Let's Play Golf!  Join VAA on August 10, 2018, at Bull Run Golf Club for a great round of golf to support the RJS Scholarship. The tournament, hosted by the NOVA region, will start at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast, followed by a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start and finish with a great lunch and prize awards at 2:00 p.m. If you would like to showcase your company and show your support, there are multiple sponsorship opportunities available. Complete information and registration can be found on the VAA website.  

All Richard J. Schreck Scholarship Tournament proceeds will be used to support the Richard J. Schreck/NAPAREF Scholarship. The NAPA Research and Education Foundation (NAPAREF) is a 501(c)(3) organization.

For the last six years, VAA has been watching and listening to how you use our website. This year, we decided it was time for an update. Over the past month, we have been hard at work on Phase One. The site has been redesigned to contain the information members and industry professionals use and make it more responsive when using mobile devices. Phase Two will include tweaks to the new website (based on your feedback) and an updated look for the members-only portion of the site.  

Take a moment to visit us at vaasphalt.org and explore. Also, don't forget to check out the new digital membership directory. Finally, let us know what you think. We encourage and welcome your feedback! 

Article Contributed By Marshall Luck, Allan Myers. Photos Courtesy of VDOT. In 2011, VDOT took the bold step to combine three different pavement recycling techniques on one project – full-depth reclamation (FDR), cold in-place recycling (CIR) and cold central plant recycling (CCPR). Since then, VDOT has sponsored test sections on the NCAT Test Track, and others have done work to expand upon that knowledge and experience. To date, research and field performance has shown excellent promise in these sustainable materials and techniques. As such, VDOT has allowed cold central plant recycled material (CCPRM) and full-depth reclamation to be used on several high-profile projects, including Phases II and III of the I-64 reconstruction and widening.

VAA has created a new health and safety committee in response to member requests for a forum where health and safety practices and issues can be discussed on an ongoing basis with other member companies and industry professionals. The group met for the first time on Tuesday, June 26 to discuss the goals for the committee and to elect a chairperson who will help manage the future direction of the group. Thanks to Mac McWane of Boxley for taking over the role of committee chair! Attendees at the kickoff meeting discussed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to cross-pollinate ideas, learn what others are doing, break barriers in communication and discuss lessons learned in the areas of safety and health. The committee is open to anyone who would like to join and will meet twice per year around other VAA events. If you are interested in becoming a part of this group, please contact VAA liaison Carter Iseman at ciseman@vaaasphalt.com or watch this newsletter for notice of upcoming meetings or committee events.

Many college-bound students have the incorrect perception that gaining a higher education or advanced degree will yield them the guarantee of a job and more money in their field of choice upon graduation. In some cases, perhaps in more specialized fields or ones with constant turn-over, this may be the case. Having a four-year degree in hand, however, is no guarantee that a job will be waiting as graduation gowns are swapped for business attire at the end of the school year. Job opportunities in today’s market and current economic conditions may not be as readily available for new graduates as they may expect. While some colleges or universities may fare better than others in graduate attrition in the labor market, a recent report released by the Economic Policy Institute states that overall, the unemployment and underemployment rates for college graduates under the age of 25 are nearly double those from 10 years ago. Over the past several years, graduates have faced sluggish labor markets that offer limited job opportunities and salaries that cannot cover school loans and the rising cost of living. College degrees are most certainly a career investment, and a valid one at that. This investment, however, requires a considerable amount of time and money, and the growing portion of graduates who are unable to find desirable employment (or even employment at all!) are seeing negative returns.

UPDATE ON REISSUANCE OF GENERAL INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER VPDES PERMIT DEQ is in the process of reissuing the General VPDES permit for industrial stormwater dischargers. Christine Vineski with Virginia Paving is the VAA representative on the Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP) for the reissuance.

Over the last four years, Virginia has been blessed to have Dr. Ben Bowers as an asphalt researcher. During his time at VTRC, Bowers has been heavily involved with asphalt mixture research, use of highly polymer-modified binders and the heavy vehicle simulator program. Now, he is taking his talents to Auburn University, where he will work for Dr. David Timm. While this is a loss for Virginia, it is a gain for academia and the entire asphalt industry. Bowers said in a recent email sent to VDOT, VTRC, and other industry professionals, "It's been a great four and a half years working with you! Thank you for all you have taught me and for collaborating on so many projects. Please stay in touch! If you need anything project-related, please feel free to contact Kevin McGhee (or any of my teammates on the project). If it's something you want to contact me directly about, you can reach me at bfb0014@auburn.edu. I hope to see all of you again soon!"

Join us in wishing Ben the best of luck in his new position.

On July 9, 2018, Sean Nelson, P.E., was named Richmond District maintenance engineer. Sean will be responsible for the maintenance program and emergency operations within Richmond District. Sean has more than 13 years of progressive engineering experience working within VDOT, most recently as the Fredericksburg resident engineer. Prior to his time as the resident engineer, he served as the assistant resident engineer in Fredericksburg Residency and as the Fredericksburg District pavement manager. He was a senior pavement engineer in Central Office Materials Pavement Design and Evaluation, district pavement engineer and regional lab manager in Culpeper District and a graduate of VDOT's Core Development Program. He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology from Old Dominion University and is a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.   

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DIAMOND Allan Myers American Paving Fabrics Associated Asphalt Bitumar USA Boxley Branscome, Inc. Branscome Paving Company Chemung Contracting Corp. Colony Construction, Inc. James River Equipment National Asphalt MFG. Corp.

Slurry Pavers Superior Paving Corp. S. L. Williamson Co., Inc. PLATINUM Astec, Inc. B & S Contracting, Inc. Blacklidge Emulsions, Inc. Carter Machinery Company, Inc. F. O. Day Lee Hy Paving Corp. Virginia Paving Company