEM is supporting a large-scale restoration effort to encompass the planting of longleaf and shortleaf pines across central Georgia private and public lands.

For the past 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees around the world. Through a vast network of partnerships, it facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach sustainability goals via measurable, impactful work. “Through their shared support of these impactful projects, ConExpo-Con/Agg and its network have demonstrated a commitment to critical forest ecosystems,” says Arbor Day CEO Dan Lambe. “Our team was honored to attend one of North America’s largest trade shows to discuss and celebrate the unique power of trees with industry leaders from around the world.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made these appointments to the producer-supported Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council: DZ Block Operations Manager Ted Caviglia; Titan America LLC President Randy Dunlap; Oceanside Masonry Co-Owner and Vice President Shawn McGee; Jerry Painter, masonry consultant and retired contractor; Quality Precast Co. Vice President of Sales Preston Sparkman; A-1 Block Corp. Safety and Environmental Manager Michael “Brad” Coolidge; and, Florida Department of Corrections Career & Technical Education Programs Administrator Robert Melgaard. 

The National Precast Concrete Association Board has named Mike Hoffman of Canal Fulton, Ohio as interim chief executive officer. He will oversee the group’s 27-person staff and manage day-to-day headquarters operations while a national search continues for a full-time CEO. Hoffman served as 2018-19 NPCA chair, part of his 13-year involvement with association leadership that included work with the Technical and Sustainability Committees plus the Research Development Advisory Council. He retired from Ohio-based Lindsay Precast in 2021, capping 35-plus years in the industry. 

The appointment follows the early-August departure of NPCA President and CEO Fred Grubbe, who is joining the American Concrete Institute as executive vice president. The NPCA Board anticipates naming his successor by December or January. 

Opening just after Labor Day, the American Concrete Institute Mid-Atlantic Resource Center will help meet the region’s increased demand for ACI knowledge through hands-on training and educational offerings. Like the charter ACI Resource Centers in suburban Chicago and southern California, the new Columbia, Md. facility will offer an array of custom training programs designed to impart required skills and demonstrate test methods leading to certification.

“The newest Resource Center is strategically located in the Mid-Atlantic region to continue expanding access to ACI knowledge in large concrete construction markets,” says ACI Certification Program Development Manager Michael Morrison, FACI, FASTM. The Maryland facility, he adds, will hit the ground running with Concrete Strength Testing, Aggregate Testing, Cement Physical Tester, Masonry Laboratory and Field Testing, Self-Consolidating Concrete Testing, Shotcrete Inspector and Concrete Construction Inspector and Sustainability and Resilience Assessor offerings.