February 2018 President’s Blog

Hello CSSGA members,

This being the first CSSGA blog of 2018 and my first blog as your acting president, I just want to say, as many of you already know, that we live in a great state and belong to an even greater Association. Our staff and our sister Association, the Colorado Ready Mix Concrete Association, have been recognized as State Association of the Year from the NRMCA. As once said by Ronald Reagan, “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” A great job to Todd, for getting Annelise, Emma, and JT to do all the greatest things for our two organizations. In all seriousness great job to all of you, you deserve it. Maybe this is what we will see this Sunday from the New England Patriots.

As I looked back at some of the previous blogs written by former presidents, several things occurred to me, one we have had some of our industry’s great leaders as presidents (these are big shoes to fill), second we have been lobbying for a sustainable transportation funding mechanism for many years, and that our participation in our industry organization is vital for change. Three, our membership covers from all four corners of the state and we need to continue to make improvements that benefit our entire organization. We have strong leadership in our committees of Governmental Affairs, Land Use and Environmental, Safety, and our Educational Outreach program. I encourage each and every one of you to explore the CSSGA webpage and see what’s happening and how you can make a difference in our Association.

In addition, as we embark on the 2018 Legislative Session we face the possibility of a season of stagnation as it is an election year. The most prevalent issues the General Assembly faces this session are the opioid epidemic, PERA transparency, state wide broadband, high cost of living, low investment in k-12 education, and finally funding for infrastructure and transportation. We know these are very important topics that impact our great state of Colorado and as an industry we will focus on finding a solution to our outdated infrastructure. We will continue to work with our Colorado Construction Industry Coalition partners to keep our voice strong and be committed to finding a long-term, dedicated funding source for transportation and infrastructure. Plan on attending the February 21 Legislative Breakfast to stay informed and engaged. Also, remember to register for the March 20 Networking Event at the Colorado Governor’s Mansion.

I look forward to working with you all this year! If there is anything you need please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or the Association staff.

Mark Ewald
CSSGA Board President
Trinity Lightweight LLC