I get a lot of questions about various topics across the asphalt industry, especially at NAPA events, and a lot of times my response has more to do with my connections at NAPA than anything I myself know. Most of the time, it’s like, “You’re in luck, I work at NAPA.” But you could also say it was a stroke of luck that I found my way into the asphalt pavement industry in the first place.
Connecting To A Career That Keeps Giving Back
I’ve gotten to know asphalt pavement from the subgrade up. My role, in a trade association sense, is to know all the many ways NAPA resources benefit the industry, and to be able to share those with the decision-makers who can make a difference. It’s also about listening to our members to learn what they do and what is driving their businesses so when someone calls with a question, I can give them a list of companies they can reach out to.
Growing up, my father worked in the restaurant business. When you work in a family-owned business, you quickly learn all aspects of that business. I started out at 14 as a hostess at Phillips Crab House in Ocean City, Maryland, working alongside my father, the general manager. When the restaurant needed help prepping desserts, my stepmother and I started heading in at 5 a.m. to create those too. When I was old enough, I started serving, and that’s how I paid for my education at Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. 
After a year as a substitute teacher for classes in the languages (French, Spanish, American Sign Language) as well as language arts and mathematics, I was looking for a new challenge. I contacted a temporary staffing agency in 2005 and there was an opening at NAPA. It was my first placement – and I haven’t left.
At that time, NAPA was conducting a series of meetings to educate contractors about porous asphalt. There were some circumstances that meant that the meetings staff would be unavailable for these 100-person regional meetings, so I handled registration. It was an example of learning to serve the industry and the association.
In fact, I would describe myself as a curious person, taking inspiration from my great grandaunt born in 1910. She said the key to long life was to learn one new thing a day, and I’ve always taken that route. At NAPA, I’ve never passed up an opportunity to learn from my colleagues and from the industry, and to use that knowledge to contribute in every way possible.
Collaborating To Advance Professionally, And Advance An Industry
Since processing registrations and reconciling cash came naturally, I started looking around for other tasks to keep myself busy as an early-career staffer. I pitched in on the Diamond Commendation program. Back in those days, nothing was online. We’d receive applications in the mail, manually calculate point totals, and review photos and VHS tapes. All these detailed steps taught me about the asphalt pavement industry. After three months, there was an opening in the accounting department and I started working for NAPA full-time.
Thanks to that role, I got to know Larry Lemon when he was NAPA’s Treasurer. Larry deeply cared about NAPA’s finances and wanted the association to be in a good position. He was cognizant of the need to invest wisely because he wanted to be a good steward with members’ money.
Larry came to our old Lanham office for a week and sat with me in my cubicle going over investments, finances, and reports. Our task was figuring out what to do that was in the best interest of NAPA. This experience solidified in me an appreciation of the industry’s people – their true selflessness. Larry donated a week of his time (he was running his family business Haskell Lemon at the time) and yet spent a week to talk with an accounting assistant, to develop plans for the industry and the association. It was fun to sit with somebody I deeply respect and learn about who him as a person more than just a businessman.
In 19 years, I have never been in a situation where I sat in a room and thought someone was in there just for themselves. NAPA’s members have conversations that shape the industry, and at times I’ve seen leaders make decisions in the best interest for NAPA and the industry, even when it might not have been the best decision for their own business. That is true leadership – a servant leadership style that inspires others to follow. 
I keep learning from members, especially since we reimagined our membership engagement geographically through the Regional Advisory Councils. I get to hear about the challenges across regions firsthand. It showcases the role that associations can play – as bridges bringing people and ideas together.
For example, there's never a challenge that any one contractor is facing that another member hasn't already faced. Though situations might seem unique or even taboo, if you reach out, ask questions, and listen, you’ll hear from somebody in the community who has been impacted and is willing to share. That's true even if you get just 20 people in the room! Imagine 900 people – the size of NAPA’s Annual Meeting – asking and sharing from every corner of the country.
While each operation is unique, the challenges are not, and you can mine great gold nuggets from your peers. The solution may not be copy/paste, but a lot of the knowledge-sharing happens at NAPA meetings and events. I learn new things every day, just like my great grandaunt recommended! Collaboration makes the industry one that makes businesses feel like family and turns competitors into friends.
More Than An Industry, A Community
The IMPACT Leadership Group is a microcosm of the industry, bringing together producers, paving contractors, suppliers, and service providers. The group is comprised of people that are managing from the middle. They know how challenging that can be, but also appreciate how much autonomy leadership can afford them. This group is looking to network and to learn. They're very thirsty for knowledge – and for a platform where they can showcase their own expertise. It's an interesting dynamic. They're all willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work, while also leading others.
This attitude was evident at the most recent IMPACT Leadership Group Conference in Washington, D.C., where panels featured national officers who got their start leading by getting involved in IMPACT. Over time they have expanded their skills, their roles, and their knowledge. They are leaders within their own companies.
I look at IMPACT as the future of the association. If NAPA can harness their desire and their love of the industry, then it’s going to be successful for years to come because these people are really invested in its success.
Despite our smartphones and AI and other technological advancement, this is still very much a community that values being together, in person. In a post-2020 world, coming together in person over the ease of quickly connecting online can seem foreign or disruptive. But there is no substitute for bumping into somebody you know at a meeting and sharing a moment of inspiration. Or picking up the phone to talk about local issues that are, no doubt, occurring across all types of localities.
This community hasn’t lost their desire to connect and I think that that's pretty unique. I see it on display at our NAPA events, where I continue to learn from leaders and up-and-coming leaders from across the industry, like Jay Lemon, Larry’s son. It’s the kind of industry that makes you want to be a part of what’s next, and working with IMPACT and emerging leaders gives me a great perspective on the future of our industry.
