A Note From ARRA President, Kimbel Stokes

Dear Fellow ARRA Members and Industry Professionals,

If you are not a member of one of the three organizations that constitute PPRA, consider this your invitation to become a member of the organization that best fits your business category. ARRA offers a free membership to government employees by submitting a government email address.  ARRA creates value for its membership through PPRA and the FHWA by participating and promoting benefits to public agencies and private clients. These cost saving processes are environmentally friendly and tend to extend the life of the pavement structure.

ARRA has never had a stronger message promoting Cold in Place Recycling, Hot in Place Recycling, Full Depth Reclamation, and Asphalt Cold Planing. These disciplines fit the public narrative of preserving our natural resources and reducing carbon emissions in roadway construction and maintenance. NCAT and MNROADS substantiate our claim of perpetual pavements that extends our customers’ budgets. With the new Federal Transportation Funding Legislation signed into law, there has never been a greater opportunity for our industry to grow and expand.

The PPRA Annual Meeting was held in La Jolla, California the week of February 20 through the 25^th, 2022. The meeting exceeded expectations, although some of our Canadian friends were unable to attend. (We look forward to seeing you in Niagara Falls for the Semi-Annual Meeting.)  Thank you to Rick Church, Ali Mostardo, and staff for managing, planning, and keeping everyone on schedule; not an easy task managing three associations concurrently in one venue.

ARRA’s financial position is sound with a strong balance sheet as we recover from the COVID pandemic. ARRA’s Board, along with CM Services, implemented strong fiscal responsibility during this difficult time.

ARRA recognized these annual award winners during the meeting:

Charles E. Valentine Award for Excellence

Mike Ristic, California Department of Maintenance

Mr. Ristic’s efforts to implement Cold in Place recycling has helped Caltrans rehabilitate asphalt roadways through District 8 while meeting the California’s goal of reducing the carbon footprint. Using CIR during construction, District 8 has been able to minimize user delays and reduce wear and tear on the roadway network. 

Excellence in Full Depth Reclamation

Saul Romero, Texas DOT – Odessa District

Knowing the benefits of FDR, Mr. Romero embarked on a journey to promote its performance, costs, and environmental benefits among fellow engineers, and other TxDot- Odessa District personnel. Under his leadership, the TxDot-Odessa District was able to reintroduce FDR as a worthwhile solution for more durable road within the Texas Market., Mr. Romero has been the lead engineer on four FDR Projects since 2015.

Hot in Place Special Recognition Award

Lindsay Chieduko, City and County of Denver, Colorado

The Citywide Hot In-Place Recycling and Repaving project was the largest asphalt paving project in Colorado to be completed in the 2020/2021 construction season. There were approximately 130 lane-miles resurfaced treating over 910,000 square yards of city streets. Nearly 63,000 tons of HMA was incorporated while recycling 50,000 tons of existing asphalt pavement. This project was a continuation of Denver’s decades-long Hot In-Place Recycling program utilizing this Pavement Preservation technique to resurface large amounts of City streets, while devoting budget/resources to other infrastructure projects.

ARRA’s President Award

Tom Kiernan

Mr. Kiernan’s continued years of service to ARRA, and the entire industry, earned this special recognition through his employment with Lafarge. A friend to all, we wish Tom the best during his retirement. 

Jonathan, on behalf of ARRA’s membership, we thank you for your years of service and contributions to our organization. We appreciate your leadership, commitment, and time to make ARRA successful during this period of uncertainty.

I look forward to serving as ARRA’s President this coming year. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to reach out to me:  Kimbel.stokes@millergroup.ca or 404 427 3111.

All the best for this construction season,

Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association

Kimbel Stokes

President