February 27, 2025

By Lane Kimble

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — WTBA’s new Board of Directors president is clearly motivated, driven, and focused.

To Dan Zignego, this year is all about working together to fix a more than $1 billion shortfall in Wisconsin’s transportation fund.

“If we let ourselves get distracted from our goal, we will not achieve it,” Zignego told the crowd gathered in a beautiful ballroom to close out the 2025 Annual Convention.

“Great things are not accomplished by distracted people. We must stay focused on our goal.”

Still, the night couldn’t close without a few fun distractions.

Zignego, who is president of Zignego Company, turned 40 this week, which led to the crowd serenading him with a round of “Happy Birthday” at Past President Brian Endres’ request.

The often stoic Zignego let a small smile appear as he stood to thank the singers.

“They say you don’t ever want to meet your heroes. I disagree,” Zignego said.  “One of the most amazing privileges of working in this industry has been having so many amazing people, the people in this room, to look up to, to learn from and to watch grow as people, as leaders and as inspiration.”

The banquet also celebrated outgoing board members Park Allison from Aring Equipment, Taylor Tauer from Northeast Asphalt, and the soon-to-be retired Burt Naumann who is leaving GRAEF after nearly 50 years.

The conclusion of the convention–and the changing of the guard from Endres to Zignego–comes as Wisconsin’s winter thaws, a busy construction season is fast approaching, and lawmakers begin crafting the state budget.

Time to get to work.

“This isn’t an easy fight nor a short one, but the hardest things in life make us the best that we can be. If we choose to aggressively attack this campaign and stay undistracted, we will be successful,” Zignego said.