2012 TXAPA Educational & Marketing Efforts

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A new year has started and with it comes a new year for TXAPA’s educational and marketing efforts. I wanted to take this opportunity to help lay out what we already have planned for the 2012 calendar year.

First off, the TxDOT/TXAPA Partners in Quality meetings will continue in full force in 2012. Like in 2011 we will hold a minimum of one Partners in Quality meeting with each of TxDOT’s 25 districts across the state. The formats vary as you travel across the state. In some areas two or more districts combine to meet with the TXAPA members doing business or hoping to do business in their districts. In other areas district members attend the meeting by themselves with the TXAPA members doing business or hoping to do business in their area.
 
At the direction of the TXAPA Board of Directors in 2011 the TXAPA staff has worked with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop a one-day seminar entitled "Engineering for Sustainable and Economical Pavements." The seminar is aimed at city, county and consultant engineers across the state. In 2012 we currently plan to hold seminars in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Lubbock on April 24th, 25th, 26th and May 8th respectively. It is recommended that in order to get the biggest bang out of this educational opportunity attendees register and sit in on a one-hour webinar on March 21st. Six professional development hours will be available for those who attend these seminars. The seminars will cost $75 per person.

The Seal Coat Committee will follow up on 2011’s highly successful Seal Coat Seminars with a Seal Coat Seminar tentatively scheduled for April 9th and 10th in Waco. The TxDOT Maintenance Conference will take place in Waco on April 10-12. The Seal Coat Seminar will not conflict with the Maintenance Conference; instead, it will be immediately before TxDOT’s conference. This scheduling should hopefully help TxDOT with travel costs since representatives will need to be in Waco anyway for the Maintenance Conference. 

In 2011 I had several speaking engagements on behalf of TXAPA, and I have several speaking engagements already lined up in 2012. On Jan. 9th I spoke to the San Antonio Chapter of the ASCE explaining the economical, engineering and environmental benefits of asphalt pavements. I will be making the same presentation at the 2012 TPWA Short Course in Lubbock on Feb. 13th. 

The TPWA Short Course presentation is a speaking engagement I acquired last year when I did a brown bag lunch for the Plainview Chapter of the TPWA. I also did brown bag lunches for Lane Construction Corporation at the Texas Motor Speedway and for APAC-Texas in Beaumont. So far I do not have any brown bag lunches scheduled for 2012. If you are in need of one please let me know and we will schedule one in your area.

Due to scheduling conflicts I currently only have one trade show scheduled in 2012. Nov. 13-16 I will attend on behalf of TXAPA the Texas Municipal League Trade Show in Grapevine. I will also be attending two conferences in 2012 on TXAPA's behalf. April 18-20 I will be attending the ASCE Conference in San Antonio. Oct. 15-17 I will be attending TxDOT’s Annual Short Course in College Station. If you know of other trade shows or conferences you think would benefit our industry through TXAPA’s attendance, please let me know.

I do want to let everyone know that the January eTXAPA Newsletter will be the last newsletter on which Stephanie will take the lead. Starting in Feb. 2012 I will take over the duties of the eTXAPA Newsletter. Stephanie will still provide sections for the newsletter such as the tonnage report, as well as trying to help guide me through the running of this newsletter. When you get an opportunity, please thank Stephanie for the wonderful job she has done with the newsletter; hopefully you have noticed her efforts. I know we at TXAPA get to see all of her hard work behind the scenes trying to get an informative timely newsletter out to the TXAPA membership every month. I have a big task in front of me; through your patience and help I will hopefully be able to fill Stephanie’s shoes. If you can think of any stories or articles for the newsletter please let me know. Better yet, if you wish to write or contribute an article for the newsletter please give me a call so we can make it happen.

In closing, please take a look at TXAPA’s calendar by clicking here or by going to the new TXAPA Web page, www.TexasAsphalt.org, to find events you wish to attend in 2012. Note that you must be logged in with your member user name and password to be able to see everything contained on the calendar.