Dennis Coker, vice president, aggregates, of Natural Resource Partners LLC, was named the winner of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association’s 2015 Mark S. Walsh Award, presented at this year’s Young Leaders Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The award was sponsored by Rock Products.
“It is definitely an honor to be considered in the same group as previous Mark S. Walsh Award winners such as Paul Mellott Jr., Rich Blake, Bill Sandbrook and Charlie Luck IV, to name just a few,” Coker said. “These are all people who have had a positive impact on the industry throughout their careers, and I believe they all lead by example. Hopefully we can all follow the standard they and the other Mark S. Walsh Award winners have set.”
Coker has 20 years of experience in the mining and materials industries. He joined Natural Resource Partners in March 2008 from Hanson Building Materials America, where he was director, corporate development. At Hanson he helped lead merger, acquisition, divestiture and integration activities in the company’s North American product groups. At Natural Resource Partners Coker leads the company’s investment efforts in the aggregates and industrial minerals sectors.
Coker holds a BBA from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from the University of Memphis. He currently serves on the Executive Board and as Treasurer of the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association and also represents Natural Resource Partners as one of its appointees to the Partnership Management Committee for OCI Wyoming L.P.
The award was presented by Rock Products’ National Sales Director Sean Carr. “We are very pleased to present Dennis with this award,” Carr said. “The Young Leaders are the future of the industry, and Rock Products is proud to support this event and the NSSGA’s efforts to build a successful tomorrow.”