Mike Ireland, who has served as president and CEO of the American Cement Association (ACA) for the past eight years, has announced his retirement. A search committee has been established to identify a candidate who will assume the organization’s leadership role.

“It has been an absolute honor to work with the many wonderful people in this industry, which carries the unparalleled responsibility of not only facilitating everyday life for people around the world, but for making modern-day society possible,” Ireland said in a Feb. 10 ACA news release. “I’m humbled by the significant strides ACA has made during my tenure in raising the cement industry’s profile from one that quietly helps provide the literal building blocks of America, to a recognized, leading voice in the construction arena, whose opinions are sought after and greatly valued by Washington’s decision-makers. I deeply appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to represent this illustrious industry.”

Some of the major accomplishments during Ireland’s tenure include the association implementing its Shaped by Concrete campaign to raise awareness of cement and concrete’s benefits in everyday life, launching the Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, which is a strategy for cement manufacturers and members of the cement-concrete-construction value chain to reach net zero by 2050, and rebranding the 109-year-old organization from Portland Cement Association to the American Cement Association — a name that the group says better represents today’s manufacturers and the materials they produce.

“ACA appreciates Mike’s leadership, spirit of collaboration, and the unique sense of humor he is famous for to help navigate the industry through its many successes and challenges over the past several years,” said Monica Manolas, ACA Board Chair and Region President, Ash Grove East. “We sincerely thank him for his dedication to the Association’s membership and wish him all the best in his retirement.”