New ARTBA Chair Jeff Nelson Outlines Agenda

What’s happening: Florida contractor Jeff Nelson, president of David Nelson Construction Co., was elected 2024-2025 ARTBA chair during the association’s national convention Sept. 24, in Amelia Island, Fla. During the meeting, Nelson outlined his agenda for the year ahead:

• Helping secure the Fiscal Year 2025 highway and public transit investment levels called for in 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA);
• Continuing to advance the industry’s IIJA policy priorities, such as meaningful project delivery reforms and a collaborative approach to Buy America expansion;
• Building the case for the next multi-year surface transportation program renewal, scheduled for 2026; and
• Ensuring federal policies, including potential immigration reform, prioritize the protection and expansion of the transportation construction industry’s workforce.

Why it matters: The next Congress will be responsible for crafting the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill. With more than 60 new members of the House and Senate expected to take office in January 2025, Nelson said there was a ripe opportunity to educate them about the value of current highway and transit policies, such as robust investments and formula-based distribution of funds, and the opportunity for reforms.

What’s next: Read more about Nelson, and check out the full list of ARTBA 2024-2025 Executive Committee members.

Photo by The Photography Concierge, LLC