Board of Directors

Board members must be a Voting Member in good standing prior to being nominated and elected.  Directors will serve a three year term of office but may serve two consecutive three-year terms, if elected.

Officers must serve on the Board of Directors for one year prior to being elected to an officer position.  Nominations are put forth by the Board of Directors prior to the annual voting meeting in the spring.  Officers are elected from the nominees at the annual meeting.

Board Members

Natalie Martin | Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute

Patrons President

Natalie Martin is a 2016 graduate of the CIM Program and is the Director of Business Development and Membership for Prestress/Precast Concrete Institute. She now educates, promotes and supports the growing of the precast industry. She is the mother of three sons and lives in the Murfreesboro area. Natalie is the President of the CIM Patron Board and Chair of the CIM Outreach Committee.

Aleck Yancey | FiberForce

Patrons Vice President

Aleck serves as the Eastern US Manager for the FiberForce team. He is responsible for technical sales and support for fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) solutions, working with ready-mix producers, engineers, architects, home builders, and commercial/industrial contractors. He conducts training seminars and works directly with specification writers, demonstrating the various applications where FRC is appropriate and how FRC solutions enhance durability and performance of the concrete ready- mix, while also adding monetary value. Aleck graduated from the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program (December 2010) at Middle Tennessee State University. He currently sits on the board for the MTSU CIM Patrons and serves as the CIM Patron’s secretary and treasurer. Aleck’s business career has included selling ready-mix in northeast Tennessee, working for Propex Concrete Solutions as a Technical Sales Manager and as an Applications Engineer for Keyence USA.

Amanda Schweighardt | Irving Materials Inc.

Patrons Secretary/Treasurer

Amanda is currently the Vice President and General Manager for imi’s Southeastern Tennessee region. She previously worked as a Quality Control Technician and the Quality Control Manager for imi. She is a 2005 graduate of the CIM program.

Kyle Weatherly | Stalite

Kyle has both a Business Management and CIM degree (2007) from MTSU. He has spent his entire industry career with STALITE Lightweight Aggregate. First as Territory Manager 2007-2018 and presently Sales Manager for North America and Europe. Kyle has held a CIM Patron’s Board position since 2008 and served as CIM Patron’s President 2012-2013. Other industry involvements include serving as chair of the Expanded Shale, Clay, and Slate Institute. Kyle is married to Kristen and has one son, Beckett.

Nicole Maher | Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee 

Ms. Maher is the Executive Director of the National Steering Committee (NSC) for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) Education, a role she assumed in 2024. This move followed a 34-year career at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), where she served in numerous positions, culminating in Chief Operating Officer at her departure. While at NRMCA, Maher supported the NSC in many ways, including serving as the Secretary/Treasurer for the NSC Board since 2013.

Daniel Bugbee | Garrott Brothers

Daniel Bugbee is a 2007 graduate of MTSU CIM program. Daniel is currently the President and Owner of Garrott Bros Ready Mix based out of Gallatin TN. He is the Past President of the CIM patrons and a current board member. He resides in Gallatin TN with his wife Heather and 3 kids.

Cody Eaton | National Cement
Willam “Cody” Eaton is a 2005 graduate of the CIM Program at MTSU, a Kappa Sigma alumnus, and a native of Nashville, TN. Serving as a current Board member since 2006, his roles have included a Past President role, and currently serves as Auction Committee Chair. Cody is the Territory Sales Manager in Tennessee for the National Cement Company of Alabama where he continues to be passionate about the industry and active in associations. Along with cement, Cody had previous experience with suppliers of lightweight aggregates, color pigments, and admixtures. Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf, being on the water, and spending time with his wife and three girls.
Kell Harvey | Turnkey Process Solutions

Kell Harvey is a proud 2007 graduate of the MTSU CIM program. After graduating Kell worked for Rinker Materials in Knoxville, Tennessee from 2007-12 were he sold crushed stone. Rinker was purchased by Cemex in 2008 and the business became Aggregates USA. In 2010 Kell graduated from the University of Tennessee with his MBA. From 2012- 2013 he worked in Johnson City, Tennessee in sales for Aggregates USA. In 2014 he moved to Chattanooga, TN where he married Laurie Lynn (MTSU class of 2008). He began working for JAT Oil INC on the commercial bulk side of their oil and gas distribution business where he mainly sold diesel fuel. In September 2021 Kell accepted the role of Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager for CarbonCure Technologies. Where he covered Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. From 2023 to the end of 2024, he worked at Astec Industries as Concrete Parts Business Development Manager before accepting his current role with Turnkey Process Solutions as their Sales Manager. Kell and Laurie live in Kell’s childhood home on Signal Mountain, TN. They have three beautiful children, Thomas Mark, Fairbanks (Banks) and recently welcome Hazel Lynn Harvey. Kell enjoys being involved with his community and has served on the MTSU Patrons board (President 2018/19), church deacons board and was the 2020 Real Men Wear Pink of Chattanooga winner to benefit the American Cancer Society. In Kell’s spare time he enjoys time with his family, watching his son play baseball, officiating high school football and playing basketball. Kell is very grateful for two loving parents and an education that has given him the opportunity to succeed.

Nick Edwards | Toyota

Nick has served on the CIM Patrons board since 2012. Nick’s love for concrete developed while running a concrete flatwork company with a MTSU CIM classmate/friend. After graduating in 2006, Nick went on to work in Sales, Concrete Design, and Executive Leadership for Rinker Materials, Ready Mix USA, Sequatchie Concrete Service, and Cemex. In addition to serving our industry, Nick has an MBA, and experience working with the oil & gas industry, capital equipment, and in management consulting. Currently, Nick leads the sales team for the east region for Toyota Material Handling Midsouth (forklifts, not 4Runners) Nick resides in Knoxville and treasures free time with his family, friends, the great outdoors, and playing music live.

Jessie Boone | Wirtgen Group

 

Jessie Anna Boone is a 2008 graduate of the Concrete Industry Management program and an active member of the CIM Patrons. She has spent the majority of her career promoting Full Depth Reclamation on asphalt pavements. Her passion for this niche pavement application caught the attention of The Wirtgen Group who is the world leader in road construction equipment. She considers herself blessed to now serve as the Marketing Development Manager, Recycling Products for Wirtgen America. Better known as the “FDR Girl”, Jessie uses her talents to promote Full Depth Reclamation as well as Cold In-Place Recycling across the United States and Canada.  Jessie also helps run Arrow Pavement Solutions, a concrete contracting company, she and her husband Justin Boone own and raises two handsome and strong boys, Sawyer and Sullivan.

Hayden Bilyeu | Southeast Cement Promotion Association

Hayden Bilyeu attended Middle Tennessee State University and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Concrete Industry Management in 2016. Hayden cut his professional teeth in 2014 working as an engineering technician, where he tested construction materials in the field and laboratory. Since starting out as a field technician and serving as a project and laboratory manager for Collier Engineering, he has been involved in multiple projects involving subgrade stabilization utilizing Full-Depth Reclamation where he specializes in the development of mixture designs and soils testing and then the inspection and testing of the material during field operations. In August 2021, Hayden joined the Southeast Cement Promotion Association as the Pavement Applications Director for Tennessee.

Blake Gilliland | E5 Inc. 

Blake is a 2008 graduate of the Concrete Industry Management program. Blake is currently the Technical Sales Manager covering Tennessee and Southern Indiana for E5 Inc.

Ward Poston 

Ward Poston Jr. dedicated over 38 years to the cement industry and continues to work part time in the concrete industry. Ward is one of the founding fathers of the CIM Patrons and served as the groups second President. He knew that the CIM Patrons would be the academic voice for the industry and would serve as the conduit between the concrete industry and the university. He worked to complete a list of goals and dreams which included developing a program that provided the product needed by the concrete industry, a program that would be its own major, creating an executive Master’s Degree, establishing a CIM Director, cultivating future alumni that would want to carry on the torch he and the other founding fathers created and build a building on the campus of MTSU dedicated to the CIM Program and the futures of all CIM students.

All of those goals and dreams have been accomplished due to the leadership of Ward. Ward created an environment where current Patrons were able to use their talents and financial resources to also aid in student scholarships, travel and internships. The capabilities of the CIM Patrons are endless all thanks to their strong foundation built with the help from Ward. Ward has had the pleasure to be along for the rest of the ride and enjoys watching the growth of the program as a whole.

Dennis Lind

Dennis Lind graduated from MTSU in 1972. Although he doesn’t have a Concrete Industry Management degree, he has spent 451/2 years with Master Builders working exclusively with Ready Mix Concrete. Denny has served as the CIM Patrons President as well as the President of the Middle TN ACI Chapter. Denny was inducted into the Tennessee Concrete Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and served on the Board of Directors in 1992-1995 and 2007.

TCA Board of Directors 92-93-94-95-2007.