Nicole Maher has been appointed the executive director of the Concrete Industry Management program, bringing a wealth of experience in the industry. The CIM program, established in 1996, equips graduates with management and concrete industry skills through a rigorous curriculum and practical experience. Maher's leadership is projected to further advance the program's mission and impact on the industry.
Concrete Industry Management photo
Nicole Maher
The National Steering Committee (NSC) for the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program announced that Nicole Maher, the former chief operating officer at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), was appointed executive director on Jan. 22, 2025, succeeding Dr. Rex Cottle, who had led the NSC since July 2022.
Maher brings extensive experience and a proven record of leadership in the concrete industry. Since 2013, she also has served as secretary/treasurer for the NSC, demonstrating her long- standing commitment to the CIM program. Her forward-thinking vision aligns seamlessly with CIM's mission to strengthen the concrete industry through education, empowering the next generation of leaders to tackle 21st-century challenges with innovation and resilience.
"The Board of the CIM National Steering Committee is thrilled to have someone with Nicole's leadership, organizational skills and deep industry relationships to steward the NSC for years to come," said Karl Watson, Jr., chairman of the NSC. "Although this is a new position for Nicole, she has played a key role in both the foundation and growth of CIM for more than 20 years. We're grateful to have her in this role."
"Being part of the CIM program for the past several decades has truly been a passion project," said Maher. "Watching it grow and evolve to meet the needs of a dynamic concrete industry has been incredibly rewarding. I'm honored to fulfill this role and help drive the program forward, building on the strong foundation laid by those who came before me."
The CIM Program
Recognizing the need for people with enhanced technical, communication and management skills, the CIM program launched in 1996. The individuals graduating from this program will have the skill set necessary to meet the growing demands of the progressively changing concrete industry of the 21st century. It is a business-intensive program, providing solid management skills that can be used in any industry, but has been developed specifically for the concrete industry.
The program gives students many advantages including entering the concrete workforce with exposure to the industry early in their careers, unlike others coming in with generic business degrees.
The goal of the program is to produce broadly educated, articulate graduates grounded in basic business management, who are knowledgeable of concrete technology and techniques and are able to manage people and systems as well as promote products or services related to the concrete industry. It entails a broad range of courses, from English and history to science and mathematics.
A series of required business courses such as finance, marketing, management and business law also are taken throughout the length of the program. The concrete-specific courses teach the fundamentals of concrete, properties and testing, concrete construction and more. All these courses use practical case studies and an internship to make sure the student obtains real-world experience essential to starting a successful career. Additional opportunities for growth include on-campus socials and other organized events providing industry networking and professional development.
For more information, visit www.concretedegree.com/
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