Keith Kesner Honored, SGH Professionals Share Expertise at ACI Concrete Convention

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) recently held its annual ACI Concrete Convention from 29 October to 2 November in Boston, MA. At the event, ACI awarded Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) Project Director Keith Kesner with its prestigious Henry C. Turner Medal for notable achievements in service to the concrete industry. In addition, several SGH team members attended the conference to lead sessions and present papers.

Henry C. Turner Medal: Keith Kesner

At the convention’s President’s Reception, the ACI Board of Direction honored Keith with the Henry C. Turner Medal, which ACI past president Henry C. Turner founded in 1927. The award recognizes Keith “for his extraordinary efforts in leading the ACI 562-16 Repair Code and his tireless efforts in attending code adoption meetings to facilitate its acceptance by the International Existing Building Code in 2022.”

“I am honored to receive this recognition from an organization that I hold in high regard,” said Keith. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be acknowledged alongside my industry peers for the work I’ve dedicated my career to. I look forward to my continued involvement with ACI.”

Keith is an active leader in the engineering profession and has contributed to developing several codes and standards for existing concrete repair and new structural design, including ACI Committees 318-C, 562, 364, and 228. He is an ACI Fellow; a member of the ACI Foundation Board of Trustees; and a current or past chair for several ACI committees involving concrete repair, nondestructive testing, safety, code development, and more. He received the organization’s Henry L. Kennedy Award for outstanding technical service in 2021 and its Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award in 2020.

Keith Kesner accepts his award from ACI President, Antonio Nanni.

ACI Concrete Convention Participation

The event was heavily attended by SGH team members—many of whom actively participate in the organization—with several people leading sessions and presenting papers.

Session or Paper Title	SGH Team Members
Elastic Modulus and Your Project: Deceivingly Simple to Specify, Challenging to Provide	Brett Holland
Proportioning, Acceptance and Evaluation of In-situ Strength and Modulus of High-Strength Concrete in New England	Brett Holland Linda Seymour
Historical Use of Structural Plain Concrete	Linda Seymour
Le Corbusier in America; The Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts	Matthew Pitzer
Concrete Frame Structures in Transitional Masonry Facades: Hidden and Unforeseen Hazards, Part 1: Current Challenges	Gustavo Tumialan
Concrete Frame Structures in Transitional Masonry Facades: Hidden and Unforeseen Hazards, Part 2: Case Studies	Greggrey Cohen

Several team members also acted in ACI leadership positions at the convention. Senior Project Manager Brett Holland, who currently serves as President of ACI’s New England Chapter, helped the chapter host this year’s convention. He was heavily involved in planning efforts, including giving a welcoming speech, coordinating with visitors, and organizing project site tours and various sessions. Senior Principal Matthew Sherman currently sits on ACI’s Board of Direction.