Florida Contractor Leo A. Vecellio, Jr., Elected 2007-2008 ARTBA Chairman

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leo A. Vecellio, Jr., chairman, president and CEO of West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Vecellio Group, Inc., has been elected 2007-08 chairman of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). He received the gavel at the association's national convention earlier this month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Vecellio's top legislative goal for ARTBA is to continue pressing Congress for a significant increase in federal highway/transit investment as part of the reauthorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which is due by October 1, 2009. ARTBA has launched an "inside the Washington beltway" public affairs and communications campaign to help achieve this goal, Vecellio said.

Vecellio has been involved with ARTBA for nearly 10 years. His leadership positions have included senior vice chairman, first vice chairman, southern region vice chairman and vice chairman-at-large. He is a key player in developing the association's legislative policy positions on federal transportation development issues. Vecellio also serves as a trustee on the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation.

His industry background is extensive. Vecellio literally grew up around transportation construction, joining the family business of Vecellio & Grogan in 1973 with degrees in civil engineering and construction management from Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, and four years of project management experience as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Vecellio was integral to the company's expansion well beyond the mid-Atlantic states, where it was founded by his father, grandfather and uncle in 1938. Today, Vecellio & Grogan is a subsidiary of the Vecellio Group, which operates throughout the southeastern U.S. and beyond, and consistently ranks among the nation's top 200 contractors. Other operations include heavy/highway contractors Ranger Construction Industries and Ranger Construction - South, mining firm White Rock Quarries, and petroleum and biodiesel companies Vecenergy and Vecenergy BIDA.

In addition to leadership roles within ARTBA and the family businesses, Vecellio is active in numerous industry, educational and business associations. He is among the founders and executive members of Floridians for Better Transportation, serves on the Florida "Council of 100", is a founding member and was first president of the Flexible Pavements Council of West Virginia, and is also active in the Florida Transportation Builders Association and the Contractors Association of West Virginia.

He is a director of Natural Resource Partners, L.P. , a member of the "Committee of 100" of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, and a former trustee of the Virginia Tech Foundation, where he chaired the investment committee.

Vecellio and his wife, Kathryn, have two sons, Christopher and Michael, who are also active in Vecellio Group management.

Established in 1902, ARTBA is the consensus voice of the U.S. transportation design and construction industry in the nation's capital.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Editors Note: A photo of Vecellio can be obtained by contacting Jaime Mahoney at jmahoney@artba.org or calling 202-289-4434. Additional information about Vecellio Group is available online at www.vecelliogroup.com.