The 2026 NAPA Annual Meeting took place between January 25 and 29 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Traveling from the Phoenix International Airport to the hotel, it was hard not to feel deep respect and admiration for the people that have worked toward building and maintaining the state’s top-class road infrastructure. Arizona’s roads are built to perform under relentless heat, which served as a symbolic reminder of the resilience and adaptability that define the asphalt paving industry.
That same spirit was evident in the meeting agenda, which included General Sessions, along with several concurrent sessions and committee meetings.
A familiar and meaningful tradition at NAPA Annual Meetings, the passing of the gavel marked a leadership transition at General Session I. Pat Nelson, President of Lehman-Roberts and Granite Regional VP, who served as 2025 Chair of the Board, officially passed the gavel to Jay Lemon, President of Haskell Lemon, a Legacy Infrastructure Group Company as the 2026 Chair of the Board, marking continuity, trust, and the shared responsibility of leading the asphalt industry forward.
Following the passing of the gavel, Jesse Cole, Owner of Savannah Bananas brought the room to life with his infectious energy. He was brilliant, engaging, and genuinely fun, infusing humor and insight into a powerful personal story that was appreciated by the audience. Jesse challenged attendees to rethink the customer experience and find what is not working, remove friction, make others happy, and lead by example by doing what others will not. He ended the presentation with a simple yet powerful reminder: swing hard in case you hit.
The General Session II opened with the presentation of the Operational Excellence Awards, recognizing companies that demonstrated excellence in social outreach and environmental commitment within the communities they operate. The session also included five Member-to-Member Live presentations, each offering a different perspective and takeaway. Speakers talked about building more human connections with coworkers, letting go of what doesn’t really matter, pushing through uncertainty when the path forward isn’t clear, mentorship, and embracing change.
In General Session III, attendees heard from FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster, who spoke about improving the nation’s transportation network, efficiency, work zone safety, and the importance of the upcoming Highway Bill. The session also included a fireside chat with NAPA leadership, reinforcing the strong partnership between FHWA and the asphalt industry.
General Session IV kicked off with the presentation of Ray Brown and Larry H. Lemon Awards Presentation. Ray Brown and Larry Lemon handed the award plaques to the winners. Following the awards presentation, General Session IV continued with motivational speaker Sam Demma, who energized the audience with his inspiring Empty Your Backpack message. He shared several stories and wove together lessons on resilience, mindset, and letting go of the mental weight we all carry. He left the audience with a simple, powerful takeaway: fill your backpack with beliefs not burdens.
There were concurrent workshops offered during the event. While attendees could only participate in one per day based on their interest, it was clear that all sessions provided valuable insights and engaging discussions about the asphalt industry.
The workshop on updates to Balanced Mix Design (BMD), titled The Next Step in BMD: AASHTO’s Tiered System to Mix Design, was both enlightening and highly relevant to Hawaii, where the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Hawaii Asphalt Paving Industry are collaborating to implement BMD. Walaa Mogawer and Derek Nener-Plante presented the new tiered system, which represents a departure from previous approaches used by agencies. Prof. Mogawer also shared updates on ongoing NCHRP projects researching various aspects of BMD, giving attendees a glimpse into the research shaping the future of asphalt mix design.
The second workshop was a live recording of the 100th Pave It Black podcast with Jay Lemon. The session offered insights into Jay’s story, as well as his vision and priorities for the year ahead. He noted that the asphalt industry is in a strong position and emphasized the importance of building on the foundation laid previously. Drawing from his own experience, Jay encouraged attendees to get involved with NAPA and build relationships that would serve them and the asphalt community well. NAPA staff Richard Willis and Brett Williams kept the conversation light, engaging, and refreshing throughout.
Committee meetings continue to be an important forum for staying connected to the work and direction of NAPA’s committees and regions. The following four committee meetings offered opportunities for engagement and awareness across individual committees:
- Western Region Advisory Council
- Committee for Asphalt Research & Technology
- Sustainability Committee
- Committee for Engineering Application and Practice
2025 Award Recipients (click here for additional information):
- The Sheldon G. Hayes Award is given to the highest quality of asphalt pavement: Payne and Dolan, A Walbec Group Company won this award for their work on US-2 East of Great Lakes Road to Gogebic Station in Gogebic County, Michigan.
- The Ray Brown Airport Award for highest rated airport pavements: Dunn Construction Company won this award for their work on Taxiway H Connector at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama.
- The Larry H Lemon Awards for top asphalt projects under 50,000 tons: Eight paving companies were recognized with this award.
- Operational Excellence Awards were presented to honor outstanding programs in Community Involvement, Asphalt Operations Safety Innovations, and Environmental Leadership.
As the meeting came to a close, its impact lingered in quiet, subtle ways. While there were many takeaways, on the human side, what really stood out was the value of investing in relationships and treating people well. On the technical side, the asphalt industry has an exciting path ahead with the new tiered system for implementing BMD.
Overall, Scottsdale’s crisp desert mornings slowly gave way to sun-warmed afternoons, and the clear blue skies seemed to make space for conversations that lasted just a little longer. The setting reflected the spirit of the week, underscoring a shared sense of purpose as the asphalt industry looks forward.
