VAA Virginia Asphalt Spring/Summer 2021

06 SPRING/SUMMER 2021 Trenton M. Clark, P.E., President, Virginia Asphalt Association How often have you sat around waxing poetic about the good ole days? Those days when a gal- lon of gas was 35 cents; a loaf of bread was a nickel, and the TV had three channels. Okay, maybe not three chan- nels on the TV, but the other memories were of a better time—right? As a teenager, those thoughts never came to mind. My Papa would be the one reminisc- ing as we worked cattle; I was more interested in the future. Fast forward several decades, and I am knocking on the door of 50! I went from that young buck at meetings looking at the old guys and shaking my head to realizing I’m the old guy now. I catch myself telling stories from 20 years ago, saying the proverbial, “We have already done this.” But have you ever noticed the good ole days are based on your perspective and not always accurate? We tend to block out the bad and only recall the good. Not many people will reflect on 2020 as “the good ole days.” But could it be? We learned a new four-letter word in 2020—ZOOM! But how would we have done business and seen family and friends without the development of virtual meeting platforms? We learned how to run businesses on skeletal staffs and empty offices. Overnight, companies put together plans to keep operations running and employees safe. We learned the phrase “we have always done it that way” no longer applied. Technologies were either introduced or finally embraced by agencies and contractors. So while 2020 stank, it quickly challenged individuals, businesses, and our industry to evolve. COVID is still with us in 2021. People are still getting sick, and businesses are closing; however, I firmly believe bright new days are ahead of us. We will embrace past activities in our future endeavors, but it won’t look the same. The asphalt industry is a family with many competing siblings, cousins, and extended family. As with most families, we like to gather and see each other. VAA is putting the final touches on an in-person annual meeting at The Greenbrier Resort. We are following the appropriate safety guidelines so people can reconnect and start new friendships. VAA has three planned scholarship golf tournaments to bring people together. Using the virtual platform technology, we have launched the Innovation Connection webcast so VAA members can share their latest innovations with other members, agencies, and the world. By December, VAA will host the 2021 Mid- Atlantic Asphalt Expo and Conference. This PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE Good Ole Days or Bright New Days? will be our first hybrid event on a large scale. Participants will join others in-person at the Greater Richmond Convention Center or take advantage of the virtual conference platform. The virtual platform will allow people to attend who cannot travel. Also, it will open up the event to people who never considered attending—clearly, an outcome of the lessons learned and implemented from 2020. In the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, two mice, and two little people are the main characters. The world they knew changed, and they had to react. The two mice, Sniff and Scurry, ran off into the maze searching for new cheese, but the two little people stayed behind. Eventually, “Haw” overcame fears and, hoping for normal, ventured into the maze looking for cheese. Unfortunately, “Hem” never moved, hoping normal would return. With no cheese, you know the outcome. As I look beyond 2021, I am excited for the future of our industry. Normal changed, and so did the industry. So while I wish to get back to normal, I do not want 2019 normal—I want 2021 and beyond normal. Embrace change, and let’s continue to push the industry forward. Stay safe! While 2020 stank, it quickly challenged individuals, businesses, and our industry to evolve.