The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, to convene the Young Leaders Annual Meeting. Held 23-26 April, the event attracted a record attendance of more than 325 participants, who heard from industry leaders, participated in networking activities, and welcomed their new Committee leadership.
During Monday’s general session, NSSGA Young Leaders chair Ericka Baxter greeted guests by sharing the word that inspired her tenure as Chair.
“Last year, when I received the gavel, I decided that my tenure would be centred on one key word: engage. This word, meaning to pledge oneself to do something, is near and dear to my heart. If you’ll remember, I challenged you to engage and pledge to improve yourself, your company, and your industry. Engage in relationships, committees, and important (even if difficult) conversations with legislators and community members. You all have done such a great job of this, and I thank you for putting yourselves out there,” said Baxter.
Also, attendees heard from Justin Patton of the Trust Architect Group at Monday’s general session about trust and leadership development. Afterwards, Ward Nye, Chairman, president and chief executive officer of Martin Marietta, spoke about his career and lessons learned. Monday also saw breakout sessions and a facility tour at Cemex’s FEC Quarry.
At Tuesday’s general session, the Association welcomed NSSGA chair Seth Hankowski. It included a panel discussion from NSSGA’s government and regulatory affairs staff and a keynote presentation from Jeska Brodbeck of Be Light Consulting, followed by more breakout sessions. In the afternoon, attendees could network and participate in team-building activities. That evening, the Mark S. Walsh Award was presented to Danette Swank of Philippi-Hagenbuch.
The final day was packed with additional group activities and the annual golf tournament. The gavel was officially passed from Ericka Baxter to incoming Young Leaders chair Clay Albright of Caldwell Stone Company on Wednesday evening. Albright is a longtime member of Young Leaders, with this being his 15th consecutive Young Leaders Annual Meeting. Albright, a third-generation aggregates producer, expressed his commitment and genuine appreciation for this industry and the Young Leaders program.
