On May 7, 2026, the Polyurea Nation Regional Advisory Board held its second quarterly meeting of the year via Zoom. Over 180 members tuned in for the live stream, with dozens more submitting questions in advance. Here’s a full recap of the key discussions and decisions.

Membership Growth Update

Devon Castillo, Director of Member Relations, opened the meeting with a membership update. As of May 1, 2026, Polyurea Nation has 4,247 verified members — a 9.3% increase from the same time last year. The fastest-growing regions are the Asia-Pacific (up 31% year-over-year) and the Gulf Coast/Southeast USA (up 17%). Devon noted that the recently launched Spanish-language resource section has driven a 44% increase in registrations from Latin American applicators.

Technical Education Update

Dr. Sandra Kowalczyk presented an update on the Technical Education Committee’s work. Highlights included:

  • The updated Manhole and Sewer Rehabilitation Best Practices Guide has been downloaded over 1,100 times since its April 30 release — making it one of our most popular resources ever.
  • A new video series on surface preparation for different substrate types is in production and expected to launch in July 2026.
  • The committee is developing a formalized “Polyurea Nation Certification” pathway in partnership with two existing accredited training providers. More details will be shared at the August Summit.

Latin America Chapter Expansion Approved

The board voted unanimously to approve Carlos Ríos’ proposal to expand the Latin America chapter into a full five-country network covering Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. Carlos will serve as Regional Director, and recruitment for in-country chapter contacts is now open. Members in these countries are encouraged to reach out to our member relations team to learn more about the contact role.

Website Security Update

Marcus Hendricks provided an update on a recent site security incident in which unauthorized content had been published on the Polyurea Nation website by an unknown third party. All spam content and unauthorized user accounts have been permanently removed, a security audit was completed, and additional hardening measures — including two-factor authentication for all administrator accounts and improved file integrity monitoring — have been implemented. The board expressed full confidence in the remediation steps taken.

August Summit: What to Expect

Devon gave a preview of the 2026 Annual Polyurea Nation Summit, set for August 13–15 in Houston, TX. Early registrations are tracking 22% ahead of last year. Confirmed speakers include researchers from two major university polymer programs, a panel of municipal infrastructure engineers, and equipment demonstrations from 20+ vendors. The PDA certification exam will be offered on-site on August 15. Early bird pricing ends July 1 — see the Events page for details and registration information.

Next Meeting

The next full membership meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM Eastern via Zoom. All members will receive a registration link by email one week before the event. Topics will include a Q2 industry market update, a member spotlight segment, and a live Q&A with Dr. Kowalczyk on hybrid polyurea-epoxy systems. View the full events calendar.