To our board of directors, I want to say thank you for your guidance and leadership. Your mentorship and encouragement have helped me grow both personally and professionally, and I am grateful for the many opportunities you have provided me. Under your direction, we have professionalized the association to become a well-respected leader in the asphalt industry.
And most importantly, I owe a sincere debt of gratitude to our ownership group who took a chance on a 28-year-old kid and trusted that I would grow into this job to move our industry forward. As I leave here today, asphalt tonnage is at an all-time high thanks to historic transportation funding investments at the state and national levels that we successfully advocated for throughout my career.
Above all else, the best decision I ever made was hiring Deborah Schwerman. Debbie is the backbone of the association and I am proud to announce that she will be the next executive director of the Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association. It has been a privilege to work alongside you and learn from your knowledge, passion, and dedication to excellence. I will always hold a special place in my heart for what we built together at WAPA.
Over the past 10 years, I have operated with the highest level of integrity and always put the industry first so it's important to me to ensure there is a smooth transition during my remaining time here. I will do everything I can to make certain that my responsibilities are transferred over so this is a seamless adjustment for everyone.
As I prepare to move on to new opportunities, I do so knowing that I'm leaving this organization in a better place than I found it. I will carry with me the confidence that the industry is in good hands moving into WAPA's 75th Anniversary, and that we all will continue to achieve great things on the road ahead.
Sincerely,
