Greetings from the American Cement Association’s meeting in Atlanta!

We value our collaboration with our cement partners and the shared commitment to preserving and growing market opportunities for concrete pavement. We also appreciate the warm welcome we always receive from ACA’s leadership, including Chair Monica Manolas, Chief Revenue Officer for CRH Americas Cementitious Materials. Our businesses associations bring different perspectives to the table, but we share an interest in strengthening this industry and creating more opportunities for concrete.

Advancing that work requires all voices at the table to help solve problems, challenge assumptions, and contribute ideas. It also means celebrating all the contributions of the hard-working people of this industry, including women whose leadership is helping shape our industry’s future.

I am pleased that Monica and ACA’s new CEO, Diane Tomb, will join us at ACPA’s Annual Meeting in Hollywood, Florida. We will also host our first-ever ice cream social with the Women in Concrete Alliance, helping raise awareness of the Alliance and the ACPA Foundation. Everyone is welcome to join the conversation, make connections, and learn how to get involved.

Our Annual Meeting will also give us an opportunity to examine the economic and political changes ahead. Following last Tuesday’s elections, ACPA members need to understand what to expect from the next Congress and how its priorities could affect transportation funding, project opportunities, and business planning.

In addition to our advocacy meetings, the ACPA Foundation is bringing those discussions directly to our members through two sessions: [make sure titles are correct please.]

“The Economic Outlook for Shaping Infrastructure Investment” — Wednesday, December 2, 4:00–5:00 p.m. Economist Ed Sullivan and John Drake, the new president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, will discuss the economic outlook, federal funding, and transportation investment following the election.

Eno is a respected, independent transportation think tank in Washington, DC, with a long history of helping policymakers and industry leaders understand transportation policy. Its research and analysis help make sense of the complex federal funding structures and decisions that determine how investment reaches our transportation system. That perspective will be particularly valuable as we consider what a new Congress means for our members.

“Competing for the Future of Transportation Investment” — Thursday, December 3, 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Monica will discuss the outlook for cement, while MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub Director Randy Kirchain will share research relevant to concrete’s competitive position.

We must understand what these changes mean across our industry, from cement production to the contractors placing pavement. We must also be prepared to communicate our value in terms that resonate with policymakers and the public. I expect affordability to be a defining word in the next Congress, influencing discussions about everything from household expenses to transportation investment.

That makes MIT’s work on materials competition especially timely. Materials competition means giving concrete and asphalt meaningful opportunities to compete for pavement investment. MIT’s research indicates that healthy competition between the two industries can lower paving costs for both materials, helping agencies accomplish more with available funding.

For ACPA, that is a powerful message: maintaining two healthy, competitive paving industries can help make generational infrastructure more affordable. We have an opportunity to connect concrete’s long-term performance with the urgent need to stretch public dollars and to make that case together.

I look forward to continuing these conversations with you in Florida. See you there!

Save the Date – Upcoming ACPA National Events and Chapter/State Association Workshops:

Stay up to date on upcoming industry events with ACPA’s Calendar of Events. To submit your event details, please contact Vickie Spielman at vspielman@acpa.org.

December 1-3, 2026        ACPA Annual Meeting, Hollywood, FL
December 14-15, 2026   ACPA-SE and CRMCA Count on Concrete Conference, Raleigh, NC
January 11, 2027              ACPA TRB Reception, Washington, DC
January 13-14, 2027        ND Ready Mix & ND ACPA Annual Convention, Bismarck, ND
January 19-21, 2027       World of Concrete, Las Vegas, NV
February 2-3, 2027          New York State Concrete Paving Conference, Clifton Park, NY
February 3-5, 2027          63rd ICPA Annual Concrete Paving Workshop, Des Moines, IA
February 9-10, 2027        South Dakota Concrete Conference, Sioux Falls, SD
February 11-12, 2027      WCPA Annual Concrete Pavement Conference, Oshkosh, WI
February 11, 2027            Indiana Chapter ACPA 2027 PCCP Workshop, Indianapolis, IN
February 14-17, 2027     KCA 2027 Annual Convention, Bowling Green, KY
February 16-17, 2027     2027 ILCPA Annual Meeting, Springfield, IL
February 16-17, 2027     MCA Annual Conference and 75th Anniversary Celebration, Dearborn, MI
February 17-18, 2027     29th ACPA/PA Conference, Camp Hill, PA
March 3-5, 2027               47th Annual Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Conference, Kansas City, MO
March 11, 2027                Colorado/Wyoming Annual Conference Pavement Workshop, Denver, CO
March 18-19, 2027          CPAM Annual Workshop, Waite Park, MN
March 23-24, 2027          Oklahoma Concrete Pavement Conference, Oklahoma City, OK
April 21-22, 2027             California Concrete Pavement Conference, Davis, CA
June 8-10, 2027                ACPA Mid-Year Meeting, New Orleans, LA