It’s an exciting week as our small but mighty checkoff team is in the final preparations for the first board meeting of the CMU Checkoff. The assignment for this board meeting is not insignificant.

The road from the initial concept of a concrete masonry checkoff to the first meeting of the CMU Checkoff Board of Directors has been long and eventful to say the least. As we move closer to that first operational session, we are are poised to take another significant step toward unifying our industry and building a better future for all producers.

Thank you to the many volunteers who have indicated their interest in serving on a Regional Advisory Committee! Wow! We have heard from a wide variety of individuals, including a great mix of backgrounds, industry roles and geographies.

By now I trust that you have all been introduced to the inaugural CMU Checkoff Board of Directors. Every one of the appointed directors is an exemplary representative for the industry and I look forward to working with them for the benefit of all CMU producers across the country.

Congratulations to the newly appointed CMU Checkoff Board of Directors. Twenty-One producers have been selected to serve on the Board as Voting or Alternate Directors.

I want to start this week by thanking ICPI-NCMA for a great Midyear Meeting in San Diego last week. I appreciate the opportunity to have met personally with so many of you and was overwhelmed by the excitement.

As continue to develop a timeline and budget for launch for the CMU Checkoff, we are examining how best to staff the organization.

Thank you to the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association and their invitation to participate in a strategy planning session centered around expanding marketing and education programs.

The biggest focus over the last week has been creating budget parameters, particularly as it relates to the startup of the checkoff, the board of directors and the RACs.

I would first like to thank those of you that reached out to me following the Learning Session on Thursday, June 30th. I appreciate your compliments and encouragement.