ITS CREATION
It’s 2020 and our members, most of the world at that, are locked down working from home amid the worst pandemic of our lifetime. PACA continued its crusade for our members, although remotely, throughout the national crisis.
Our Young Leaders Development Group (YLDG) formed a taskforce to review educational and virtual networking opportunities for PACA members ages 40 and under during the pandemic. Over several Zoom meetings, the need for a leadership program going beyond that of the one YLDG conference a year came to light. Thus... the PACA Emerging Leaders Academy or PELA was born.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
The taskforce agreed that age should not be a limitation to this program, as the need was too great to prevent anyone and everyone from participating. The program is open to any employee, of any age, of any PACA member company - aggregates, concrete, cement and our business partners - that a company colleague or supervisor sponsor foresees the possibility and likelihood of moving into a leadership role within their company.
WHAT IS THE CURRICULUM AND TIME COMMITMENT
PELA is a 10-month hybrid program consisting of both online and in-person educational sessions and networking opportunities. There is no better way to elevate the potential leaders in your company than by having them participate in this program. However, the commitment to the ten-month program is key. Travel with overnight stays throughout Pennsylvania is a required part of the program.
Class members have the opportunity to meet key industry and legislative leaders throughout the Commonwealth, tour industry plants and facilities throughout the state, learn valuable leadership and life lessons skills that they can bring back to the benefit of their company and their peers. Led by instructor and facilitator, Greg Coker, class size is limited to up to 20 students as selected by the members of our PELA Board of Trustees. The curriculum is exceptional and includes mandatory participation in a Cornerstone Project to be presented at the PACA Annual Meeting.
We are pleased to announce that in 2022 we will have a full class of students for this year's PACA Emerging Leaders Academy (PELA). It's going to be a great year!
Congratulations to the following members of the Class of 2022!
Kemper Equipment
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
Keystone Cement Company
Delaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc.
Earthres Group, Inc.
Centre Concrete Company
Masters RMC, Inc.
Allan Myers
Arcosa Aggregates
Union Quarries, Inc.
Central Builders Supply Company
Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.
Mellott Company
Keystone Cement Company
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.
Centre Concrete Company
Byler Materials Group
York Building Products
Specialty Granules LLC
This year, 16 students were selected and welcomed into the inaugural PELA Class of 2021. The bond formed among these 16 over their ten months together is as solid as a rock. They have cemented relationships that will be cast in concrete and last a lifetime.
It all came together at the 2021 Annual Meeting as the attendees viewed their Cornerstone Project presentation on the Future of Workforce Development in the Aggregates, Concrete and Cement Industries and watched them all graduate as true leaders in the industry.
Congratulations to all the graduates of the inaugural PELA Class of 2021. We wish you all the very best and our deepest gratitude for not only being a part of the very first class, but for helping to shape and grow the program for future classes.
The Future Starts Here.
Megan Dennis, Skelly & Loy, Inc.; Mike Faller, Union Quarries, Inc.; Danny Funk, Jr., New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; Andrew Gutshall, Hanson Aggregates; Brianne Hastings, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc.; Corey Hull, Arcosa Aggregates, Ben Lentine, Buzzi Unicem USA, Sean Lundgren, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; Kyler Martin, Specialty Granules LLC; Justin Perry, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; Angela Rhoades, Union Quarries, Inc.; Daniel Ridenour, Union Quarries, Inc.; Richard Rohrssen, Arcosa Aggregates; Dan Sheakley, Kemper Equipment; Carolyn Speicher, New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc.; Kurt Staab, Allegheny Mineral Corporation
Members of the Class of 2021 collected retirement data among member companies in PACA. The results are staggering as to the intellectual knowledge that will be lost over the next five years due to retirements. How do we attract younger workers to our industry? How do we replace that knowledge base? The class' Cornerstone Project starts the process for the industry by tackling the creation of PACA's Workforce Development Community. Learn more here.
