Bob Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association (FTBA), is among the first three honorees to be inducted into the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) inaugural “Hall of Fame.” In celebration of its’ 25th anniversary, ARTBA-TDF formed the “Hall of Fame” to recognize individuals and families from the public and private sector who have made significant contributions to U.S. transportation development.
“Bob Burleson has dedicated the past 40 years of his life to the transportation construction industry. His keen ability to effect change in our industry is part of what made him stand out among nominees,” said ARTBA-TDF Chairman, Leo Vecellio, Jr., the chairman and chief executive officer of Vecellio Group, Inc., headquartered in West Palm Beach, Fla. “Bob knows the vital role transportation plays in our country’s economic strength and he is an unyielding champion.”
Since becoming president in 1989, Burleson has raised the profile of FTBA establishing the association as a powerful voice for the industry and boosting membership to record heights. Among other victories, he worked to secure the largest funding increase for transportation in Florida’s history and was successful in a hard-fought effort to prevent legislative sweeps of the state’s transportation trust fund, gaining a veto by Gov. Charlie Crist that stopped all raids.
“I’m humbled and sincerely grateful to be acknowledged by ARTBA, a highly respected, national association representing one of the most influential industries in our country,” said Burleson. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime honor that I share with all of those leaders who have helped me accomplish great things for the hardworking, dedicated transportation construction industry members. They are truly the driving force behind these achievements.”
Noted as the “Highest Place of Honor” in the transportation construction industry, ARTBA-TDF’s “Hall of Fame” inductees were selected by a committee of judges that included nine construction industry journalists. The class also includes the Landford Family from Roanoke, VA and Philip Koehring from Milwaukee, Wis. An official ceremony honoring the 2010 class will be held at an ARTBA Innovation Conference in the Washington, D.C., area next fall.
“This is an impressive first round of inductees and we congratulate Bob for his new position in the ARTBA-TDF “Hall of Fame,” said George Roberts, FTBA chairman and vice president of C.W. Roberts Contracting, Inc. “We could not think of a more deserving leader, as Bob works tirelessly to advocate for FTBA’s members and the industry at large. We are proud to call him our president.”
