The National Steering Committee (NSC) for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program recently announced the election of six new or returning members to its board of directors as well as six newly recognized honorary board members.
“For almost 30 years, the leadership of the concrete industry has embraced and supported our mission to identify, educate and inspire the next generation of leaders in the concrete industry,” said NSC Executive Director Nicole Maher. “The engagement of these companies, along with our national concrete association and foundation partners, ensures that the program continues to graduate well-rounded future leaders ready to guide the evolution of our state-of-the-art industry. We appreciate the service of our board members and their commitment to the continued success of CIM.”
The NSC officers include:
- Executive Director– Nicole Maher, National Steering Committee for CIM
- Chairman – Karl Watson, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Baker Construction Enterprises
- Vice Chairman – Bruce Christensen, President, Master Builders Solutions USA &
Canada - Secretary/Treasurer – Heather Brown, Vice President of QC/QA, Irving Materials, Inc.
- Immediate Past Chairman – Michael Schneider, Consultant, Baker Construction
All officers also serve on the board of directors.
In addition to the officers, the NSC board of directors includes:
- Steven Bishop, President/COO, Maschmeyer Concrete Company of Florida
- Ben Blankenship, Vice President, Sales – Texas, Ash Grove Cement Company
- Stephan Buol*, Accounts Manager, Teichert
- Kelly Curtis, Senior Vice President, Cement Sales & Logistics, Votorantim Cement North
America - Brian Gallagher, Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development, PPC Partners,
Inc. - Ray Hefner, Executive Director, American Society of Concrete Contractors
- Michael Hoagland*, Vice President, Regional Sales, Command Alkon
- Natalie Martin*, Director of Membership and Business Development, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
- Guillermo Martinez Sans, Executive Vice President Human Resources USA, CEMEX
- John McDougall, Operations Manager, LRT Restoration Technologies
- Paul Ozinga, President, Ready Mix and Aggregate, Ozinga
- Andrew Pinkerton, Executive Director, Cement Council of Texas
- Ben Robuck, Vice President – Infrastructure and Direct Work, CEMEX
- Tom Strittmatter*, Executive Vice President – Construction Chemicals, Sika Corporation
- Griffin Taylor*, General Manager, Amrize Texas Oklahoma Region
- Pierre Villere, Managing Partner, Allen-Villere Partners
- Tim Wrinkle*, Vice President of Vocational and Medium Duty, Mack Trucks
* Indicates new and re-elected board members.
“We are pleased to see a growing number of CIM alumni elected to our board,” continued Maher. “As their careers advance to roles of leadership within their companies, they are returning to give their time and talent to ensure the program remains a cutting-edge opportunity for those that are following in their footsteps.”
“We extend our deepest gratitude to Julie Garbini, Steve Cox, Doug Guerrero and Marti Harrell whose terms on the NSC board have recently concluded. Their dedication and leadership during their tenure have been instrumental in advancing our mission. Their efforts have left a lasting impact and we are immensely grateful for their service.”
Additionally, the organization recognizes its honorary directors for their enduring contributions and unwavering support. Their legacy and dedication continue to inspire and guide the mission of the NSC.
- Dr. Rex Cottle**, former CIM National Steering Executive Director
- Steve Cox**, Command Alkon
- Douglas Guerrero**, Chairman, CIM Patrons, California State University, Chico
- Wally Johnson**, former CIM National Steering Committee Chairman
- Earl Keese, former CIM National Steering Committee Executive Director
- Eugene Martineau**, former CIM National Steering Committee Executive Director
- Michael Philipps**, formerly National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA)
- L. Michael Shydlowski, retired
- David Vickers, former CIM National Steering Committee Chairman
** Indicates newly recognized honorary board members.
The CIM Program
Recognizing the need for people with enhanced technical, communication and management skills, the CIM program launched in 1996. The individuals graduating from this program will have the skill set necessary to meet the growing demands of the progressively changing concrete industry of the 21 st century. It is a business-intensive program, providing solid management skills that can be used in any industry, but has been developed specifically for the concrete industry. The program offers students numerous advantages, including gaining early industry exposure and entering the workforce with concrete experience, unlike those with generic business degrees.
The goal of the program is to produce broadly educated, articulate graduates who are grounded in basic business management, knowledgeable about concrete technology and techniques, and able to manage people and systems, as well as promote products or services related to the concrete industry. It entails a broad range of courses, from English and history to science and mathematics. A series of required business courses, such as finance, marketing, management and business law are also taken throughout the length of the program. The concrete-specific courses teach the fundamentals of concrete, properties and testing, concrete construction and more. All these courses utilize practical case studies and an internship to make sure the student obtains real-world experience essential to starting a successful career. Additional opportunities for growth include on-campus socials and other organized events providing industry networking and professional development.
About CIM
With strong support from the concrete industry, the CIM program is the first four-year, STEM-focused business degree in the U.S. designed to develop technically skilled leaders for the modern concrete industry, offering a unique career path with broad opportunities. The need for such a program was recognized in 1994 and was put into action by the concrete industry. The result was a partnership between the concrete industry and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) to develop the CIM program, implementing it with its first two students in 1996. Available at MTSU, California State University, Chico, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, South Dakota State University and Texas State University, the program has been successful for both the industry and the graduates. To learn more about the program, visit
www.concretedegree.com.
