UAPA recently sat down with Jeff Collard, the outgoing UAPA President, to talk about his experiences with UAPA, including his time as president and his thoughts about UAPA and the industry. We appreciate him and everything he has done for the association, and we look forward to our continued friendship with him as he steps away from this particular leadership role. He has done a great job. Thank you, Jeff! Howwere you involved in UAPA before you became President? When UAPA was formed, the Technical Committee was formed as well. It had five members from various companies. I was one of the Technical Committee’s first members, and I served on it for roughly ten years, right up until I became President-Elect. Was your previous experience helpful? Definitely. I built many relationships while I was on the Technical Committee, and I met many new colleagues from different companies, including company owners, consultants, and public agency representatives. That helped me when I became the UAPA President because I could continue those relationships and build on them. What would have helped you be better prepared? Because I was on the Technical Committee, I was so focused on specifications and the group that I never really made it to any board meetings or learned about the Executive Committee. It was new to me to be part of those two things. I had never had an experience like that before, but I had some great mentors on the Executive Committee to help me be prepared and give me good ideas. Jaden Kemp and Reed Ryan were probably my greatest mentors. They both helped to coach me along. Please tell us about a memorable experience—good or bad— that took place during your tenure. Why was it memorable? The most memorable experience for me was the 2020 Utah Asphalt Conference. It was such a great success, and close to 1,200 people attended. What made it special for me was the day I was moderating. I introduced Governor Spencer Cox, who was the Lieutenant Governor then, and Mark Eaton. Mark Eaton’s wife was there, too, and I was able to meet and talk with all of them. It was a great experience. What are your biggest accomplishments as President? Everything is a team effort in UAPA. It’s not about individual accomplishments. In the last couple of years, we have been able to work with UDOT, APWA, and the Utah City Engineers Association. I was on a couple of small task teams. We worked together on a couple of specifications that have pushed the industry forward by building trust with the owners and expressing our interest in truly developing better specifications for longer-lasting asphalt pavements. The UDOT specification was the MOI Section 960, Superpave Volumetric Mix Design and Verification, and the specification for the city and counties was the APWA Asphalt Specification. The specifications have done a lot for the asphalt industry, cities, and counties. Why is UAPA membership important? Being a member of UAPA gives us all one voice in the industry. Having a single voice helps to foster the relationships we have built as we continue to build trust with the owners. Just being part of the organization JEFF COLLARD OUTGOING UAPA PRESIDENT Being a member of UAPA gives us all one voice in the industry. Having a single voice helps to foster the relationships we have built as we continue to build trust with the owners and owners’ representatives. Just being part of the organization improves individuals, but membership also improves the industry. continued on page 6 4
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