During 34-years in the concrete industry, Brent Coulson has helped many designers and builders to successfully use concrete in their construction projects. Now his accomplishments are being recognized by the Pacific Southwest Concrete Alliance (PSCA) as he is awarded their first annual Promoter of the Year Award.

PSCA is a collaboration of six associations in California and Nevada that provide information on concrete and technical support to design and construction professionals in the region. The Alliance promotes portland cement concrete for paving, residential and commercial buildings, and public work infrastructure. It also conducts programs to promote concrete's environmental benefits. The Promoter of the Year Award has been developed to recognize an individual for noteworthy efforts to achieve these goals.

For the past three years, Coulson has been a technical sales representative for Euclid Chemical, a manufacturer of chemicals and reinforcing fibers for concrete, covering Northern California and Northern Nevada. He is a resident of Clovis, CA and is actively involved in the Concrete Promotion Council of Northern California and Sierra Nevada Concrete Association. He is also a member of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's Pervious Concrete Subcommittee and the NRMCA task force developing a strategic plan for promotion of pervious concrete.

He is currently working with the city of Fresno, CA on their "Fresno Green" initiative to engage in sustainable building practices that reduce impact on the environment. "Brent has been emphasizing the many ways concrete can be used for green construction, says Tom Tietz, Executive Director of the California Nevada Cement Association , a Chairman of the Alliance. "For example," he explains, "Brent has shown city officials how the light color of portland cement concrete paving can reflect solar radiation and reduce what is called the 'urban heat island' effect. This helps keep a city cooler in summer and improves local air quality."

Coulson has also cooperated with the city in its recent initiative to demonstrate the value of pervious concrete parking lots; pervious concrete allows rainwater to flow through the pavement and into the soil instead of creating storm run-off that can pollute streams and rivers. In another effort, he has made presentations to city engineers about the advantages of using concrete "whitetopping" over asphalt to improve the durability and reduce the life-cycle cost of streets and roads. Coulson works with Fresno officials and area builders to explain the benefits of insulated concrete forms, an innovative building system that provides superior insulation value.