A Letter from USHBA President Shawn Ledig

Dear USHBA Members,

It’s an honor to write to you for the first time as your newly elected Interim President of the U.S. Hemp Building Association. Thank you to the membership and the Board for the trust you’ve placed in me, and to the leaders whose work built the foundation we stand on today. The path forward is paved by the work that came before us, and I intend to honor that work while helping guide USHBA into its next chapter.

For those I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting, my background sits at the intersection of the disciplines this association serves: building science, structural engineering, and natural fiber construction. I’m the Founder and CEO of Hyperion Group LLC, a construction management and consulting firm, and serve as Lead Structural Consultant for Axcess Construction Management, an integrated design-build firm in Southeast Louisiana in continuous operation since 1987. My work spans residential, commercial, post-disaster reconstruction, aviation infrastructure, and industrial projects.

I’m also the Founder and CEO of Delta AgroFiber Solutions (deltaagrofiber.com), the first Louisiana-based company to successfully grow, harvest, and process non-consumable industrial hemp from seed to structure, and a Gulf South leader in regenerative agriculture, biochar, and bio-based building materials. In addition, I’m cofounder and CEO of Magnolia Biochar, operating under facility agreements with Biochar Now (biocharnow.com) to bring large-scale, high-quality biochar production to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. This work aligns directly with the durable, low-carbon future we’re all building toward.

I was also recently nominated and elected to serve as Chairman of the Louisiana Industrial Hemp Promotion and Research Advisory Board, where I have the privilege of helping shape policy, research priorities, and the path forward for industrial hemp in Louisiana.

Beyond the titles, I’m a hemp farmer, a hemp home builder, and an unapologetic hemp evangelist. I believe deeply that this plant has a defining role to play in the future of American construction.

Of course, what I bring is only as strong as the team standing beside me. As a mentor of mine always said, “You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” and on that front I consider myself fortunate beyond measure. Your Board of Directors is exceptional:

• Eric McKee, Vice President

• Ingrid Fay, Secretary

• Ryan Doherty, Treasurer

• Tom Rossmassler, Director at Large

• Alex Escher, Director at Large

Having seasoned members back on the Board brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience to our work, and our first meetings have already been remarkably productive. The energy, the depth of expertise, and the willingness to roll up sleeves is exactly what this moment in our industry calls for.

Here are a few priorities I want you to hear directly from me.

Member value through education and resources. We will continue delivering high-level hemp building content: both the foundational material USHBA is known for and new resources that meet the industry where it is today.

Listening first, then acting. Before we chart new directions, we’ll be engaging directly with stakeholders across the supply chain, including farmers, processors, designers, builders, and code officials, to understand what’s working, what’s missing, and where USHBA can be most useful. Your voice shapes our agenda.

Breaking open the bottlenecks. We are going to address the issues holding hemp construction back, head-on. Supply chain gaps, code adoption, and the disconnect between farmers, buyers, and builders are the bottlenecks slowing our growth, and they deserve a coordinated response. I’ve been having these exact conversations with leaders across the hemp building industry well before I was voted onto the Board, and that dialogue is now becoming action. Our team will work directly with the people doing the building to turn interest into more projects, more jobs, and more successful outcomes in the field. This is where the industry breaks open, and USHBA is going to help lead the charge.

There is real momentum in this space, and I’m grateful to be part of it alongside this Board and this membership. You’ll be hearing more from us soon, and I welcome your input. Your voice is what makes this association strong.

Onward,

Shawn M. Ledig

Interim President

U.S. Hemp Building Association