MT. VERNON, IOWA - The Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) - an international association dedicated to improving the quality and acceptance of cast-in-place concrete foundations and creating better businesses that construct those foundations - recently presented its highest honor, the Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award to Barry Herbert at the CFA Annual Summer Convention held July 30-August 1. Barry was introduced by Jim Bartley of Bartley Corporation, and described as a significant example of great leadership; innovation; spirit and faith in our industry and both a person and businessman that he has tried to model his career after.

Herbert has been member of the CFA since 1992. While serving on the board from 1993 to 2002 he attended every meeting and served on multiple committees. He became a member of the ACI-332 Residential Concrete committee in 1995 when the decision was made to create the ACI Residential Standard. This standard is now incorporated into the International Residential Code. He continues to represent the CFA and the concrete foundation industry to the present on that committee. He also developed the present Nominations and Awards Committee for the CFA and served as its chair until 2007.

In 1998 he was elected to a two-year term as CFA president. During his tenure as president, he helped organize the current committee makeup and reorganized the board term schedule changing from a confusing schedule of one, two and three year terms to all three year terms.

The Robert D. Sawyer Award, named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first Executive Director of the CFA, is presented occasionally to a member of the concrete foundation industry whose contributions to the industry merit recognition. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry.

Herbert has always been at the forefront of technology. In the early 1990's, he became the first poured wall contractor in the nation to utilize a robotic total station in footing and wall layout. Herbert shared this idea with fellow CFA members and it has now become a standard piece of layout equipment for many CFA members.