Honoring Leadership and Advancing Steel Bridge Solutions at NACE 2025

Image: David Stoddard (middle), Chair of the SSSBA and senior steel applications engineer at SSAB Americas, was presented with a special recognition celebrating his decade-long leadership of the SSSBA by Kevan Stone (left), NACE CEO and executive director and Jeff Blue (right), NACE past president and county engineer of Champaign County, Illinois. 

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) was proud to participate in the 2025 National Association of County Engineers (NACE) Annual Conference, held April 13–17 at the Schaumburg Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois. From honoring industry leaders to sharing technical expertise and connecting with county engineers across the country, this year’s event proved both productive and inspiring.

Honoring a Steel Industry Champion

One of the more significant moments of the week occurred on Sunday, April 13, when NACE recognized David Stoddard, Chair of the SSSBA and senior steel applications engineer at SSAB Americas, with a special award celebrating his upcoming retirement and decade-long leadership of the SSSBA.

The plaque was presented by Jeff Blue, NACE past president and county engineer of Champaign County, Illinois, and Kevan Stone, NACE CEO and executive director, in recognition of Stoddard’s decade of leadership and appreciation for fostering an exceptional partnership between NACE and the SSSBA.

A plaque was presented to David Stoddard, SSSBA Chair, in appreciation for his fostering of an exceptional partnership between NACE and the SSSBA.

David’s 37-year career in the steel industry—14 of those at SSAB Americas—has helped shape the future of steel plate products in a wide range of applications, including bridges, shipbuilding and energy infrastructure.

Congratulations, David! Your legacy will continue to inspire those working to improve our nation’s bridge infrastructure.

Technical Session: Building for the Future

The SSSBA experts led a well-attended technical session titled “Building for the Future: Corrosion Protection Systems for Steel Bridges.” The panel covered proven solutions to improve the durability and cost-effectiveness of county bridges, including weathering steel, galvanizing, metalizing and paint systems.

Speakers included:

• Michael Barker, University of Wyoming
• Brandon Chavel, National Steel Bridge Alliance
• Wes Love, Industrial Steel Construction
• John Krzywicki, American Galvanizers Association
• Derrick Castle, Sherwin-Williams

The technical session included a panel discussion featuring county engineers Mark Servi (left – Barron County, WI), Brian Keierleber (middle – Buchanan County, IA) and Jeff Blue (right- Champaign County, IL).

A panel discussion featuring experienced county engineers—Jeff Blue (Champaign County, IL), Brian Keierleber (Buchanan County, IA), and Mark Seri (retired, Barron County, WI)—rounded out the session with real-world insights on selecting and applying corrosion protection systems in the field.

Dr. Michael Barker, SSSBA Director of Education and Professor at the University of Wyoming, moderated the technical session.

SSSBA Exhibit Booth: Connecting with County Engineers

Attendees had the opportunity to stop by the SSSBA booth to connect with Alliance representatives and learn about bridge resources, including technical tools, educational opportunities and case studies on steel bridge design and construction. Many visitors expressed interest in how steel solutions can reduce maintenance costs and improve project timelines for county-level bridge projects.

Sponsoring the NACE Executive Committee Dinner

The SSSBA proudly sponsored the NACE Executive Committee Dinner, a special gathering for leadership-level networking and discussion. The SSSBA extends sincere thanks to the SSSBA members who co-sponsored the dinner and continue to support the mission of improving county infrastructure through innovation and collaboration:

Dinner Sponsors:

• Acrow
• American Galvanizers Association
• ArcelorMittal
• AZZ Metal Coatings
• Cleveland-Cliffs
• Contech Engineered Solutions
• DeLong’s, Inc
• Infra-Metals
• National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association
• National Steel Bridge Alliance
• SSAB Americas
• The Sherwin-Williams Company
• TrueNorth
• V&S Galvanizing
• Valmont Structures

Looking Ahead: NACE 2026 Annual Conference

Mark your calendars! The next NACE Annual Conference will take place April 12–15, 2026, at Live! by Loews in Arlington, Texas. This event promises to continue the tradition of bringing together county engineers and industry professionals to share knowledge, innovations and best practices in infrastructure development.

We thank NACE and its members for another successful conference. The SSSBA looks forward to continuing our work with county engineers nationwide to bring forward-thinking, cost-effective steel solutions to the communities that depend on them.