HCSS President and Chief Financial Officer Steve McGough was recently elected 2019-2020 Chairman of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).
The announcement, made at the associations’ national convention held Sept. 22-25, tops a 15-year volunteer career at ARTBA, during which time he’s held multiple leadership positions, including senior vice chairman in 2019. He has also chaired ARTBA’s Membership Development Committee since 2015.
“The reason I got active in ARTBA, and the reason that I would encourage others to get active in ARTBA, is because they’re not afraid to lead,” McGough said. “Many associations and organizations just fall back on best practices, but not ARTBA. ARTBA has always been bold, committed, and is not afraid to be out front, leading the way.”
McGough also serves on the board of directors and executive committee for The Road Information Program (TRIP), a national transportation research group.
Watch the ARTBA video celebrating McGough’s nomination here.
McGough, who has worked at HCSS since 2005, has been in the construction industry for 35 years. The Texas A&M University and Tulane graduate started his career with Turner Collie and Braden, a consulting engineering firm in Houston.
“He’s been successful here because he’s a good businessman; understands business, he understands finance,” said HCSS CEO Mike Rydin. “A couple months after I hired him I was able to send him out to any customer for any reason because he understood what their business issues were and what they needed.”
As ARTBA chairman, McGough is committed to building increased industry awareness and participation in the American National Standards Institute-accredited Safety Certification for Transportation Project ProfessionalsTM program. The certification’s goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities in and around US transportation infrastructure worksites by certifying field workers as well as safety professionals.
Other items on McGough’s agenda include pressuring Congress and the Trump administration to provide a sustainable solution for funding the Highway Trust Fund, reauthorizing the FAST Act law that provides long-term funding for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment, and integrating new technology in construction to increase production and decrease safety in today’s construction workforce shortage.
“Construction gives us our modern way of life,” McGough said. “It’s not just the roads we drive on; it’s the water we drink, the homes we live in. Specifically, the transportation industry has some of the best problem solvers in the world. Seldom do I run into a contractor or an engineer that says ‘It can’t be done.’”
