The new year brings a brand-new LEAP (Leadership Education for Asphalt Preservation) class for 2024-2025. The LEAP program is intended for AEMA (Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association) members looking to increase their knowledge of the asphalt emulsion industry. It is a 12-month immersive program that allows members to immerse themselves in the asphalt industry through facility/jobsite tours and other key learning opportunities. The classes kick off during the annual AEMA, ARRA and ISSA meetings and conclude at the meeting the following calendar year. 

Asphalt Materials’ very own Kim Gessner was named Class Dean for this year’s LEAP program. Zach Robinson and Jordan Vaughn, members from our division of companies under The Heritage Group, are also participants in this year’s program.  

Kim Gessner

Kim is a lab technician at our Portage, Wisconsin, plant. Kim participated in the Inaugural LEAP class of 2022-2023 and knew she wanted to continue her involvement in the program. Now she is this year’s LEAP Class Dean and is responsible for communicating and coordinating with the LEAP class, organizing facility tours, promoting the overall program and communicating with AEMA about the progression of the program. Outside of LEAP Kim is also involved in the AEMA Leadership Development Team.  

Zach Robinson

Zach is the mix design group Leader at the Heritage Research Group. Over the past eight years he has partnered with multiple agencies and contractors throughout the Midwest to support CIR, FDR and CCPR treatments utilizing engineered asphalt emulsion. His experience includes specification development, pavement sampling, project selection and candidacy, mix design and quality control testing.   

Alongside AEMA’s LEAP program, Zach is involved in ARRA (Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association), which is one of the two associations under PPRA. He is excited to join LEAP to connect with others throughout the industry and further his knowledge about the emulsion manufacturing process.  

Jordan Vaughn

Jordan is the talent acquisition partner for Heritage Construction + Materials (HC+M), a division of The Heritage Group family of businesses. In her role she partners with all levels of management to hire exceptional candidates to join the company and assists with talent strategy for future growth. 

Jordan was excited to be nominated for LEAP to deepen her understanding of the asphalt industry so that they may enhance their recruitment strategies across HC+M. In her role as the talent acquisition partner for HC+M, her daily work doesn’t involve hands-on field experience so the chance to immerse herself in the technical aspects of the industry and network with industry peers is truly invaluable.

LEAP Tour Schedule

  • Quarry Tour: US Aggregates (Delphi, IN) 
  • Asphalt Refinery: Cenovus (Lloydminster, SK) 
  • Emulsifier Manufacturer: KAO Chemicals (High Point, NC) 
  • Latex Manufacturer: BASF (Chattanooga, TN) 
  • Emulsion Manufacturing: Associated Asphalt (Tampa, FL) 
  • Annual Event: TCC Fly-In (Washington, D.C.) 
  • Meetings & Events: 2024 AEMA ISAET (Washington, D.C.) 2025 ISSA Slurry Systems Workshop (Las Vegas, NV) 

First tour was hosted at Associated Asphalt in Tampa, FL.
US Aggregates hosted LEAP at their Delphi, IN quarry.

To learn more about the ins and outs of AEMA’s LEAP program and how to get involved, click here.  

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