Representatives from the Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute gave a presentation on sedimentary rocks while the Hill Country Conservancy taught students about aquifer protection and open space preservation. Students learned that the aquifer is like “a giant river running underneath the ground” and that the orange silt fences on the property were installed to protect recharge features.

KBDJ is in the midst of a year-long process to have its site accredited by the Wildlife

Habitat Council. As part of the process, the quarry owners have installed bat boxes, studied invasive plant species, and provided new habitat for wildlife and fish.

Better Roads, Aggregates Manager announce promotions

Randall-Reilly Publishing, parent company of Aggregates Manager and Better Roads magazines, promoted two editors to new positions, effective June 1.

Tina Grady Barbaccia became executive editor of Better Roads magazine, following a four-year stint as senior editor on Aggregates Manager. Barbaccia teamed with Editor-in-Chief Therese Dunphy to revitalize Aggregates Manager into the aggregates industry’s best-read magazine and the industry’s preferred source for operations information and news. Barbaccia will be mentored in her new post by Better Roads Editor-in-Chief Ruth Stidger, who will retire at the end of the year. Stidger has been the magazine’s editor-in-chief for more than 20 years and has won six Neal Awards, often referred to as the “Pulitizer Prize” of the b-to-b trade press industry.

Barbaccia’s journalism career includes work in the agriculture, automotive, and appliance industries. She has won numerous awards for journalistic excellence, including three with Aggregates Manager. She is the immediate past president and a board member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Business Press Editors and has just completed a two-year term on the board of the Construction Writers Association (CWA); she continues to serve on various CWA committees.

Kerry Clines was promoted to senior editor on Aggregates Manager, replacing Barbaccia. Clines served on the Better Roads editorial staff for eight years. As the magazine’s associate editor, she distinguished herself as a department editor, feature writer, and photographer.

Originally hired as a researcher, Clines quickly demonstrated prowess as an interviewer and writer. In addition to her writing and editing work, Clines has also photographed many Better Roads covers and written major features for Aggregates Manager.

“We appreciate how much Tina and Kerry have contributed to the success of Aggregates Manager and Better Roads,” says Editorial Director Kirk Landers. “They are dedicated professionals, and our magazines will benefit immensely from their ongoing career growth.”