News Detail

Over the Horizon

3/1/2013

I want to thank all of you for the honor and privilege of serving as your President for the last year. It is truly a humbling experience to be the recipient of the high level of respect and honor that is given to ACI around the world. I want to take this opportunity to give my sincere thanks to the ACI staff for their dedicated service to me and the Institute. I also want to express my gratitude to the members of the Executive Committee who have served as my mentors and supporters: Past Presidents Florian Barth, Dick Stehly, and Ken Hover; Vice Presidents Anne Ellis and Bill Rushing; and last, but not least, Executive Vice President Ron Burg. Any success I have had, and the future success of the Institute, is due in large part to the dedicated service of these outstanding individuals.

Two of my goals were to expand ACI's educational offerings and services to members, and to further enhance ACI's reputation and relationships with cooperating concrete organizations around the world. I am happy to say that we have made considerable progress in achieving these goals.

Several new Online CEU courses have been developed and posted on the ACI website. New eLearning courses are being developed on several topics. Also, many technical session presentations from recent ACI conventions have been captured as "web sessions" and are available for review. One measure of success is the approximately 20% increase in the number of online "hits" reported last year for all ACI educational product offerings.

On the international front, the multination trips that Ron Burg and I took to Europe and the Far East have strengthened our ties with key international partners and established contacts for direct technical exchanges and cooperation in the future. As a result of our trips, a few joint technical working groups are already being formed with fib, JCI, and KCI. Also, the International Summit held last summer at ACI Headquarters established a clear international focus for the Institute as we move forward. Six task groups organized during the Summit are working on a variety of key topics. The output from those groups will be fed back through the Board and its committees, and then into the upcoming strategic planning process.

When I took over as the President, I likened my job to that of a Captain on a smoothly running cruise ship. My primary duty was to maintain a steady hand on the wheel, making only minor adjustments and avoiding quick turns onto a rocky shoal. However, it became clear to me that we also need to be cognizant of unseen events and issues that may be developing just beyond the visual horizon. If we are too complacent, an unexpected iceberg could cause considerable damage to our smoothly running vessel.

So, as ACI moves forward over the horizon, we need to be alert to unexpected challenges and be ready to make required course corrections. To accomplish this, we need to be open to advice and guidance from our dedicated members and partners around the world; we need to utilize the various talents of our volunteer members, especially those serving on the Board and its committees; and we need to rely on the consistent and steady support from ACI staff to help steer the ship.

As I complete my term in the Captain's chair, I feel confident in turning my responsibilities over to incoming ACI President Anne Ellis and her Senior Vice President, Bill Rushing. They have a clear global vision and a comprehensive understanding of ACI's mission to provide knowledge and information for the best use of concrete. They are competent and prepared to guide the Institute through the strategic planning process that will set ACI on a course for continued technical and financial success in the future.

Thanks again to all of you for this wonderful and unique opportunity to serve the concrete industry.

James K. Wight
American Concrete Institute

Back to Memo List