In 1989, he assumed the chief executive post at FTBA when the association was facing serious fiscal challenges. In less than seven years, he returned the association to strong fiscal health and retired the association’s building mortgage — 23 years early. He also managed to boost membership after years of decline.

Consistent with FTBA’s advocacy mission, Burleson has led hard-fought legislative victories on the industry’s behalf. Under his leadership, the association helped secure in 1990 the largest funding increase for transportation in Florida history. He championed legislation that doubled fines for motorists in construction zones in 1996. He helped create the “Stop Highway Robbery” campaign to prevent legislative sweeps of the state’s transportation trust fund in 2004. And in 2010, he helped marshal industry opposition and secured a veto by Gov. Charlie Crist that stopped a raid on state transportation funds.

The Lanford Family

Through their generous contributions of personal time, leadership and financial support, the Lanford family of Roanoke, Va., has taken the notion of “giving back” to the industry to a new level and provided a benchmark for others to follow.

Brothers Stan and Jack Lanford, after starting Lanford Brothers Company and working together for more than 25 years, were very successful, long-time chief executives at their respective firms, Lanford Brothers Company and Adams Construction.

The fact that both were elected by their industry peers nationally to serve as ARTBA chairman (Jack in 1991 and Stan in 1999), and as president of ARTBA’s state chapter affiliate, known today as the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance, speaks volumes about the men. During their careers, both testified before the U.S. Congress on transportation investment and policy issues.

The Lanford Family’s biggest — and most enduring — legacy on the industry, however, is their creation and endowment of the Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship fund in 1999. This first-of-its-kind program, which has become a national model replicated by other groups, provides post-high school financial assistance to the children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job. Today, it is supported by contributions from industry firms, state transportation departments and labor unions. Because of the Lanford family’s generosity, nearly 100 scholarships have been given to worthy students from around America and made their educational futures brighter.

Transportation Design & Construction Industry Innovators

This category honors the men and women who discovered or created a “game changing” product or process that significantly advanced transportation design, construction and/or safety. It seeks to honor the original innovator.

Philip Koehring

The growth of the Koehring Machine Company in Milwaukee, Wis., is a story of a farm boy who had a vision to foresee the need for hard roads. It is the story of a struggle to perfect a machine suitable for paving purposes, and then a struggle to finance the venture and market the machine. And it is a story that lifted that farm boy to the very top of his field.