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A Fine Year

3/1/2008

A lot has happened during the past year, but one thing has not changed-my gratitude for the support that I've received, first and foremost from my wife, Diane, and the other members of my family; from my colleagues at the University of Kansas; from ACI's members and volunteers; and especially from ACI's amazing staff, under the leadership of Executive Vice President Bill Tolley. Thank you, all!

I began the year with specific objectives, including continuing the Institute's efforts to develop and implement strategies to increase membership, strengthening ACI's role internationally, reaching out to all members of the concrete industry to increase their participation in ACI, and expanding our relationships with other technical societies. And I placed special emphasis on strengthening ACI's already strong and effective certification program.

As I complete my year as ACI President, it is clear that we have far exceeded most of the objectives, and I feel confident that, as I turn the helm over to my good friend Luis García, ACI is in its strongest position in history. Here are some examples of what we've accomplished:

Our efforts to increase ACI membership, including the addition of a wide range of new member benefits, have been remarkably successful, with more than a 15% increase to nearly 19,000 members in the last year. This has been aided by a 50% increase in student membership, now at 3600, but supported as well by an increase in all membership categories. In fact, we now have more nonstudent members than we had total members in 2004.

To strengthen ACI's role internationally, Bill Tolley and I visited seven countries in Europe and the Far East and met with five of ACI's international partners and 11 international chapters. We signed two new international partner agreements, strengthened working relationships with several other potential international partners, and continued to maintain strong connections with our partners in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Support for student members continues to increase through the free e-membership program. In addition, seven fellowships will be awarded at the ACI Spring 2008 Convention later this month, and we will add at least one more fellowship in 2009.

Efforts to reach out to all members of the concrete industry, as well as to expand working relationships with other technical societies, have been highly successful, with visits to offices of the American Institute of Architects, the Design-Build Institute of America, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the U.S. Green Building Council. I had the privilege of joining senior ACI staff at the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) CEO Forum last summer, and I met with members of ASCC, the American Shotcrete Association, and the International Concrete Repair Institute in January. ACI's connection with other associations is even broader based on contacts between senior ACI staff with their counterparts in 35 other concrete-related societies in North America, as well as with the American Society of Civil Engineers, its Structural Engineering Institute, and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

ACI's efforts in certification remain as strong as ever, with 28,764 exams processed in 2007, up nearly 4% over 2006, and with new and retooled programs covering transportation technicians and inspectors and commercial/industrial concrete flatwork finishers. ACI's educational programs have kept pace, with a total of 78 public seminars and 19 in-house seminars, the latter representing a record number.

In another area that is receiving progressively greater visibility, the ACI Foundation's Strategic Development Council is hard at work developing a roadmap on sustainable development for the concrete industry.

Last summer and this fall, a task group, under the direction of ACI Vice President Florian Barth, developed the new Strategic Plan for the Institute. A draft of the plan was posted on ACI's website for public comment so that the membership could offer their observations and suggestions. The plan will now be considered for approval by ACI's Board of Direction at the spring convention in Los Angeles.

As I conclude my final President's Memo, I want to again express my thanks to all of you who have been so gracious and supportive during my term. It's been a truly fine year-a year to remember.

David Darwin
American Concrete Institute
daved@ku.edu

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