BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) is proud to announce the promotions of Gregg Horn to Senior Vice President of Research and Josh Blount to Vice President of Technical Resources.

The promotions recognize the leadership and expertise Gregg and Josh bring to two of DIPRA’s most important areas of work: research and technical resources.

As Senior Vice President of Research, Gregg will lead DIPRA’s research activities, including DIPRA’s technical research efforts, Standards activities, and comparative studies of substitute materials. He will provide leadership for research initiatives supporting municipal specification development, coordinate the Association’s technical research efforts, and work closely with DIPRA leadership, member companies and technical committees.

Josh, as Vice President of Technical Resources, will provide leadership and management for DIPRA’s technical personnel and oversee the Association’s technical resources. His responsibilities will include supervising the Regional Engineer Program and its staff, overseeing technical programs and participating in national and international standards development.

“The Regional Engineer Program, Research and Technical Resources continue to be the backbone of our organization, as they have been for more than 100 years,” said DIPRA President David Cole. “Gregg Horn and Josh Blount have demonstrated the knowledge, leadership and commitment necessary to build on that strong foundation. These promotions position us well to continue delivering the research, technical expertise and industry support that our members and the water infrastructure community depend on.”

Gregg and Josh will work closely together to ensure DIPRA’s research and technical programs remain aligned with the Association’s strategic priorities and industry best practices. The promotions will strengthen coordination between research, technical resources, and the Regional Engineer Program while continuing DIPRA’s longstanding commitment to advancing the proper application of Ductile iron pipe.

Josh will oversee the Regional Engineer Program, including its planning, budget and performance, and will serve as lead staff on DIPRA’s Technical Committee. Gregg will oversee the Research Program and its budget and will facilitate DIPRA’s Technical Committee, Environmental Subcommittee and other committees addressing research and technical aspects of the promotion and advancement of Ductile iron pipe.

“These are critical roles for DIPRA and for the future of the Ductile iron pipe industry,” Cole said. “We are fortunate to have Gregg and Josh leading these efforts, and we look forward to what they will accomplish in their new positions.”

Gregg has dedicated 40 years to DIPRA, where he has overseen the association’s research projects as well as leading its Regional Engineer program. He joined DIPRA in 1986 as a Regional Engineer, was promoted to Director of Regional Engineers in 1990, and assumed the role of Vice President of Technical Resources in 2013. In that leadership role, Horn worked closely with water utilities and others to conduct research at DIPRA test sites to advance understanding of the performance, value, and longevity of Ductile iron water mains. He is a Life Member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and has served on numerous committees and subcommittees within AWWA, ASCE, ASTM and ISO.

Josh joined DIPRA in 2015 as a Staff Engineer/Project Manager and has advanced through roles as Regional Engineer, Senior Regional Engineer and, since 2022, Regional Director. In that role, he provided technical guidance to water and wastewater utility professionals and consulting engineers on system planning, design, installation and asset management related to Ductile iron pipe. Josh also provided technical training and presentations, connected industry professionals with relevant technical resources, and helped continue to strengthen DIPRA’s relationships across the water infrastructure industry. He is a member of AWWA, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). At ASCE, Josh serves on the Seismic Design for Buried Pipelines technical committee for the Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI) Pipelines division.

Read the blog post about the promotions here.

About DIPRA

Founded in 1915, the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA) has served as a resource and technical advisor to the water industry. DIPRA also provides representation on standards-making committees as well as technical research on a variety of application-based topics. While DIPRA member companies have different names and locations, they share a common commitment to produce and deliver the finest quality water and wastewater pipe material in the world – Ductile iron pipe – and at the greatest possible value to its purchasers.

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SOURCE Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA)