Ash Grove Cement Co. Appoints New Personnel

Words: Dan Kamys15 September 2016 — Ash Grove Cement Company, the largest American-owned producer of cement and the sixth largest producer of cement in the United States, has appointed a new communications director and technical center director. Lisa Brady Ketteler has joined the company as its communications director in the company’s headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. In her new role, Ketteler will direct internal and external communications for the company and its subsidiaries. [caption id="attachment_13728" align="alignnone" width="152"]Lisa Ketteler is Ash Grove Cement Co.'s new communications director. Lisa Ketteler is Ash Grove Cement Co.'s new communications director.[/caption] Jacqueline Clark, APR, Fellow PRSA, continues to direct federal, state and local government relations and community affairs for Ash Grove and all its subsidiaries. Most recently Ketteler served as manager, transformation communications, for Sprint. Prior to that, she served in roles of increasing responsibility for Sprint, including as manager of corporate communications, executive and internal communications and campus communications.   Ketteler earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Chengqing (Cheng) Qi has joined Ash Grove as its technical center director, also in the company’s headquarters. In his new role, Qi, who has a doctorate in civil engineering (with an emphasis on cement and concrete materials), oversees operations of the company’s technical center, a world-class laboratory for research and testing of aggregates, cement, concrete and lime. The technical center was established in the 1960s to offer customized technical service, product development, quality control and testing for our customers across various business lines, and support the company’s cement manufacturing plants. [caption id="attachment_13729" align="alignnone" width="237"]Cheng Qi is Ash Grove Cement Co.'s new technical center director. Cheng Qi is Ash Grove Cement Co.'s new technical center director.[/caption] Greg Barger, an American Concrete Institute (ACI) Fellow and Ash Grove’s long-time technical center director, will retire in 2017. Barger will continue in this role and work alongside Qi until the transition is complete. Most recently, Qi served as technical manager for a cement manufacturer, where he was responsible for troubleshooting cement, concrete and aggregate performance; testing materials and evaluating new material sources. Prior to that, he was with Professional Service Industries, Inc., in Fairfax, Va., as materials engineer and petrographer. Qi has authored or contributed to more than 20 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Qi is a member of multiple technical committees for the ACI and ASTM International, an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and services. Qi earned a doctorate in civil engineering from Purdue University’s School of Civil Engineering in West Lafayette, Ind., and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in materials science and engineering from Southeast University in Nanjing, China.
What’s in your Dumpster?
December 2025

If you want a true read on how a job is running, take a walk to the dumpsters. Most sites have two. One for cement and steel. One for everything that did not make the cut. Those bins are open ledgers. They record the habits, shortcuts, and fixes that shap

The Florida Department of Corrections Masonry Competition
December 2025

The intersection of Career & Technical Education (CTE) training and rehabilitation was on full display recently as the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) hosted a statewide masonry competition. Held at the Cross City Correctional Institution, the eve

Southwest Scaffolding Renews Silver Partnership in the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program
December 2025

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is pleased to announce that Southwest Scaffolding will renew its Silver partnership in the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program.

From Raw Material To Art: Bringing Toothless To Life
December 2025

“The next project is already waiting in the wings, but that’s another story.” That was how I ended my article on the T-60 helmet from the world of Fallout in the July 2024 issue of Masonry Magazine. And that is exactly where this new chapter begins.