Following an unprecedented, three consecutive, one-year terms as PDCA President, and one-year terms as the organization's VP and Secretary before that, Brian Heck has demonstrated an undeniable commitment to advocacy for pile driving. Recognizing his unique credentials, the PDCA Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint him to serve as the new Communications Committee Chair, a position that was recently vacated by Jason Moore, another past president who chose to extend his time in service to PDCA in communication work.

The Communications Committee is a body of PDCA member volunteers who convene monthly to assist in content development for PDCA publications like PileDriver magazine, as well as coordinate the annual, Project of the Year Awards program. For many professionals in the deep foundations industry, the products of the Communications Committee serve as their first experience with the now 30-year-old organization.

"For any organization to thrive in today's world, a purposeful strategy and consistent deliverables through communications channels are imperative," said Heck. "PDCA has been a leader in the deep foundation industry with respect to producing content that meets the demands of our members, and I am excited to play a part in continuing that tradition."  

Through his years in PDCA leadership which began when he won election to the Board of Directors in 2019, Brian Heck has been uniquely positioned to both observe and impact significant growth in the organization, as well as its reach into the industry. While uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic crippled business-as-usual in North America and other parts of the world in 2020, trade associations like PDCA became especially vulnerable. However, by mid-2021, the return to normal quickly began for the construction sector and PDCA, and Brian joined its leadership team to ensure pile driving would maintain a strong position in the deep foundation construction marketplace, as other industries pursued a full recovery.  Among the accomplishment the organization has realized under Brian Heck's watch, are:

• Membership growth in all categories
• A record level of fiscal health
• Formation of two new PDCA Chapters
• Record-breaking participation in Project of the Year Awards
• Expanded reach into underserved regions of pile driving concentration
• The launch and expansion of a first-of-its-kind industry Vibrations Study
• Impactful new programming such as PDCA Professors Driven Pile Institute and PDCA Contractors Foundation Institute

"When you advocate for an industry such as PDCA, you can clearly see how your efforts can elevate that industry for everyone involved," said Heck. "I firmly believe that by volunteering my time to improve PDCA, all parties in the industry, members or not, experience improvements in their own businesses," noted Heck. "Contractors are better informed, manufacturers and suppliers are better recognized, and engineers gain better perspectives. I look forward to working with PDCA's Communications Committee to continue driving an understanding of those realities."

The new Communications Committee Chair invites you to consider joining the group which meets monthly through a video call. He notes that all you need to bring are your ideas for stories to run in PDCA publications. Please contact PDCA at matt@piledrivers.org, if you are interested in learning more.

Brian Heck entered the driven pile industry in 1999 when he took a job at Cincinnati-based Richard Goettle, Inc., he previously had spent 11 years with an excavating company. The Kentucky native shoulders a big responsibility as Vice President at Goettle, which has substantially grown during his tenure there. And as detailed above, he also contributes immeasurable amounts of time to PDCA. But he somehow finds the opportunity to follow sports to an extent that would rival ESPN's most senior producer, especially when it involves any competitive team from his beloved alma mater, The University of Kentucky. And do we even need to mention that horse racing is also a fierce passion of his?

Brian and his wife Kristina are the proud parents of three boys, Owen (20), Tyler (18), and Zach (14). PDCA sincerely thanks the Heck family for sharing Brian and all of his talents with the driven pile industry.