Welcome to the second issue of On the Road for 2023! Within the pages of this issue, you will find interviews with industry leaders, project spotlights, a recap of the 2023 Utah Asphalt Conference, and highlights recognizing the association’s award winners for 2023.
As I read through a draft of this publication, I could not help but think of one word: people. And it is not just that the people in our industry are truly awesome; it is that they just care so dang (I wanted to use a stronger word here, but Microsoft Word said it might be offensive to some readers!) much about what it is that they do! I love it!
It is hard to believe that Doug Watson’s time as UAPA’s President is quickly coming to an end after many years of service. Doug, along with a few others, oversaw UAPA during times of tremendous challenges (thanks COVID!) and incredible growth. Thanks to Doug, one of the key components of UAPA always remained at its heart — technical competence, expertise, and trust. Doug’s leadership will certainly be missed, but I suspect we will not let him rest for too long in retirement, as we will need his help to grow the training and certification programs that are just around the corner for UAPA.
And then there is Bup! Bup is our wonderful incoming President anxiously waiting in the wings to do some real good during his presidency. Usually, it is me that helps an incoming president develop some goals and an agenda for their presidency, but with Bup, he has already set out some incredible goals that will both stretch the association and invite prospective and lapsed members to join our ranks and find value. I cannot wait to see what the rest of 2023 and 2024 have in store for UAPA under Bup’s leadership.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not shout from the top of my lungs a giant and heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the presenters, exhibitors, attendees, UAPA members, and specials guests that made the 2023 Utah Asphalt Conference the tremendous success that it was — truly, it is one of the best asphalt-related conferences in the entire country.
I hope you enjoy looking through this issue as much as I did. People are one thing. People that care so much about what they do are another. I love those people. I am grateful that I get to come to work every day and interact with people like Howard Anderson (see Getting to Know UDOT ) who care and who want to build better roads, improve specifications, and move our industry forward.
We are jumping into the heart of the asphalt season now. Stay safe. Come home each day. And be sure to always care for each other. Here’s to a great construction season in 2023!
Reed
