M E E T T H E N AT I O N A L E X E C
Meet NAPA’s Incoming Chairman James A. Mitchell BY ASPHALTPRO STAFF
T
he AsphaltPro staff continues the tradition of introducing the incoming chairman of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) with 2022 Chairman James (Jim) A. Mitchell. In 1976, Bob Surface, Bart Mitchell and Ron White founded Superior Paving Corp., then headquartered in a Luck Stone Company scale house in Centreville, Virginia, and enrolled the company in NAPA. Now Superior Paving Corp., headquartered in Gainesville, has 10 asphalt plants and 12 locations throughout Northern Virginia and executive team member James A. Mitchell is taking the reins at NAPA as the 2022 chairman. He brings a degree in Business Management from Lynchburg College to not only his responsibilities at Superior, but also to the role of NAPA chairman. Before he takes the stage at the NAPA annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, Jan. 24, to address the membership, Mitchell took the time to share some thoughts with the industry at large. How long have you, personally, worked in the asphalt industry? Since my first summer in 1984 at the age of 15 Could you share with readers your immediate family? Jill Mitchell (Wife), Charlie Mitchell (21), Samantha Mitchell (20) What volunteer work do you participate in that you would encourage others to consider and why? Community service is a core expectation in my life. To whom much is given, much is expected. In college our fraternity would often help split firewood and deliver it to people in need. I have continued those efforts with my family in our town today. As an adult, my wife and I spent 15 years on the board of our local homeless shelter. My wife and I have also started our own foundation to ensure that our family will continue to support the causes and institutions that have 28 | JANUARY 2022
James and Jill Mitchell
been meaningful in our lives. Certainly, Superior is constantly focused on supporting the communities where we live and work. What other hobbies can you share with us? Jill and I love to travel. I am also a car enthusiast, and I am blessed to have a wife who is fully supportive of this habit as well. What does membership in NAPA and the Virginia Asphalt Association mean to you personally? Associations are essential to any industry. In good times, we get to enjoy each other’s company and learn about best practices to make our product as competitive as possible. In more difficult times, we need our associations to represent us properly in Washington and locally. We need to be a part of the conversation when regulations, specifications and funding are being discussed. How/why did you join the asphalt industry? Our family has been self-employed going back to the beginning of the 20th century. My great grandfather was a butcher. My grandfather started us in the asphalt business in 1941. My
father was one of the founders in the partnership that is Superior Paving in 1976. I have always enjoyed the people in our industry. Of course, that was limited to those at our company until I got a little older. Over time and right up to today, I feel blessed to work in an industry that is full of great people. Could you give an example (or two) of a way VAA assists its members with workforce development? VAA has been assisting with workforce development in several ways. The first was the establishment of VECAT in 2015. VECAT is the Virginia Education Center for Asphalt Technology. Through VECAT, employers can send employees to school in the community college system to earn a certificate or associates degree. Just recently, VAA and related construction associations have partnered with the Virginia Community College System to obtain dedicated funding for an Infrastructure Academy. The Academy will be focused on attracting and training a new workforce to support the infrastructure development, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance needs in Virginia.
