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Board of Trustees - 2012

Michael W. Harlan - Chairman

President

Harlan Capital Advisors, Inc.

Michael W. Harlan serves as President of Harlan Capital Advisors, LLC, a private consulting firm focused on advising companies on strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity investments, and capital raising initiatives.  Prior to forming Harlan Capital Advisors, Mr. Harlan served as President and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Concrete, Inc., from May 2007 until August 2011.  From April 2003 until May 2007, Mr. Harlan served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  He also served as Chief Financial Officer from the founding of U.S. Concrete in May 1999 until November 2004.  He was elected to the Board of Directors in June 2006.  In addition, Mr. Harlan serves on the Board of Directors of Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE: WCN), a publicly traded solid waste management firm, where he serves as the lead independent Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee. Mr. Harlan has over 28 years of executive management, operations, marketing and sales, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and accounting experience.  He began his career in 1982 with an international accounting firm.  Prior to founding U.S. Concrete, Mr. Harlan held various senior executive officer positions with several publically traded companies in the solid waste, health care and industrial industries.  In August 1998, Mr. Harlan joined with Main Street Equity Ventures, a Houston-based venture capital firm, to form U.S. Concrete.  He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and its Executive Committee. He serves on the board for the National Steering Committee for the Concrete Industry Management education program where he serves as an officer and is a member of the Executive Committee and the University of Houston Honors College Advisory Board.  He also serves as Chairman of the Board for the RMC Research & Education Foundation. Mr. Harlan is a Certified Public Accountant.

William F. Childs, IV - Vice Chairman

President & CEO

Chaney Enterprises

Mr. Childs has led Chaney Enterprises since 2000, having joined the company in 1992 as vice president of sales & marketing. He is a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors. He is a past president and current Board member of the Maryland Ready Mix Concrete Association and is a Past Director of that organization's Promotion Committee. Mr. Childs’ community activities include being a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society and involvement in the Eugene Chaney Foundation. He is a graduate of Lynchburg College in Virginia where he received a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration. He and his wife, Victoria, live in Maryland where he enjoys hunting, fishing and boating.

Richard Olsen - Secretary/Treasurer

President, Building Materials

Votorantim Cement North America

Mr. Olsen was appointed as President, Building Materials for Votorantim Cement North America in 2008. Prior to moving to his current position, Mr. Olsen served as President and General Manager of Canada Building Materials Co., a division of Votorantim/St. Marys Cement. His industry experience includes service at Lafarge Cement United Kingdom, Blue Circle Aggregates in Canada, Blue Circle Canada, and St. Marys Cement. Mr. Olsen received his BSc and MSc from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada and his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He has served as Director for the Ready Mix Concrete Association of Ontario, Chairman of the British Cement Association, Vice-Chairman of the Concrete Center in London, England, Chairman of the Ontario Aggregates Resources Corporation and Director for the Aggregate Producers Association of Ontario. Mr. Olsen is a Professional Engineer in Ontario.

Henry R. Batten

President & CEO

Concrete Supply Co.

Mr. Batten has been with Concrete Supply Co. since 1998 in various capacities including Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Finance, and Executive Vice President.  He participates in the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association through committee work and is a member of the Construction Financial Managers Association.  Mr. Batten earned a BS in Accountancy from Arizona State University and an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Alabama.  Mr. Batten has served on NRMCA’s Operations Environment and Safety Committee, Legal Activities Committee and Business Administration Committee and currently serves as NRMCA's Chairman.

Tim Becken

Senior Vice President of Operations

Cemstone Products Co.

Mr. Becken has been with Cemstone Products since 1991.  He served as President of Aggregate & Ready Mix Association of Minnesota in 1996.  Mr. Becken earned a BA from St. Olaf College, graduating cum laude.  Mr. Becken has served on numerous NRMCA standing committees including the Educational Activities Committee, Government Affairs, Strategic Planning, and the Operations, Environmental & Maintenance Committee, now the Operations, Environmental & Safety Committee.  He has also previously served on the NRMCA Board and Executive Committee.  He and his wife, Roxanne, have three children.  He enjoys skiing, biking and golf.

Diggs Bishop

President, Northern Concrete Division, & VP/GM Northern Region of MidEast Division

Vulcan Materials Company

Mr. Bishop holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Davidson College. He is the President of the Northern Concrete Division and VP/General Manager of the Northern Region of the MidEast Division of Vulcan Materials Company. He currently serves on the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s Board of Directors and chairs the Strategic Planning Committee.

Thomas A. Chizmadia

Senior Vice President-Government Affairs, Public Relations and Sustainability

Lehigh Hanson, Inc.

Mr. Chizmadia is Senior Vice President – Government Affairs, Public Relations and Sustainability for Lehigh Hanson, Inc. He received a BA from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, and participated in the Stanford University Business School Executive Program. Prior to joining Lehigh Hanson, Mr. Chizmadia was a special assistant to the Governor of New Jersey, and held communications and public policy/affairs positions with CIBA-Geigy, Holcim (US) Inc., and BASF Corporation.

Gabriel Cottrell

Business Director Admixture Systems

BASF

Mr. Cottrell is the Business Director of BASF Construction Chemicals’ Admixture Systems business. He assumed the role in 2007 and is charged with leading the business’s growth initiatives in the North American region. The Admixture Systems business markets the respected Master Builders line of chemical admixtures to the concrete construction industry.  Mr. Cottrell is a member of BASF’s Construction Chemicals Executive Management Committee and reports directly to John Salvatore, CEO, Construction Chemicals, North America. Mr. Cottrell began his career with Master Builders, Inc. in 1978 as a Sales Representative in the Caribbean Region. Since then, he has performed a number of roles within the company. In 1980, he became an Area Manager responsible for Ecuador, Peru and Panama until he relocated to France in 1983 as a National Account Manager. In 1984, Mr. Cottrell managed the company’s division in Spain and Portugal. From 1988 to 1996, Mr. Cottrell was Managing Director of Construction Chemicals in France.  He was transferred to the USA in 1997 and became responsible for Construction Chemicals in Latin America, a position he held until he was appointed Business Director of the Admixture Business in North America. Mr. Cottrell was born in the Caribbean island of Martinique and studied in the United States, obtaining a Master's Degree in International Management from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona. He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife of 30 years, Francoise. They have two sons, Sebastien, 27, and Christophe, 25. Mr. Cottrell enjoys snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis, biking and mountain climbing.

R. Frank Craddock

Executive Vice President

Cemex, Inc.

Mr. Craddock is Executive Vice President of Cemex, USA in Houston, Texas. Mr. Craddock has 23 years of experience in the ready mixed concrete, cement and aggregate industries, most of them with Cemex and its predecessor, Southdown. He is a past Board of Directors member of NRMCA along with serving on the association’s Executive Committee. Mr. Craddock is a past Board and Executive Committee member of the Florida Concrete & Products Association. He received a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Central Florida. He and his wife Linda have a daughter, Caroline. He enjoys following Auburn football, boating, fishing and reading.

Kevin Flaherty

Senior Vice President

Mack Trucks, Inc.

Mr. Flaherty was elected senior vice president – sales of Mack Trucks, effective January 2, 2001.  In this position, he is responsible for all sales activity in North America including medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.  He is also responsible for the Mack Leasing System, Mack dealer development and oversight of used truck sales activity.  Flaherty joined Mack in 1973, and has served as vice president – domestic sales since 1998.  During his tenure at Mack, he has also served as vice president – southeast region and vice president – northeast region, and held various positions in the sales and marketing departments. Mr. Flaherty earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Marshall University.

Robert Garbini

President

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Mr. Garbini joined the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) in December, 1991 as the Marketing Director of Building Systems.   He was named Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer in March, 1997 and subsequently president in 1998.  Prior to joining NRMCA, Garbini was the owner of Foundation Constructors in McLean, Virginia, a specialty design/build construction company.  Garbini holds a Masters of Science degree in Structural Engineering from The George Washington University in Washington, DC and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Penn State University.  He is a registered professional engineer in seven states and the District of Columbia.

Allen Hamblen

CEO

CalPortland

Mr. Hamblen is President/CEO of CalPortland Company and prior to a 2006 consolidation, Mr. Hamblen was President/CEO of Glacier Northwest. Mr. Hamblen has been working with CalPortland and its predecessors for 28 years. He is currently on the Board of Directors for both the Portland Cement Association and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and is a past President of the Washington Aggregates and Concrete Association. He received a Bachelors of Arts degree and MBA from San Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. He and his wife, Arlene, have two sons, Joshua and Jacob. They both enjoy California’s weather which is great for spending time outdoors with their horses.

Hardy Johnson

Chief Government Affairs Officer

Tarmac America, A Titan America Co.

Mr. Johnson received his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration in 1969 from Georgia State University and an MBA in 1972, also from Georgia State University. He began his career in the ready mixed concrete industry in 1969 with Gifford Hill in Atlanta where he worked in sales, production management, sales management and general management. He has worked in several management positions in the ready mixed concrete, cement, aggregates and concrete block business in Georgia, Colorado, Virginia, and now in Florida. Mr. Johnson joined Tarmac America in 1990 and is currently the president of Tarmac America LLC where he is responsible for the cement, aggregates, ready mixed concrete and concrete block product lines in Florida. Titan Cement Group which is headquartered in Athens, Greece, acquired the Tarmac America assets in 2000. The Florida Business Unit is a $500M+ annual sales company with the offices located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, after having served several terms on the NRMCA Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. Mr. Johnson has also served the national industry as a past chairman of the NRMCA’s RMC 2000 and Long Range Planning Committees. He served as Chairman of the RMC Research Foundation which is a 205 (c) 3 foundation dedicated to research and education for the betterment of the ready mixed concrete industry. He has served as Chairman of the NRMCA Government Affairs Committee. He is currently a member of NRMCA’s Nominating Committee. On the state level, Mr. Johnson is a past chairman of the Florida Concrete & Products Association (FCPA) and has served on the FCPA Executive Committee and Board of Directors numerous times. He also served on the FCPA as Chairman of the Multi Family Promotion Group and on the Marketing Committee. He is a proud member of the Broward Workshop which is dedicated to the development of Broward County, Florida. Hardy Johnson has been married to his wife, Donna, for 43 years and they have two children and four grandchildren. He is guilty of ruining a good Sunday afternoon by chasing a little white ball around a golf course with his wife, Donna. He is an Eagle Scout and supports the Boy Scouts of America.

David Loomes

Vice President - Commercial Services

Holcim (US) Inc.

Mr. Loomes currently serves as Vice President - Commercial Services for Holcim (US) in Waltham, MA. He is responsible for corporate logistics, corporate marketing support, product quality and performance, marketing operations and industry association activities in Holcim (US). Mr. Loomes has worked for Holcim for 18 years, starting in South Africa, then in Toronto and has been located in the US since 2001. He is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in South Africa and obtained an MBA in Toronto.

Scott Parson

President

Oldcastle Materials Mountain West Division

Mike Ragan

Vice President - Global Ready-Mix

Grace Construction Products

Mr. Ragan joined Grace in 1982 as a Product Specialist with the Building Products Division.  Since then, he has held a succession of marketing, business management, and sales management positions progressing from District Manager and Regional/Marketing Manager for Building Products; North America Sales Manager for Waterproofing and Concrete Products; Director of Worldwide Sales for Concrete Products; and in 2001, Mr. Ragan was promoted to Vice President Sales for North America. In 2005, Mr. Ragan assumed responsibility for the entire Grace Construction Products line for both North and South America as well as Global Key Accounts. In his present position, Mr. Ragan focuses on business strategies for ready-mix concrete in key growth regions around the world, leading efforts to develop global key accounts in the concrete industry. Before joining Grace, Mr. Ragan was General Manager of Potomac Insulation, a commercial contractor located in the Washington, DC area. Mr. Ragan is an active Advisory Board Member of the North American Concrete Industry Management Program and the RMC Research & Education Foundation.  In addition, he is serving as an Advisory Director to the Board of Directors of the Western Construction Group. He holds a BA from Loyola College in Baltimore.

Phil Ramsey

CEO

Command Alkon, Incorporated

Mr. Ramsey was born in Rockford, Illinois in 1958. He and his wife Chris were married in 1988 in Hampshire, England. They have two sons and one daughter. Phil received an Engineering Degree in computer Science from the University of Tulsa in 1980 and an MBA in 1981. Phil founded Control Management Systems in 1981 to provide dispatch systems to the ready mixed concrete industry. In 1991 Phil joined Command Data, the predecessor of Command Alkon. Phil held management positions in Command Alkon including Product Development, Service, International Business Development, VP-Sales and Finance and VP-Software Business Unit. In 2005 Phil was named Chief Operating Officer for Command Alkon. In 2008, Phil attended the Harvard General Management Program and in August, 2009 was named president of Command Alkon.

David Robison

President

Delta Industries, Inc.

Mr. Robison has been with Delta Industries since 1971 holding various management positions. He was named President in 1995. His personal and professional affiliations include: Past President and Director of Mississippi Concrete Industries Association, Chairman of Business & Industry Political Education Committee, and Director of Mississippi Junior Achievement. Mr. Robison earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is currently serving on the NRMCA Executive Committee. He is past chairman of NRMCA’s Government Affairs, PAC and Legal Activities committees. He has previously served on the NRMCA Board and Construction Industry Alliances committee. He and his wife, Teresa, have two children. He enjoys golf and running.

Jamie Rogers

Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Texas Industries, Inc.

Mr. Rogers is Vice President and COO of Texas Industries, Inc., a leading supplier of building materials in Texas and California. Prior to his current position, Mr. Rogers held various positions in TXI’s ready mix, cement, and consumer products divisions. He currently serves on the board and executive boards of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association. He holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a BA from Skidmore College.

Raymond H. Seipp

Vice President - Marketing, Promotion and Government Affairs

Buzzi Unicem

Mr. Seipp began his career in the Portland cement industry in 1971 after graduating from the University of North Carolina.  Throughout his career, he has been involved in distribution, sales and promotion of cement and masonry products produced by Buzzi Unicem USA (formerly RC Cement).  Mr. Seipp has been active with several state and national associations.  He is a former chairman of the Portland Cement Association Southeast and the Southeast Chapter of the American Concrete and Paving Association.  Additionally, he has been affiliated with the Georgia Concrete and Products Association (Public Affairs Committee Chairman); Concrete Paving Association of Tennessee (Board member); Georgia Concrete Paving Association (Vice Chair); and National Ready Mix Concrete Association (Parking Lot Promotion Committee and Materials Board member). Mr. Seipp’s community involvement activities include having served nine years on the Metropolitan Planning Commission of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, the last two of which as their Chairman.  Additionally, he served on the Lookout Mountain City Council.  Before relocating to Pennsylvania, he was a member of a pedestrian advocacy group (PEDS) and The Southface Institute.  He is a former Board member of the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority in Rock Spring, Georgia. In August 2008, Mr. Seipp relocated to the corporate headquarters of Buzzi Unicem USA, Inc. in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, acting as the Vice President of Marketing, Promotion and Government Affairs. Ray, along with his wife, Ellen, and their two children, John and Elizabeth, currently reside in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Mark Stiles

Senior Vice President, Group President - Construction, Marine and Components Group

Trinity Industries, Inc.

Mr. Stiles is Senior Vice President of Trinity Industries, Inc. (NYSE:TRN), a premier multi-industry growth company. He is also the Group President and directs worldwide business operations of the Construction, Marine and Components Group which is comprised of the following divisions: Trinity Highway Products, Trinity Renewable Energy Components, Trinity Rail Parts and Components, Trinity Marine, Trinity Logistics Group, Transit Mix Concrete and Materials Company, Armor Materials, and Trinity Materials, Inc. In 1991, Trinity Industries acquired Transit Mix Concrete, a family owned concrete and materials company in Southeast Texas, where Mr. Stiles began as a salesman in 1971. Mr. Stiles was named President of Transit Mix and Corporate Vice President for Trinity Industries in 1993. As his responsibilities have increased, Mr. Stiles now serves as Senior Vice President and Group President where he oversees the operations and development of more than 4, 500 employees. Representing his hometown district of Beaumont, Texas, Mr. Stiles served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he held numberous leadership positions during 16 years of service from 1982 to 1998. In the Texas House, he served as chairman of the House Committee on County Affairs, the House Committee on Ways and Means and an unprecedented three terms as Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Calendars. During his tenure, he also served on every major committee including Appropriations, State Affairs, and Public Education. Recognized as a leader in many areas of state government, Mr. Stiles championed reform issues in Texas including insurance, property tax, education, electric power deregulation, and criminal justice. For his commitment to Texas and his constituency, Mr. Stiles received many personal honors and awards. Some of his legislative highlights include: Texas Chamber of Commerce Legislator of the Year; Texas County Agricultural Agents Association Man of the Year; Texas Municipal League Legislator of the Year; Legislative Study Group Most Valuable Player; Texas Public Employees Association "Made It Happen Award," and the Press Club of Southeast Texas' Excellence in Media Award. In 1992, the State of Texas honored Mr. Stiles for his work to strengthen Texas' criminal justice laws by naming a state prison in Jefferson County after him. A known civic leader, Mr. Stiles currently serves on numerous philanthropic boards and committees. He remains active in community affairs and Texas politics by serving as a board member of the Texas Civic Justice League, state retort reform association. Past boards service includes: Texas Tomorrow Fund, the Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance, and the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. A recognized leaders in the national business community, he is an expert in the area of heavy industrial manufacturing, transportation and infrastructure issues, and renewable energy policy. Mr. Stiles has testified numerous times before Congress, is very active politically and is a sought out speaker for major business and policy conferences throughout the country. Mr. Stiles currently serves on the boards of the Texas Transportation Institute, Mid-America Transportation Center and is a member of the Chancellor's Circle of Texas A&M University. Mr. Stiles attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. In addition to his business and civic activities, Mr. Stiles runs Stiles Land and Cattle Company, a working cattle ranch in Italy, Texas. Mr. Stiles is a proud father of five children and seven grandchildren.

William B. Wagner

Vice President/GM Ready Mix Southeast

Lafarge North America

Mr. Wagner holds a degree in industrial management. He is a past member of NRMCA’s Executive Committee and is also a past member of the Board of the Georgia Concrete & Products Association. Mr. Wagner currently serves on NRMCA’s Board of Directors. He and his wife, Kim, have two children: Erin and Leah. He enjoys fitness, golf, tennis and mountain biking.

Karl Watson, Jr.

President, US Operations

Cemex, Inc.

Mr. Watson is President, US Operations, of Cemex, Inc. Prior to his current position, he held several senior positions in Cemex’s operations in Florida and the Eastern Region of the United States.   Before joining Cemex in 2007, he headed the ready-mix concrete and concrete products divisions of Rinker in the USA and Australia.   Mr. Watson is the Chairman of the National Ready Mixed Association (NRMCA) and has previously served on the NRMCA Board and Executive Committee.  He has served on various NRMCA committees including Government Affairs, Legal Activities, Educational Activities and the Vision Strategic Planning Committee.  Mr. Watson currently is serving on the Portland Cement Association (PCA) Board and Executive Committee and also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA).    Mr. Watson is past Chairman of the Florida Concrete and Products Association (FC&PA) and the RMC Research & Education Foundation.  He is also past Vice Chairman of the Australia Cement, Concrete and Aggregate Association.  Mr. Watson holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and a Master of Business Administration Degree.  Karl and his wife, Michelle, have five children:  Christopher, Lindsey, Karl III, Alexandra and Cameron.  He enjoys reading, running and biking.

Matthew Wood

Supplemental Cementitous Materials Manager

Ash Grove Cement Co.

Mr. Wood currently serves as Supplemental Cementitious Materials and Colorado Sales Manager for the Ash Grove Cement Company and has been with the company since 1983. Prior to that, he was with Oregon Portland Cement. Mr. Wood served on the Board of the National Lime Association from 1988 to 2000 and was their Treasurer from 1996 to 2000. He has also served on the Board of the Colorado Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Mr. Wood obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University and his MBA from Portland State University.

© RMC Research & Education Foundation, 2012