Gold Shovel Standard (GSS), a nationally recognized organization committed to improving workforce and public safety and the integrity of vital buried infrastructure, recently announced that Josh Hinrichs has joined its Board of Directors.

As President of ELM Companies, Mr. Hinrichs has helped them grow from a small regional locating company to a large national firm offering a diverse suite of services including Locating & Damage Prevention, O&M, System Integrity and Training. He has been with ELM since 2001 and oversees operations of the company, including organizational leadership, marketing, contracts, customer relations and trade industry memberships.

Prior to ELM, Mr. Hinrichs served in various roles at The Washington Companies and gained a wide range of experience with one of the largest transportation and construction consortiums in North America. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for Common Ground Alliance (CGA), National Utility Locating Contractors Association (NULCA) and the Montana Utility Coordinating Council.

“After getting to know my fellow board members and seeing the responsiveness with which the program has adapted to feedback, I am pleased to help GSS achieve its ambitious goals,” Mr. Hinrichs said. “GSS has already provided significant benefits for utility owners and their contractors across the country. As this industry grows, it’s critical that we utilize the strongest program possible to reduce damages to buried infrastructure. This is an important undertaking, and I strongly believe in the work that GSS is doing.”

Gold Shovel Standard (GSS) is committed to improving workforce and public safety and the integrity of vital buried infrastructure. GSS believes that greater transparency in all aspects of damage prevention among buried-asset operators, locators and contractors is essential to drive continuous improvement, and vital to ensure increasingly safe working conditions and communities.