IMPACT Leadership Group Conference heads to Washington

NAPA’s emerging leaders gather to discuss best practices in work culture, workforce development.

Emerging leaders in the asphalt pavement industry were in Washington, D.C. Sept. 24-26 for the IMPACT Leadership Group Conference, where they engaged in discussions on hiring, culture, and technology.

NAPA’s premier event developing the skills, connections, and knowledge asphalt professionals need to make a difference in the industry was co-located this year with Hill Day, NAPA’s fall advocacy event held in conjunction with the National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association (NSSGA), and the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA).

Having both events in the nation’s capital meant enhanced engagement across the generations of NAPA membership, was capped off by activities and a workforce development panel moderated by John Broer with Real Good Ventures.

Broer invited participants to “ditch the nametag” through icebreaking sessions aimed at envisioning what a successful work culture might look like. The panel, The Power of Truth: Honest Conversations for a Thriving Culture, highlighted the role open dialogue can play in making those visions a reality at a company.

NAPA Chairman of the Board Brady Meldrem said having these conversations early, even during the job interview process, can help to prevent many issues before they begin.

“Hiring by the Golden Rule keeps out the cancers,” Meldrem said.

Lehman-Roberts President Pat Nelson said it’s no secret at his company that they expect “everybody to sweep the floors,” and it’s helped develop and retain its workforce.

NAPA Vice President for Research, Engineering, & Technology Richard Willis led a discussion on the growing role of environmental product declarations (EPDs) in asphalt pavement procurement as moderator of a panel including Heather Warner with Allan Myers, Kerianne Melillo with Green Asphalt, and Patrick J. Weaver with Surface Tech.

The first day of the conference concluded with a networking event at SPIN, a downtown D.C. ping pong social club where attendees could play each other as well as local pros in table tennis.

Use Technology to Address Workforce Challenges, a Day Two panel discussion, centered on the ways technological successes and failures at companies have helped attract new workers or otherwise solve workforce shortages.

Don Gallagher with Gallagher Asphalt Corp. talked about how his Indiana-based company is aiming to curb the decline of its workforce population through the use of virtual reality (VR) training and simulators.