PUG Corner
August 26, 2025Fall is all about change and with the 2025 annual Project User Group Conference just around the corner, there is a lot to talk about in this article. Just like the leaves on the trees, we have had some changes to the PUG Board, the Ticketed Modification Request voting system, and the 2026 and 2027 Conference locations. We will discuss volunteering and lastly, we will wrap it all up with some parting words.
PUG Board Changes
The previous PUG Board Chairman, Amy Sullivan called us “Agents of Change” and that still rings true. James Kocaba from Connecticut served as PUG Board Treasurer from 2022-2024 and became an Advisor after the TEA/PUG, Inc. nonprofit dissolved. James has since moved on to the Project Task Force (PTF). We will miss him on the Board but know that he will be bringing a wealth of knowledge, prestige, and experience to the PTF and we wish him all the best.
With James leaving, I reached out to Harold Caples from Virginia to request he fill the vacant Advisor role until James’ original term is to be completed in 2026. Harold graciously accepted and is quickly being brought up to speed. Harold is a welcome addition to the PUG Board and I continue to look forward to working with him. Harold will be advisor for the Preconstruction and Estimation Technical Advisory Groups.
2025 PUG Conference
The 2025 PUG Conference is only a month away. It is hard to believe that it has already been another year. The PUG Board has been working hard to ensure the agenda is packed with interesting and helpful topics regarding all things AASHTOWare Project. Ohio Department of Transportation also has an exciting tour planned for us to show off their I-70/I-71 Downtown Ramp Up construction project. If you are interested in attending our conference, the link to the registration page can be found here: 2025 PUG Conference
Future Plans
The PUG Ballot process will be changing in the near future. Agency End User Designees should keep an eye out for upcoming training and instructions on how to effectively use the new balloting process to rank their agencies most needed enhancements. Instead of being an annual voting process, it has evolved into a real time ranking system. This will ensure states have more time to research and determine their priority of all requests. This change also helps the Project Task Force be able to quickly see which enhancements are top priorities for all agencies at any given time to assist in the decision-making process.
Speaking of decisions, the 2026 PUG Conference location has been determined and Murfreesboro, Tennessee has been chosen. It was a difficult choice between Franklin and Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro was chosen as it was a better location due to the logistics of the conference. We all look forward to seeing what the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the 2026 PUG Conference will have in store for us.
At the time of this writing, the Agency User Representatives are currently voting for the top 3 locations for the 2027 PUG Conference location. It has been a very interesting race so far and a clear winner has not been determined yet, however the top locations all look very promising, and we will be very excited to see who wins. The winners of this round will be voted on by all attendees on the last day of the 2025 PUG Conference.
Volunteer!
AASHTO has many great volunteer opportunities that includes many different roles and subcommittees. AASHTO is largely comprised of member agency personnel who serve voluntarily. These are great opportunities to learn more about our exciting fields, to meet knowledgeable colleagues, and to participate in the future development of what keeps the wheels moving in highways construction. You can find out more here: AASHTO Association – Committees
The PUG Board is also on the lookout for volunteers. If you would like to serve as a leader of our community as a member of the PUG Board or know of a great candidate, then please visit the following link and nominate them here: PUG Board Nomination Form. I highly recommend joining the Board as it has been a great learning experience. I have also made a lot of professional contacts and friends along the way. I have very much enjoyed my time serving on the Board.
In Closing
And now we come to the somber part of the article. This will be the last PUG Corner Article of my term, and I am very glad to have served you all as the PUG Board Vice-Chair and Chair. I have not decided yet if I will run for another term, but we will see where the leaves fall. Either way, I have enjoyed the position and am very grateful to all of you for making this community one of the best teams to be a part of and for having allowed me the opportunity to both lead and share my experiences with all of you. Thank you.
I, as well as the PUG Board, look forward to hearing from all of you and can not wait to see you all at the 2025 PUG Conference in Ohio!
Respectfully,
Ken Sereduk
PUG Board Chairman