2016 is quickly coming to a close and there are now only four weeks left to go before the first Material Certification School classes of the 2017 class year. Last month we introduced the VECAT instructors who will be leading the Plant I and II classes, and this month we are spotlighting our Field instructors.

 

 

Lee returns to VECAT for the 2017 class year to help cover Work Zone Safety for the Field Level I class. Currently serving as the Vice President of Environmental, Health & Safety for Oldcastle Materials Group in North America, his responsibility includes the oversight of the health and safety for approximately 22,000 employees operating in 44 states and Canada. Lee has over 39 years’ experience in the safety, health and environmental and is certified by numerous organizations for Health and Safety and Environment Compliance. He currently serves on a variety of safety and environmental committees for Industry trade associations such as National Asphalt Paving Assoc., National Stone, Sand and Gravel Assoc., and ARTBA to name a few.

Kyle comes to VECAT from Roadtec, Inc where he holds the position of Product Manager for Mills and Stabilizer-Reclaimers. An Auburn University graduate and a member of the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association, Kyle will be sharing his knowledge on Milling for Quality with VECAT students.

Brian has been employed by E. D. Etnyre Co, located in Oregon, IL for thirty years. He is currently a regional manager, responsible for sales, dealer management and customer training of all Etnyre products. Brian is bringing his extensive knowledge of Tack Coat Problems and Solutions to the VECAT Field Level I class.

 

Tracy is the Southeast Territory Manager for Weiler, Inc. in West Monroe, LA. A Louisiana native and Louisiana Tech graduate, Tracy’s professional career includes 36 years in the Caterpillar Dealer Network. Tracy will be covering the topic of Mix Delivery and Material Transfer Vehicles for the VECAT Field Level I class.

 

Todd joins the Field Level 1 class as a representative from Cat paving covering the Paver Operations class session. Todd holds a Bachelors of Civil Engineering and a MBA. He is an active member in several industry organizations, including NAPA, AAPT, ISAP and CTAA. In his precious spare time, Todd enjoys fishing, woodwork and building scale models.

 

Tim is the Applications Support Manager for Wirtgen America Inc. with Hamm rollers. He works closely with Wirtgen’s District Sales Managers; Dealers & Customers throughout North America, helping them understand Hamm products and processes to become more efficient and competitive. Tim has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Administration and a minor in Business Management from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has been in the construction business for over 28 years, 17 of them working on the Quality Control of Asphalt, Aggregates, & Concrete. An active committee member in task groups for NCAT, NAPA, ASTM and in the States of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Colorado, Tim will bring his extensive knowledge to VECAT to focus on Joint Compaction and Roller Operations for the Field Level I class.

Although Mike is new to the VAA staff, he brings a wealth of industry knowledge to VECAT’s Field Level II class. Serving as VAA's Director of Technical Services, Mike will be teaching the Roller Patterns and Test Sections - Methods A and B sessions of class. Prior to coming to VAA, Mike was the Technical Development Manager for Hi-Tech Asphalt Solutions, and before that, he spent 7 years with Branscome Inc. as the Asphalt Quality Control Manager and Project Manager. Mike also has 13 years with VDOT where he started as a Construction Inspector, worked as an Asphalt Technician and rose to the Asphalt Laboratory Manager and an Asphalt Field Engineer at Virginia Transportation Research Council.

Trenton is the Director of Engineering for the Virginia Asphalt Association. Joining VAA in January 2011, he spent the previous 12 years with the Virginia Department of Transportation responsible for the technical activities of the DOT. He currently leads efforts related to specifications development and enhancement, pavement design issues, research, and technical training. He serves on numerous technical committees within Virginia as well as with the Transportation Research Board, National Center for Asphalt Technology and the National Asphalt Pavement Association. Trenton will have teaching responsibilities in all of the 2017 VECAT classes.

Back for assistance with both the Plant and Field Level I classes, Rob will serve as the VDOT representative for these programs and will also cover the topic of Project Communication. Rob is currently employed as the Assistant State Materials Engineer in VDOT’s Central Office Materials Division where he is responsible for the statewide asphalt and pavement design & evaluation programs. He has been in this role since January of 2015, but prior to this served in a variety of VDOT’s management and leadership roles across multiple disciplines, such as construction, maintenance and operations. Rob received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and has done postgraduate coursework in several engineering disciplines. He is also a licensed professional engineer in the state of Virginia.