Ash Grove's Environmental Manager Wins PCA's 2016 John Gleason Jr. Award

Words: Dan KamysThe Portland Cement Association has named Scott Nielson, corporate environmental manager for Ash Grove Cement Company, the winner of the 2016 John P. Gleason Jr. Leadership Award. [caption id="attachment_13730" align="alignnone" width="419"]Scott Nielson, second from left, Ash Grove Cement corporate environmental manager, was the winner of PCA’s 2016 John P. Gleason Jr. Leadership Award. Others pictured, left to right, John Stull, PCA board chair and president and CEO – United States of LafargeHolcim; Jim Toscas, PCA president and CEO; Colin Gleason, son of John P. Gleason Jr. Scott Nielson, second from left, Ash Grove Cement corporate environmental manager, was the winner of PCA’s 2016 John P. Gleason Jr. Leadership Award. Others pictured, left to right, John Stull, PCA board chair and president and CEO – United States of LafargeHolcim; Jim Toscas, PCA president and CEO; Colin Gleason, son of John P. Gleason Jr.[/caption] The awards honor individuals who have exhibited industry leadership by advancing key association programs and initiatives. Presented at the PCA Fall 2016 Congress meeting in Chicago, awards were presented in three categories: business continuity, market development and young leaders. Nielson was honored in the young leaders category. Nielson is an active PCA volunteer, serving as co-chairman on the PCA Energy and Environment Committee’s Environmental Technology Subcommittee. He has direct responsibility for Ash Grove’s environmental compliance and has taken a leadership role in implementing continuous-emissions monitoring systems. Nielson has presented at several technical conferences, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-Industry Applications Society / Portland Cement Association (IEEE-IAS/PCA) Conference in 2014. He chaired the 2016 IEEE conference held in Grapevine, Texas, and is involved in planning the 2017 IEEE West Coast Conference.
Change Orders: Standard Operating Procedure
August 2026

In masonry construction, change orders are not occasional events; they are guaranteed. Drawings do not always match field conditions, specifications can conflict, and real-world construction has a way of exposing gaps in design. At DRP Masonry, we operat

RFIs: Clarity, Communication and... Hierarchy?
August 2026

In construction, any project starts with drawings. Plans. Schedules. Specifications. Whether we're talking about new construction, additions, or restoration, there is a plan, there is design intent, and a way every piece of a project needs to fit together

PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh