This years CRMCA Fall Workshop boasts industry professionals that are highly knowledgable in business development, economics, sustainability and the political nature of the Concrete Industry. A special thank you to the 2024 Fall Workshop Education Sponsors

 

Check out the full line up of keynote speakers and the CRMCA Lobbyist. Looking for the full education schedule for the Fall Workshop? View the Full Education Schedule with Topics Here

Leo Caseria
SheppardMullin

Leo Caseria is a partner at Sheppard Mullin and co-heads the firm’s antitrust practice group.  He specializes in antitrust issues relating to ready-mixed concrete and other types of construction materials.  He has successfully represented such clients in connection with FTC and DOJ investigations of proposed mergers.  He has also successfully defended such clients against antitrust claims in litigation, or against conduct investigations by federal or state antitrust authorities.  His clients include Knife River, CalPortland Company, Chaney Enterprises, and NRMCA, among others.

Tom Fetzer
CRMCA NC Lobbyist

Tom Fetzer, President of Fetzer Strategic Partners is a former Mayor of Raleigh and past Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party.

Fetzer Strategic Partners is a Raleigh based firm specializing in Government Relations, Public and Media Relations, Survey Research and Crisis Management.

In 2011, Fetzer was ranked as the 2nd most effective lobbyist in North Carolina, the highest ranking ever awarded to a first-year lobbyist. In the ensuing years, he has always ranked in the top three lobbyists in the state.

In 2010 as Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Tom Fetzer spearheaded the effort that led to the election of Republican majorities in both Chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly for the first time since 1870. No state in America had gone longer without Republican majorities in both the House and Senate.

Tom Fetzer has extensive experience in North Carolina state government, having served in key positions during the administration of Governor Jim Martin. He served as Chief Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation where he was responsible for a 1.5 billion dollar budget and 10,000 employees. He also served as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources.

Tom Fetzer has served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, The Boys and Girls Club, The John Locke Foundation, the YMCA and Trinity Academy. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Western Carolina University. Fetzer currently serves on the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, the Wilmington Advisory Board of North State Bank and the UNC Board of Governors. Fetzer is a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor a Governor can bestow upon a North Carolina citizen. He is an Eagle Scout.

A graduate of Wake Forest University, Fetzer and his wife reside in Wilmington, North Carolina with their 5 children.

Ben Homeyer
CRMCA SC Lobbyist

With over a decade of lobbying experience in South Carolina and 17 years working with and for the SC General Assembly and the state’s executive branch, Ben has worked with some of the biggest companies and most diverse associations in the state. Recent accomplishments include developing energy policy for a Fortune 500 company, taking on some of the largest corporations in the world on behalf of local businesses, and running the largest small business association in the state. His areas of expertise include business policy development, energy policy, healthcare policy, tax policy, workers comp and unemployment insurance reform, and information technology development and strategic planning.

Linda Hunter
Catapult

Linda Hunter is a Catapult Employers Association HR Advisor based in Raleigh. Catapult provides employers with the confidence to navigate everyday operational challenges, making workplaces more effective and employees more successful. Linda spends most of her days helping members manage challenging workplace issues while ensuring HR compliance by utilizing her 30+ years of on-the-ground experience in various HR roles and industries.  Employee engagement is a topic she loves!

Gary Mullings
NRMCA

Gary Mullings had more than 50 years of service for the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association when he retired in March of 2024. During his early career he was the Manager of the NRMCA Research Laboratory in College Park, Maryland and is author of numerous technical papers and trade publication articles. Mr. Mullings attended the University of Maryland. He is a Certified Concrete Technologist. He has been one of the principal instructors and primary developer for the NRMCA Technical Short Course on Concrete and Aggregates, NRMCA Safety Course, NRMCA Dispatcher’s Forum, NRMCA Environmental Course and NRMCA’s Plant Manager Certification Course. He is the 2009 Joseph E. Carpenter Award winner for lifetime achievement in the fields of operations, environment and safety and is the recipient of the 2014 Richard D. Gaynor Award for excellence in research, engineering and standards. He is also the recipient of the 2015 NRMCA’s Chairman Award for Outstanding Service to the Concrete Industry.

Michael Walden
Walden Economic Consulting LLC

Michael Walden, Ph.D., is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State University and President of Walden Economic Consulting, LLC.  During his 43 years on the faculty at NC State, Walden became recognized as an expert on the state economy and public policy.  He is the author of fifteen books and over 330 articles and reports, and he has made 3200 personal appearances.  Walden is also a frequent contributor to the national and state media and has appeared on all the major national news outlets. He continues to write a biweekly newspaper column distributed throughout North Carolina.

Walden has served on several public committees and commissions, including the “Future of Wake County” and the “NC FIRST Transportation Commission.” He has won numerous awards, including two Champion-Tuck Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting, the UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Public Service, the Holladay Medal for Excellence from North Carolina State University, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.  His latest books are The 60-Minute Investment Guide and Tax Turmoil: A Dia Fenner Economic Thriller. He is currently working on a book about the future North Carolina economy for the UNC Press.  Walden is a member of the North Carolina Economic Development Association, and he resides in Raleigh with his wife, Mary.

Susan Vick
CRMCA NC Lobbyist

Susan is a licensed NC attorney and lobbyist, representing a number of corporate clients with important issues before the North Carolina General Assembly, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, RAI (Reynolds), Nationwide Insurance, Martin Marietta and the North Carolina Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. Most recently, Susan worked in-house with Duke Energy where she served as State Director of North Carolina Governmental Affairs. In her five years at Duke, Susan was awarded two James B. Duke Awards (highest employee contribution across the enterprise) for the passage of two important pieces of legislation: SB 720 which authorized a $1B generation asset purchase by Duke Energy from NCEMPA (2015); and HB 589, which greatly reduced the cost NC ratepayers would pay for solar put to the grid by solar developers (2017).

Susan graduated from Campbell University School of Law with honors, where she was also Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. Previously a partner in the firm of Burns, Day & Presnell P.A., Susan concentrated her practice in the area of business law and represented clients at the local, state and federal levels. Susan obtained the highest peer rating (AV) available from Martindale Hubbell. She has taught a number of government and law classes at the college and graduate level. Susan is Past-President of the Junior League of Raleigh, where she was named Member of the Year in 2003.