CONCRETE MASONRY CHECKOFF BOARD ADVANCES STRATEGIC PLAN

Words: Phillip Samblanet, Kendall Anderegg

May 23, 2023 — The Concrete Masonry Checkoff Board (CMCB) convened May 10-11 in Denver to advance strategic plan priorities for the next three years. With six identified priority areas in place, the Board worked to establish a hierarchy among them, defining short- and long-term success, potential partners, resources, and data gaps that will impact national and regional implementation and most importantly, measurement of impact and return on investment.

As a function of the Law & Order that established the Concrete Masonry Checkoff, CMCB is required to measure all checkoff investments and demonstrate progress toward each undertaking. This added layer of objectivity and rigor reinforces the importance of collaboration between the Board and its five Regional Advisory Committees (RACs).

To that end, Board members worked alongside regional representatives in small groups to map out how programs could become a reality while defining success measures. The breakouts proved beneficial on two fronts, yielding lively discussion, while also revealing newfound insights for the group.

“We’ve made remarkable progress in a relatively short period of time,” said CMCB Vice Chair Kendall Anderegg. “The Board has done its diligence accounting for both national and regional program needs, and I know our industry is on the cusp of something very special.”

For added inspiration, the Board welcomed its state checkoff counterparts from Florida and Arizona to share an overview of their marquee programs and resulting best practices. The Board then reviewed the latest industry survey results where producers, contractors and allied industry outlined their preferred priorities for the checkoff.

Rounding out the meeting was a presentation from Phil Samblanet, executive director at The Masonry Society, which recently held a Masonry Education Summit. The event saw industry professionals, educators, and students come together to shape programming needs for colleges, universities, and young architects, engineers and construction managers in training.

As the Board determines and develops national programs, they will work with all regions to effectively implement and execute a singular strategic plan. Each RAC has begun curating needs and priorities specific to their region, helping to deliver a cohesive experience. Additional updates on the strategic plan and priorities for CMCB will be shared as they become available in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit https://concretemasonrycheckoff.org/.

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ABOUT THE CONCRETE MASONRY CHECKOFF

The Concrete Masonry Checkoff represents block producers from around the U.S. with a vision of creating a future where concrete block is preferred among engineers, builders, architects and designers; block products are regularly specified to build more resilient communities around the country; and manufacturers are regularly increasing production to meet expanding demand.

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