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ARTBA elects new chairman

David S Zachry, chief executive officer of Texas-based Zachry Corporation, has been elected 2015-2016 chairman by the members of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Zachry’s career in the transportation construction industry spans nearly 30 years. In 1996, he was named president of the company’s Civil Group. In August 2004, he assumed the responsibilities of president and chief operating officer of Zachry Construction Corporation. And in January 2008, he was named president and
October 5, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
David S Zachry, chief executive officer of Texas-based Zachry Corporation, has been elected 2015-2016 chairman by the members of the 920 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Zachry’s career in the transportation construction industry spans nearly 30 years. In 1996, he was named president of the company’s Civil Group. In August 2004, he assumed the responsibilities of president and chief operating officer of Zachry Construction Corporation. And in January 2008, he was named president and CEO of Zachry Corporation.
 
He is the third generation Zachry in the company founded by his grandfather, HB Zachry, in 1924. Today, the San Antonio-based firm builds technically-unique, large-scale projects, including highways and bridges.

Zachry’s ARTBA volunteer leadership positions include serving as senior vice chairman, first vice chairman and vice chairman at-large. He is the current chair of the steering committee of the Construction Industry Ethics & Compliance Initiative. Zachry also serves on the Texas A&M Civil Engineering Advisory Council, and on the boards of the 5136 Southwest Research Institute and the 3537 Associated General Contractors of America.
 
Zachry outlined several key goals for the year ahead as ARTBA chairman. Most importantly, he said, ARTBA will remain focused on its mission of ensuring a long-term Highway Trust Fund fix and congressional approval of a multi-year bill that boosts federal surface transportation investment.

Zachry also said the association would be expanding the scope of its training initiatives with development of new accredited, national road and bridge safety certification programs. He plans to implement the recommendations in the report put forward in Philadelphia by the ARTBA Young Executive Leadership Task Force. Zachry stressed the importance of ARTBA’s ongoing efforts to support the professional development of women in the industry, and to recruit more women and students to consider transportation construction careers. He will also initiate a new wave of outreach to expand ARTBA’s membership, build its grassroots and get members more involved.

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