News Detail

Reaching Out with Open Arms

11/1/2006

I am writing this memo while on the road from the breathlessly beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. I now understand why Rio is world renowned for its majestic mountains, its tempting sandy beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, and a vibrant and carnival-like nightlife. However, what impressed me most is the massive reinforced concrete and stone statuary depiction of "Christ the Redeemer" atop Corcovado Mountain, towering over the city and "reaching out with open arms" to all. Its strong message, crystal clear to all who experience its silent splendor, is universal.

It's this message that has direct significance to why I have taken this journey far from home and family. Three of my six Presidential objectives include "reaching out" to other entities or organizations. These "reaching out" objectives include: 1) Strengthening ACI's international role by improving relationships with the international concrete community; 2) Expanding working relationships with other concrete-related technical societies and organizations; and 3) Reaching out to the concrete constructors to increase their participation in ACI.

In Rio, we strengthened and expanded ACI's relationship with the concrete professionals of Brazil by participating in the 48th International Concrete Conference of IBRACON, ACI's counterpart in Brazil. ACI has had an International Partner Agreement with IBRACON since 2003, which has opened the door for ACI to build this important relationship. ACI's committee and code work benefits from the contributions and involvement of the best and brightest concrete professionals of Brazil and other countries. Earlier this year, I joined other ACI members and staff at World of Concrete Mexico in Mexico City, sponsored by IMCYC, another ACI International Partner. While there, an International Chapter Roundtable was held with seven other Latin American countries' chapter officers. It's a rewarding experience to discover how much we learn from others when we share our collective knowledge and experience in these efforts.

Paralleling my visit to Brazil, my predecessors, ACI Past Presidents Jim Cagley, Tony Fiorato, and Pepe Izquierdo, together with ACI Vice President Luis García, are representing ACI in Colombia, attending the Colombian ASOCRETO Conference. Later this fall, I will be traveling to the Netherlands, England, and France to meet with European concrete leaders representing those countries' concrete-related institutes. These trips should complement Jim Cagley's and Bill Tolley's work at fib in Naples, Italy, earlier this summer. In addition, Jim Wight, Chair of ACI Committee 318, is acting as ACI's representative to Europe's fib Model Code Committee. All of these efforts work toward achieving one of our Strategic Plan's basic goals: "ACI, through communication, cooperation and collaboration, will facilitate the formation of a unified global concrete knowledge community."

Domestically, ACI is "reaching out" to numerous concrete-related organizations, expanding ACI's impact and effectiveness throughout our industry. We have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Concrete Repair Institute to develop a Concrete Repair Code. We are entertaining another MOU with the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute and are continuing to work together with PCA and PCI to give joint technical and educational seminars.

We are also expanding our working relationship on several fronts with the American Society of Concrete Contractors, an important concrete practitioner organization. ACI continues to meet with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and is planning joint events for the near future.

As part of an annual tradition, I will be part of an ACI delegation to visit our nation's capital to meet with high-ranking officials of key industry-related associations. This year, emphasizing the practitioner and the design professional, we plan to meet with the AIA, DBIA, and AGC, as well as USGBS, GBI, and FHWA for the purpose of "reaching out" to explore possibilities for collective efforts.

Now half way through my journey as your President, it's rewarding to see that we are no longer "doing things the way we always have done them before," which was the challenge I put forth in my first President's Memo in May. Our "reaching out" efforts are one of many examples of how ACI is taking action in new and creative ways to maintain a strong leadership role in this ever-changing, shrinking, and increasingly competitive world community.

Thomas D. Verti, President
American Concrete Institute
tverti@pankow.com

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