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Home > News and Events > News > News Detail
3/3/2025
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What? I’m done already? As I believe all my predecessors have ruefully remarked, the ACI presidential year does fly by. In keeping with my memos’ motif, this last memo features images in a nod to my design profession’s proclivity for visual thinking. In my first memo, I wrote about my introduction to the Institute through ACI Committee 120, History of Concrete. Soon thereafter, if not at the same convention, I was also welcomed to ACI Committee 124, Concrete Aesthetics, tying into the theme of this CI issue. In addition to all the materials science, engineering, construction, and quality-assurance aspects, concrete often has a powerful visual and tactile presence. This includes horizontal concrete, which accounts for most concrete construction globally. In a fundamental respect, concrete truly is liquid stone, embodying and displaying all the marvelous properties of that elemental contradiction. Just as ACI Past President Peter Smith welcomed me to ACI Committee 120, Mary K. Hurd, another ACI luminary—an ACI Honorary Member well known as the author of the industry bible, ACI’s “Formwork for Concrete”—welcomed me to ACI Committee 124. Acknowledging these outstanding concrete individuals is the segue to my parting thought. It is the people of ACI—volunteers and staff—who make ACI a great and exceptional organization for concrete globally and for the concrete community internationally. In my presidential year and throughout my ACI career, I have been blessed to know and work with so many talented concrete enthusiasts. I have learned so much, and, just as in my day job, I continue to learn new things each and every day. So, I salute and thank you all—chapter officers and local members; international partners; sponsoring groups; individual members, young and old, including all who diligently serve on or chair ACI’s many committees; student members (at convention competitions and in ACI worldwide student chapters); organizational and sustaining members; convention exhibitors; and ACI’s dedicated staff. It has been my profound honor and privilege, as well as my great pleasure, to serve! Again, thank you all! Michael J. Paul
What? I’m done already? As I believe all my predecessors have ruefully remarked, the ACI presidential year does fly by. In keeping with my memos’ motif, this last memo features images in a nod to my design profession’s proclivity for visual thinking.
In my first memo, I wrote about my introduction to the Institute through ACI Committee 120, History of Concrete. Soon thereafter, if not at the same convention, I was also welcomed to ACI Committee 124, Concrete Aesthetics, tying into the theme of this CI issue. In addition to all the materials science, engineering, construction, and quality-assurance aspects, concrete often has a powerful visual and tactile presence. This includes horizontal concrete, which accounts for most concrete construction globally. In a fundamental respect, concrete truly is liquid stone, embodying and displaying all the marvelous properties of that elemental contradiction.
Just as ACI Past President Peter Smith welcomed me to ACI Committee 120, Mary K. Hurd, another ACI luminary—an ACI Honorary Member well known as the author of the industry bible, ACI’s “Formwork for Concrete”—welcomed me to ACI Committee 124. Acknowledging these outstanding concrete individuals is the segue to my parting thought.
It is the people of ACI—volunteers and staff—who make ACI a great and exceptional organization for concrete globally and for the concrete community internationally. In my presidential year and throughout my ACI career, I have been blessed to know and work with so many talented concrete enthusiasts. I have learned so much, and, just as in my day job, I continue to learn new things each and every day. So, I salute and thank you all—chapter officers and local members; international partners; sponsoring groups; individual members, young and old, including all who diligently serve on or chair ACI’s many committees; student members (at convention competitions and in ACI worldwide student chapters); organizational and sustaining members; convention exhibitors; and ACI’s dedicated staff. It has been my profound honor and privilege, as well as my great pleasure, to serve! Again, thank you all!
Michael J. Paul
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