THANK YOU,
STEVE HALL
Thirteen years of service remembered
The success of the Pile Driving Contractors Association
is held up proudly by our devoted members, all of whom
contribute collectively to the betterment of the driven pile
industry through innovative ideas, participation on committees and
many volunteer hours. However, every active member can agree
that one individual has earned every badge of honor for our organization
and dedicated personal hours and advocacy to the growth of
PDCA. He is our executive director, Stevan A. Hall. For most of
the PDCA membership, it will be difficult to envision our organization
without our leader, Steve, as he retires.
After 13 years with PDCA, Steve is stepping back from his
position in early 2019 as executive director and moving forward
into retirement. Congratulations, Steve! PDCA would like to
offer its sincerest thank-you and gratitude to Steve for all his grit,
outstanding dedication to the use of driven pile and his leadership.
Every member, directly or indirectly, is extremely thankful for what
Steve has accomplished, through support, leadership and guidance
for our industry and for the extra influence applied into each of
our businesses.
Members that think they know Steve may be surprised to
learn that Steve Hall spent his earlier days as a Submersible Pilot
Missions Director for a Marine Research Foundation. His job
took him into areas like the Bahamas, eastern Atlantic Ocean, the
Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Maine, the St. Lawrence Seaway and
into Lake Superior. During Steve’s mission in January 1986, he
was sent to recover the components from the solid rocket boosters
from the Challenger Explosion. As with most of these explorations,
he was away from his beloved wife, Cathy, for 30 to 60-days
at a time. Quickly after this recovery was completed, Steve decided
to leave his fins and piloting skills behind and move on to new and
exciting adventures.
Steve accepted a position with the Associated General
Contractors (AGC), where he became the executive vice-president
of the AGC Northeast Florida Chapter. During his term with
AGC, Steve met and assisted many folks in the pile driving industry.
One such member was Wayne Waters of Ed Waters & Sons.
Steve and Wayne became good friends during Wayne’s presidency
of the AGC Northeast Florida Chapter. In 2004, Waters accepted
the role of PDCA president and coincidentally learned PDCA
needed an experienced, hard-working leader to fill the PDCA
executive director role.
Steve was in the process of leaving his position at the AGC
when Waters recommended to Harry Robbins and Randy Dietel,
the incoming and outgoing PDCA presidents, that they should
consider a meeting with Steve Hall. The group met for lunch and
interviews, and a week later the PDCA Board offered Steve the
executive director position. Steve’s first day at PDCA was Oct. 1,
2005. If you ask Steve about his first day at the PDCA office, he’ll
laugh and mention that he worked out of an office in his home with
a cast on his leg from a motorcycle accident.
Since the home-based beginning, Steve has fully committed
himself to PDCA, working tirelessly to ensure that members are
reaping the benefits from their PDCA membership. To say you
know Steve Hall means you know there has been no one in the past
13 years more passionate about PDCA and the driven pile industry.
Steve Hall has achieved so much more than any of our founding
members ever thought was possible for PDCA and its membership.
He accomplished growth of membership and established an
advocacy program all through empowering our membership, building
a strong board of directors, pushing committee involvement,
improving and expanding educational opportunities, pursuing
more member communications and by supporting chapter event
participation. Steve not only handled all of these items, at many
times with zero staff, but he built a financially strong organization.
52 | ISSUE 6 2018