A Letter From AEMA President Bob Huitt

The year 2020 will forever be known as the year of the Coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic.  And it is normal to just focus on that and complain that we got dealt a bad hand.  We got screwed out of our normal lives.  William Arthur Ward was an often quoted writer of inspirational maxims.  I think in times like these it is good to inspire ourselves to look at the glass as half full.  Here are a couple of inspirational quotes from Bill: “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”  “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.”

So I will focus on some good things to come out of The Pandemic.  We saw our scientists develop a vaccine that will be ready for the public in record time.  They didn’t just beat the record by months, but years.  I just hope that cures of other diseases will be discovered with the help of the knowledge our scientists gained during their research.  Drive-In movies made a comeback.  We discovered that we can work from home effectively.  I’m sure most of us did not miss the daily commute to work and rush hour traffic.  And working in a T-shirt and sweat pants, not having to shave or put on make-up every day is also nice.  We learned that homeschooling is hard and finally recognized teachers, health care workers and essential workers for the heroes that they are.

 The Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association as part of PPRA was able to put on a successful 2020 annual meeting just prior to the global outbreak.  Webinars were held in association with PPRA to help members deal with practical issues in how we deal with the pandemic.  We continued to partner with the FHWA on monthly webinars to promote pavement preservation and recycling.  Through our recently created Sustainability Committee, we took great strides toward being able to provide our members with the tools needed to provide to their customers the sustainability information they will need to be not only relevant but successful in the not too distant future.  RoadResource.org continued to be improved and we held our first virtual Super User training that included many attendees from agencies.  Our Leadership Development Team as well as our other committees continued to push forward with various initiatives to advance our strategic plan.  Our industry was classified as essential and I am proud to be part of an industry that answered the bell despite the dangers and additional precautions that had to be taken.

 Also, as I reflect on our industry, I think the decrease in gas tax revenues and the resulting transportation budget shortfall will shine a bright light on Pavement Preservation and Recycling.  Owner/agencies will likely postpone large construction projects in favor of preserving what they have, or at least they should.  Sure the large construction projects get more headlines and, once completed, are something we can point to with pride.  But I believe this is a unique time and we have a unique opportunity to inform decision makers and demonstrate the value of recycling our current pavements and utilizing pavement preservation to make them last longer.

Sadly, we will not be attending the PPRA Annual Meeting in person in 2021, but virtually.  However, I am optimistic that this will give some members the opportunity to participate in the Annual Meeting that may not have in the past due to the cost or inconvenience of travel.  I look forward to interacting with everyone at the virtual meeting.

I’ll end with one more quote from Mr. Ward, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

Thank You,

Bob Huitt
AEMA President