News Detail

ACI—The Place to be for You and Me

4/1/2023

Like many of life’s relationships, my journey with ACI started in a small and inauspicious way—I attended a local ACI chapter meeting. It was 1978 and a colleague invited me to a chapter meeting shortly after I had started my first job with a consulting firm in the Detroit, MI, USA-area. I recall that Mohan Malhotra was the presenter, and the topic was evaluating the in-place strength of concrete. I also vividly remember how amazed I was to be in the company of so many people passionate about gaining and sharing concrete knowledge. The relationship was cemented!

My career then took me to the Chicago, IL, USA-area where I joined a consulting and research group. My consulting and research focused on concrete, specifically lightweight and high-strength concrete, the durability of concrete in harsh environments, and the creep and shrinkage of concrete, especially high-strength concrete. My relationship with ACI took a quantum leap when I attended my first convention in the mid-1980s. I was amazed to find technical committees aligned with my professional and technical interests and world-renowned experts on those subjects willing to share their knowledge. I took advantage of membership in technical committees by joining several, and I eventually became the Chair of ACI Committee 363, High-Strength Concrete. This experience was so rewarding that I expanded my relationship with ACI through appointments to the Certification Programs Committee, Financial Advisory Committee, and Technical Activities Committee (TAC). I eventually became the TAC Chair and served for 8 years. I also served as a Director on the Board for 3 years. All of these assignments required my time and effort, but I can confidently say that the payback for my efforts was at least ten-fold. I gained invaluable technical knowledge, and I also developed lifelong friendships with people as passionate about creating and sharing concrete knowledge as I am. Although I have lost count, I am confident I’ve attended over 70 ACI conventions since that first one in the 1980s. What I do know is that each convention has added much to my professional and personal life.

My relationship with ACI underwent a significant change 13 years ago when I accepted the position of ACI’s seventh Executive Vice President (EVP). At the time, I felt it was a dream job, and that’s proven to be more true than I could have imagined. Most importantly, I am supported by a staff who shares the same passion for ACI’s vision and mission as I do. In my role as EVP, I have been exposed to facets of ACI that were unfamiliar to me as a volunteer. In my travels around the world representing ACI, I have been humbled by the universal respect and admiration of our Institute. This is reflected in the nearly 60 International Partner agreements ACI has. Through the ACI Foundation and the philanthropy of our members, ACI actively supports students with scholarships, research with grants, and innovation with forums. In fact, I am so passionate about supporting students that I have joined with Past President Jeff Coleman to fund a Fellowship. My “relationship” with ACI’s headquarters has also evolved during my tenure, as we have added solar panels to the roof and repurposed much of our warehouse space to create a multipurpose room that has hosted countless events. Finally, ACI has lived up to our tagline of “Always advancing” by taking on bold new initiatives. These include establishing three Centers of Excellence and opening three Resource Centers to support local Chapters and provide ACI services locally.

This July, my relationship with ACI will take another change—I will retire as the EVP. However, this does not mean the relationship is over; I will, once again, be a volunteer member of the Institute. My future focus with ACI will be less on the technical arena and more on supporting the ACI Foundation, its philanthropic efforts, and the three Centers of Excellence.

My relationship with ACI is only second to my relationship with my wife Jill (and our many dogs), and for that, I am grateful. This relationship would not have been possible without a fantastic staff, supportive members of the Executive Committee and Board of Direction, and dedicated ACI members—thanks to all of you. My sincere wish is for everyone to take full advantage of being part of the ACI community—it’s the place to be for you and me!

Ronald G. Burg, PE, FACI

American Concrete Institute