Young Leaders to Meet in San Diego

The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Young Leaders (YL) is a group of industry professionals 40 years old and younger. The group’s keystone event is the YL Annual Meeting.

This year’s meeting will be held April 25-28, at Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif. Held each spring, the YL Annual Meeting features education sessions, networking events, an operation tour and awards.

Education sessions and networking help to develop leadership and management skills, address industry positions, build a national network of industry professionals, exchange ideas and discuss areas of mutual interest that will help them and their companies become more successful in the aggregates industry. YL offers opportunities to make new relationships and strengthen existing relationships within the industry and NSSGA.

Vulcan Materials Co. will host a tour for the attendees at its Chula Vista Quarry, located in San Diego County. In operation since the 1940s, rock from the Chula Vista Quarry has been used to build many of the region’s most iconic buildings, highways and bridges, as well as military and commercial harbor facilities throughout the Port of San Diego.

As sources of alluvial aggregates near depletion in California, quarrying is shifting to hard rock sources like Vulcan Materials’ Chula Vista Quarry. The operation mines a unique deposit of andesite, a durable volcanic rock, which is used to make high-strength, high-performance concrete. The quarry also produces a wide range of aggregates used for asphalt, as well as rip rap and railroad ballast.

In addition, the meeting will feature the presentation of the Mark S. Walsh Award, sponsored by Rock Products.

Mark S. Walsh was comptroller of NSA producer member Rein, Shultz and Dahl of Illinois and an active member of the YL Steering Committee. He was an energetic and enthusiastic supporter of the mission, purpose and activities of the YL. In the two years that Mark served on the Steering Committee he offered sage advice and unique insights on exactly what the focus and purpose of the YL should be for new young executives in the aggregates industry, like himself. Mark passed away of leukemia in 1999. He was 37 years old.

In memory of Mark’s leadership and commitment, the YL initiated the Mark S. Walsh Annual Leadership Award to be given to the one individual that, according to the award: “Exemplifies the leadership traits of professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment and whose efforts in improving and developing the image and programs of the Young Leaders are in keeping with the example set forth by the honoree of this award.”

“We are proud to once again sponsor this award and to honor the contribution Mark S. Walsh made to the Young Leaders and the aggregates industry,” said Rock Products Editor Mark Kuhar.

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