Leading an industry of leaders

During this week’s episode of Pave It Black, Richard and Brett welcome a familiar face to the podcast studio. NAPA President & CEO Audrey Copeland discusses her journey from engineer to leading the asphalt pavement industry. Audrey shares insights on leadership transitions, the key qualities of successful leaders, and how to navigate industry challenges with resilience and adaptability. She also discusses the importance of setting the right tone as a leader, making decisive choices, and embracing change.

These highlights offer a peak into our conversation with Audrey Copeland—tune in to the full episode to hear even more insights on leadership, industry innovations, and the future of the industry. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

What are two or three other qualities that you see in leaders in our industry, and you think of are critical for people who are in charge of leading people?

I would say, first of all, setting the tone. As the leader of an organization, it is your responsibility to set the tone that will also help influence the culture of that organization. It is being positive, and not positive in the sense that everything’s always rosy, but looking at the opportunities, looking at the good side of things, and being able to reframe challenges, because there’s always going to be challenges that come along, and so being able to reframe that, as an opportunity.

The second thing I would say is decisiveness. and it doesn’t always have to be like immediate decisiveness, but you have to be able to make a decision, and a lot of times you’ve got to be able to make it in a reasonable amount of time. The staff is looking to you for guidance. I like to gather from other people before I make my decision, so I do think that’s an important component. But at the end of the day, you have to make the decision to keep things going and in motion. So, I think decisiveness is key as well.

The final thing, beyond humbleness, again, I already said it, but communication. Knowing who needs to know what. Pausing, and this is something that I still sometimes struggle with, just taking that time and pause to think through. Who needs to know this? What’s going to help me make this decision? Politically, if I make this decision, is it going to impact this person? So, thinking down the road, thinking down that chain of what’s going to happen when you make a decision or playing out the different scenarios. Taking that time to have that thought process, is a great skill as well.

In 2024, one of the major efforts that NAPAREF led was developing the Road Scholars Program at Auburn University and the National Center for Asphalt Technology. Why do you think it’s important to be a part of programs like this which support and help develop future leaders for the industry?

I think it’s very important. First of all, let me just say this industry is phenomenal. Within a year, we raised 3 million to endow this scholarship that will benefit graduate students in the asphalt industry. What I would say, and really, just from my own personal experience, I am embedded in this industry because of scholarships. I received an Eisenhower Fellowship from the Federal Highway Administration. I had already done some asphalt work in my Master’s, but at that point I didn’t get enough exposure to where I was committed, so I wanted to move away from it. I thought, ‘oh, I want to go back to structural engineering.’ And it wasn’t until I got the Eisenhower Fellowship, and I moved up here to Washington, D. C. to their labs, that I really became embedded in the industry. It brought me out of the comfort zone of Nashville, Tennessee and it introduced me to all these national experts in this area.

Then second, I received an Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists Scholarship. What really impressed me about that was I was just getting into the industry. Those folks didn’t really know me except for my application. I can’t remember what it was at the time, but they told me, you can spend it how you want, whether you need living expenses or books, travel, whatever. And the fact that they put that trust in me, it was huge for me. It gave me the opportunity to go to their meeting and get exposure to more experts in the industry.

It is such goodwill, these scholarships, and it can truly have a meaningful impact on students. I think that scholarships are the key as to why I’m in this industry and I have flourished in this industry. Not only did it help me financially, but it’s a vote of confidence. It’s a vote of, ‘Hey, we believe in you and we value you.’

Now I have all these other folks in the industry coming and telling me NAPA Scholarships, State Asphalt Pavement Scholarships, NCAT Scholarships, FHWA, benefited them. I’m sitting across from one right now: Brett Williams on our staff, is a beneficiary of this industry’s generosity, with Mr. Bob Thompson being such a strong believer in Michigan Tech University. That’s just something I’m so proud of. The same thing with Richard. Richard’s graduate school was paid for, I’m sure, thanks to this industry. And between Brett and Richard right now, we have two of the foremost experts on asphalt pavements and technology sitting here at NAPA. And so that, right there, for our members is huge.