Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the national nonprofit trade association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them and their communities, today announced that Sam Hall will join the organization as the Vice President of the Damage Prevention Institute (DPI). The newly created DPI will take the industry to the next level by utilizing data and statistics to generate powerful insights and efficiencies that will reduce the rate of damages to buried infrastructure. In April, CGA announced that the Gold Shovel Association would become a new arm of CGA, the Damage Prevention Institute.

Hall brings more than two decades of industry experience and a strong regulatory background to his new position as Vice President, where he will lead the DPI’s development of stakeholder metrics to drive efficiencies in the damage prevention system. In this role, Hall will also collaborate with industry leaders and key CGA committees to create a peer-reviewed accreditation process.

Prior to joining CGA, Hall served as Senior Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for more than 15 years, actively engaging with damage prevention stakeholders from the local level to internationally. Hall additionally brings years of experience with data management and analytics in the private sector, as well as in local and federal government, including the development and implementation of metrics and evaluation mechanisms for grant programs, public awareness programs, emergency management systems and state excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sam to the CGA team where he will bring his industry expertise and experience to the Damage Prevention Institute,” said Sarah Magruder Lyle, President and CEO of Common Ground Alliance. “Sam’s experience at PHMSA, decades of data management, and strong relationships with key stakeholders will give him the tools to successfully lead the DPI and the development of its key elements, such as the peer review process.”

“I look forward to working with the Common Ground Alliance in a new way and taking on this new role supporting the development of the Damage Prevention Institute,” said Sam Hall. “This is a unique opportunity to lead the industry to its next major reduction in damages to buried infrastructure and make our country a safer place to live and work. I am excited to expand stakeholder engagement and strengthen data collection to create a clearer picture of the system’s inefficiencies and how we can address them.”

For more information about CGA and the DPI, visit www.CommonGroundAlliance.com and www.DamagePreventionInstitute.com.

About Common Ground Alliance

CGA is a member-driven association of more than 1,800 individuals, organizations, and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the preeminent source of damage prevention data and information in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at https://www.commongroundalliance.com.

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