ACI Chapters and Sponsoring Groups Advance Concrete Excellence

11/1/2024

ACI Chapters and Sponsoring Groups Advance Concrete Excellence

One of the brilliant blessings of serving as ACI President is the opportunity to visit chapters and meet with chapter members and officers and with the leaders of local sponsoring groups (LSGs). Although this also happens at chapter roundtables during ACI Concrete Conventions, and those held regionally, there is nothing better than meeting chapter members on their home turf.

It is in the sessions, committee meetings, and other activities packed into ACI Conventions that most of the technical work of ACI is accomplished. However, it is in our chapters and through our LSGs that concrete becomes real, as evidenced in countless and varied projects—airports, bridges, canals, dams, factories, granaries, hospitals, justice centers, locks, manholes, natatoriums, opera houses, ports and quays, roads, schools, tunnels, universities, viaducts, and warehouses—and exemplified in the Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards that take place at ACI annually and in many chapters.

At best, the relationship between chapters and LSGs and the Institute is robustly two-way. Chapters and LSGs conduct certification sessions for the local construction market, using materials developed by the Institute, promoting quality in the workforce and concrete construction. Chapters and LSGs provide an introduction and home for young people in the concrete community, developing them into the next generation of industry and ACI leaders.

In the other direction and beyond a bounty of certification materials and support, ACI provides a myriad of opportunities and resources. These range from speakers for technical presentations, commonly at chapter dinner meetings but also online, to leadership training, a marketing toolkit, listings in the ACI Events Calendar, publishing of chapter news, and guidance for establishing student chapters. For a complete listing, visit www.concrete.org/chapters/chapterresources.

In my interactions with chapter officers and LSG leaders, I have found them to be extraordinarily talented individuals who are strongly committed to concrete construction. ACI is very fortunate to have such a corps of exemplary field generals throughout the world, all dedicated to advancing knowledge for the effective use of concrete.

Returning to the roundtables, from what I have seen and heard, those who attend from our chapters find the roundtables to be interesting, informative, and helpful. Sometimes even fun! If you have a leadership role in your chapter, have not yet attended a roundtable, and would like to do so, contact Denesha Price at denesha.price@concrete.org.

Michael J. Paul