This is an invitation only meeting for NACE Board Members.

This is an invitation only meeting for NACE Board Members.

-Overview of LRSP/Safety Action Plans – could use the Road Safety Champion Program Planning & Engineering Module #3 if time allows    '-Walk through of the LRSP DIY site  '-Discussion of topics such as:  ' -how to fund your LRSP/Safety Action Plan – incorporating demo projects into a SS4A grant  ' -how to incorporate non-engineering pieces into an LRSP  '  -how to incorporate SSA  ' -implementation of an LRSP  '-Case study example of a completed LRSP – how accomplished and how implementing 

Registration will be located in Schaumburg North Foyer (Hotel) Monday 2:00pm- 6:00pm | Tuesday 7:00am- 5:00pm |Wednesday 7:30am- 4:00pm Thursday 8:00am- 10:30am

Come by and enjoy a nightcap (beer and wine only) with fellow NACE attendees!

Registration will be located in Schaumburg North Foyer (Hotel) Monday 2:00pm- 6:00pm | Tuesday 7:00am- 5:00pm |Wednesday 7:30am- 4:00pm Thursday 8:00am- 10:30am

Kick off the NACE conference with the official opening ceremony for the conference. Breakfast is plated. The program will begin at approximately 8:15am.

This session requires selecting the session in registration. Checking it or adding it to your itinerary does not mean you signed up for this tour. If you have already registered for the conference, please login to the conference website and modify your registration.

Valmont/Empire Galvanizing 

When: Tuesday, April 15th at 9 AM – 12:30 PM and 11 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: Schaumburg North Foyer (hallway between hotel and convention center)

PDH Credit: 1.5 Hours

Empire Galvanizing Plant Tour

Have you ever witnessed fabricated steel being extracted from a kettle of molten zinc after the creation of a tightly bonded alloy coating that provides superior corrosion protection? Join us at Valmont – Empire Galvanizing for a behind-the-scenes tour of the hot-dip galvanizing process from rigging to immersion and final inspection. Representatives will provide educational presentations before/after the tours along with lunch. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the galvanizing process and benefits it could provide your next project.

Tours will be staggered by 15 minutes to eliminate crowding in the plant and last approximately 30 minutes. We will have a tented reception area set-up outside the facility with both Galvanizing and Bridge representatives available to answer technical questions and continue the presentation of technical information for the PDH credits.

 Getting to the Valmont Galvanizing Plant:

1. Bring your ticket with you to the bus staging area at the front of the Renaissance Lobby. 
2. There will be 2 buses leaving the hotel - one at 9 and one at 11.  Be sure to assemble in the lobby 15 minutes prior to the departure time on your ticket.
3. When you get to the bus, the bus captain will ask for your ticket prior to boarding.

What to bring:

1. Bring your ticket
2. Safety vest
3. Safety goggles
4. Hard hat
5. Closed toe shoes and attire appropriate for the weather as lunch and presentations will be provided in an outdoor tented area

To address rising travel demands driven by nearby development and growth, the I-55 at Weber Road Interchange underwent a $48 million reconstruction, transforming it from a traditional diamond interchange into a diverging diamond interchange. The project expanded the existing five-lane facility to six lanes, adding dual left-turn lanes to enhance traffic flow and mobility throughout the corridor. Additional improvements included the construction of new sidewalks and a shared-use path, the installation of updated roadway lighting, and the modernization of the Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) components across the interchange.

We’ll be discussing how Owners and Consultants can cost-effectively and quickly replace or install new bridge and culvert structures. We’ll cover various bridge solutions, focusing on structural plate and precast arch buried bridges, modular rolled girder bridges, and design tools.

Overview of the Requirement https://highways.dot.gov/safety/data-analysis-tools/mire-fde/model-inventory-roadway-elements-mire; Collecting and managing asset information utilizing AI to process scanned point cloud data collected from Mobile LiDAR Systems

What triggers are used to upgrade an unpaved road to seal coat, concrete, asphalt, or other? What costs are associated with these upgrades? What are ownership costs of an unpaved road versus a paved road?

Ideal for county engineers, this session will not only showcase practical application of Engineering AI for everyday infrastructure maintenance but also explore the impactful potential of forecasting advancements.

Join Tim Hens, as he demonstrates how Genesee County integrates cutting-edge AI technology to maintain and enhance the safety of their infrastructure, showcasing the substantial improvements in efficiency and maintenance routines.

Following Tim's insights, John Ford of Dynamic Infrastructure will take the stage to showcase the exciting next generation of Engineering AI—focusing on its forecasting capabilities. This part of the presentation will show how asset condition prediction can completely change asset management, providing a level of accuracy and insight that wasn't possible before.

Valmont/Empire Galvanizing Tour 

When: Tuesday, April 15th at 9 AM – 12:30 PM and 11 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: Schaumburg North Foyer (hallway between hotel and convention center)

PDH Credit: 1.5 Hours

Empire Galvanizing Plant Tour

Have you ever witnessed fabricated steel being extracted from a kettle of molten zinc after the creation of a tightly bonded alloy coating that provides superior corrosion protection? Join us at Valmont – Empire Galvanizing for a behind-the-scenes tour of the hot-dip galvanizing process from rigging to immersion and final inspection. Representatives will provide educational presentations before/after the tours along with lunch. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the galvanizing process and benefits it could provide your next project.

Tours will be staggered by 15 minutes to eliminate crowding in the plant and last approximately 30 minutes. We will have a tented reception area set-up outside the facility with both Galvanizing and Bridge representatives available to answer technical questions and continue the presentation of technical information for the PDH credits.

 Getting to the Valmont Galvanizing Plant:

1. Bring your ticket with you to the bus staging area at the front of the Renaissance Lobby. 
2. There will be 2 buses leaving the hotel - one at 9 and one at 11.  Be sure to assemble in the lobby 15 minutes prior to the departure time on your ticket.
3. When you get to the bus, the bus captain will ask for your ticket prior to boarding.

What to bring:

1. Bring your ticket
2. Safety vest
3. Safety goggles
4. Hard hat
5. Closed toe shoes and attire appropriate for the weather as lunch and presentations will be provided in an outdoor tented area

-learn how Base One® Stabilizer has been helping counties and other entities stabilize their gravel bases/roads.

- learn how Base One®  Stabilizer has been added to a gravel / asphalt millings mix to improve their gravel roads

-learn how Base One®  Stabilizer has been helping counties stabilize their shoulders.

-learn how Base One®  stabilizer has helped counties minimize their gravel loss, thus saving them money and materials.

Development of the preferred alternative for I-80 Mississippi River bridge and issues involved with its development

Included in all Delegate/Exhibitor Full Conference, and Spouse Program registrations. Exhibit Hall Only badge holders can purchase tickets for Taste of Chicago during Registration. 

Strategic planning is essential for county engineer and public works departments to ensure effective service delivery, resource management, and community impact. This panel will explore how to create, implement, and maintain strategic plans that align with organizational goals and adapt to evolving community needs. Panelists will share insights on integrating strategic priorities into daily operations, tracking progress through key performance indicators, and fostering accountability through effective communication. Participants will gain actionable tools to enhance strategic consistency across their departments.
1. Learn how to integrate your strategic plan into daily operations to keep your team aligned and focused on long-term goals.
2. Discover tools and techniques to track progress and ensure your plan doesn’t sit on a shelf.
3. Explore strategies to foster accountability by assigning champions to oversee plan implementation.
4. Identify ways to enhance communication and engagement around strategic priorities for internal and external stakeholders.
5. Walk away with actionable steps to balance immediate public works demands with long-term strategic success.

Resources available – Vision Zero Toolkit, SSA Roadway Design Hierarchy, SSA for Speed Management, SSA for Bikes and Peds, SSA Alignment Frameworks (Project-based and Policy-based) 

In today’s evolving workplace, culture plays a critical role in driving long-term team success. As leaders, fostering engagement requires more than just task management—it’s about creating a workplace where people feel valued, connected, and motivated to contribute. This session, led by Cameron Curtis, CMM, CAE, will explore the essential drivers of engagement—purpose, strengths, development, and people care—that empower individuals to connect more deeply with their organizations and their work. Participants will walk away with actionable strategies to cultivate an inclusive and collaborative culture that prioritizes equity, trust, and communication. Through interactive exercises, attendees will assess their current engagement practices, identify unique organizational values, and develop tailored action plans to sustain long-term team commitment and success.
Key Takeaways:
1. Discover the four core drivers of engagement and their impact on team retention, productivity, and loyalty.
2. Learn how to align individual strengths with organizational goals to maximize team performance.
3. Understand the importance of equity and inclusion in fostering trust and accountability.
4. Develop strategies to create a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated.
5. Leave with a practical Engagement Action Plan to implement meaningful improvements in team engagement.

Thornton Quarry/Gallagher Asphalt Tour

When: Thursday, April 17th at Depart hotel at 10:00am (10:00am- 2:00pm)

Location: Schaumburg North Foyer (hallway between hotel and convention center)

PDH Credit: 2 Hours

Thornton Quarry and Gallagher Asphalt Lab Tour

Experience one of the largest aggregate quarries in the world. The Thornton Quarry is 1.5 miles long, 0.5 miles wide, and 450 feet deep at its deepest point. The Quarry is so vast that the entire village of Thornton could sit comfortably on its floor. In addition, learn about the Metropolitan Water Reclamation Deep tunnel project that utilizes this quarry to store up to 4.8 billion gallons of stormwater runoff. To cap it all off, enjoy a walking tour highlighting the modern technology at the Gallagher Asphalt plant not found in many plants throughout the nation, and of course, time for lunch.

Getting to the Thornton Quarry:

1. Bring your ticket with you to the bus staging area at the front of the Renaissance Lobby.

2. There will be 2 buses leaving the hotel - one at 9 and one at 11. Be sure to assemble in the lobby 15 minutes prior to the departure time on your ticket.

3. When you get to the bus, the bus captain will ask for your ticket prior to boarding.

What to bring:

1. Bring your ticket

2. Safety vest

3. Safety goggles

4. Hard hat

5. Closed toe shoes

Thornton Quarry/Gallagher Asphalt Tour

When: Thursday, April 17th at  Departs hotel 10:00 am (10:00am- 2:00pm)

Location: Schaumburg North Foyer (hallway between hotel and convention center)

PDH Credit: 2 Hours

Thornton Quarry and Gallagher Asphalt Lab Tour

Experience one of the largest aggregate quarries in the world. The Thornton Quarry is 1.5 miles long, 0.5 miles wide, and 450 feet deep at its deepest point. The Quarry is so vast that the entire village of Thornton could sit comfortably on its floor. In addition, learn about the Metropolitan Water Reclamation Deep tunnel project that utilizes this quarry to store up to 4.8 billion gallons of stormwater runoff. To cap it all off, enjoy a walking tour highlighting the modern technology at the Gallagher Asphalt plant not found in many plants throughout the nation, and of course, time for lunch.

Getting to the Thornton Quarry:

1. Bring your ticket with you to the bus staging area at the front of the Renaissance Lobby.

2. There will be 2 buses leaving the hotel - one at 9 and one at 11. Be sure to assemble in the lobby 15 minutes prior to the departure time on your ticket.

3. When you get to the bus, the bus captain will ask for your ticket prior to boarding.

What to bring:

1. Bring your ticket

2. Safety vest

3. Safety goggles

4. Hard hat

5. Closed toe shoes