The Portland Cement Association, which represents America’s cement manufacturers, announced new leadership for its Board of Directors after holding elections on Dec. 4 at its last meeting of 2023.

Massimo Toso has been elected PCA Board Chairman. Toso is the current president and CEO at Buzzi Unicem USA and has served the last year as vice chair to former chairman Filiberto Ruiz.

Monica Manolas is PCA’s new vice chair and the first woman in the 21st century to be elected to the position. Manolas currently serves as president of Ash Grove East.

Also at the Dec. 4 meeting, Jorge Wagner, CEO of Votorantim Cimentos North America, and Kahraman Senvardarli, president of Cimsa Americas Cement Manufacturers and Sales Corporation, were elected to the PCA Board of Directors.

Massimo Toso

Photo courtesy of Portland Cement Association

In October 2021, PCA’s Board of Directors set forth the industry’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, which is an overall strategy for the cement, concrete and construction industries to collaborate in initiatives to cut carbon emissions and reach neutrality by 2050, if not sooner. To pursue this goal, PCA also works with policymakers and federal agencies to arrive at ambitious yet feasible regulations that help advance efforts outlined in the roadmap.

“As I assume the role of chair in this pivotal moment, let our leadership unite in a shared commitment,” Toso said. “Together, as the cement industry, we must confirm our goal to be part of the carbon reduction program defined by the PCA Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality and be sure that cement and concrete will remain the most resilient and sustainable construction materials in the market.”

“With the PCA zero-carbon roadmap as a guide and the exciting opportunities in this golden age of construction, I am both honored and excited to be elected as the first woman vice chair of PCA in the 21st century,” Manolas said. “I am committed to helping our communities build a more resilient world with a strong and sustainable cement and concrete industry.”

Monica Manolas

Photo courtesy of Portland Cement Association

“The cement industry has been laser-focused on sustainability, and although our association membership consists of competitors, it is unified in the belief that getting to carbon neutrality should be this industry’s top objective,” said Mike Ireland, PCA President and CEO. “Massimo and Monica are exemplary industry leaders who have forward-thinking initiatives established at some of their company cement plants and are eager to implement more. They are the right people at this time to push PCA closer to its goal of a carbon-neutral future.”