Annual Construction Management banquet recognizes students, faculty and industry supporters

EKU's Seventh Annual Construction Management Recognition Banquet honored not only outstanding students and faculty, but also those individuals and companies who have demonstrated exemplary service. Retired Department of Technology chair, Dr. Clyde Kraft, joined students who mingled with contractors during the April 18 reception and dinner in Arlington's Mule Barn. EKU President Doug Whitlock was also on hand to greet guests and offer comments.

In a tribute to retiring professor John Stratman, CM students brought together their thoughts and favorite memories in a humorous video tribute.

The Year in Review

Emcee Wayne Reynolds shared program highlights over the past year:

• Five publications or presentations made by three faculty members and graduate assistant in seven different locations across the country.
• Thirty-four students have achieved the Quality Control Manager certification, courtesy of Associated Builders and Contractors of Kentuckiana.
• Renovation design is complete, the permit has been obtained, and HVAC design has been completed. Demolition is substantially complete with students and faculty putting in over 248 man hours of labor towards the effort. Contractors have given sand, concrete, furniture, equipment hours and labor hours  well as $37,500 in cash contributions and $35,000 in pledges. At least 22 contractors, construction associations, and individuals have bought into making this project a reality. Only about $25,000 more is needed  to completely fund the first phase of the project.
• Enrollment is holding steady at around 90 students.
• For the past couple of years, 15-23 students graduate per year; and a total of 22 are on track to graduate this academic year.
• 95 percent of CM students were placed within nine months of graduation.
• Two graduates graduated from the Master’s program this year: Matt Ellis and Jason Mack.
• The Master’s program now has an enrollment of 10 students.
• Six students competed in the Associated Schools of Construction Pre-Construction Competition last October. They placed fifth out of eleven teams.
• Patrick Ford, now a CM Masters student, was selected as one of six 6 OVC Scholar-Athlete award winners. He was also named to the Capital One Academic All-District Football First Team and  garnered coverage by the Associated Press and the Eastern Progress.
• SGT Nick Ray, a veteran of Operation New Dawn in Bagdad and a senior in the CM program, won Kentucky State Outstanding Soldier of the Year Award for 2012. He will be competing for the regional award at the end of April. His award gained coverage by Owen County’s The News Herald.

Distinguished Senior

Special awards and presentations were made to the program's graduating seniors, including outstanding senior, Phillip Berry. Berry, a Lexington native and Bluegrass Community and Technical College transfer student, owns a custom woodworking company in his hometown of Lexington. His long term goals are to obtain LEED credentials and pursue a career to advance sustainable building practices throughout the industry. He also intends to pursue a master’s degree in a related field of study such as environmental engineering.

Distinguished Alum

Each year, CM faculty select a distinguished alum who has made outstanding contributions to the program and industry.  This year's award was presented to Mr. Jesse Wilmoth of Gray Construction. Wilmoth (BS, Construction Technology 1981) transferred to EKU with an AA degree from South Florida Junior College and served as Vice President of SCA during his senior year at EKU. After graduation he did estimating for several companies including Harney Construction, Wilder Inc., R.A. Williams Construction, and Branscum Construction. These jobs all led to his current position at Gray Construction where he performs all facets of estimating, both in lead and support roles. Participation in all types of design build projects ranging from heavy processes to distribution facilities has made him known as “the man who does whatever it takes to get the job done”.  Just a few of his more than 40 jobs at Gray across the country include: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Dollar General, IKEA, CVS/Pharmacy, J. Crew, Proctor & Gamble, Tyson Foods, USPS, ConAgra, Nestle, Pepsi, T. Marzetti, Sayre School, USACE, and NAVFAC.

Advisory Board Award

Three companies attained the 15-year longevity milestone on the Construction Management Industry Advisory Board. The Board has been, and continues to be, instrumental in guiding the program through its development. Plaques with the number of years their companies have served in this very important capacity were presented to each of the representatives.

• Total Comfort Corporation
• Messer Construction Co.
• Denham Blythe Company, Inc.

Faye Zimmerman Award

Each year, the Faye Zimmerman award is presented to the individual woman who has made remarkable strides in breaking through the gender barrier so prevalent in construction. Indicative of such strides are exemplary service to the construction industry either through the organization to which she is employed or through a professional organization or both. Specific consideration is given to the individual's efforts to recruit women into the industry. Carol Barnett is just such a woman.

She received her BS in Industrial Technology from EKU in 1982 specializing in Architectural and Technical Drawing. She worked for a structural steel fabricator in the drafting department and was then given the opportunity to explore other positions like purchasing, project management and estimating. Carol joined Cooper Steel in May of 1990, heading and driving the Company’s growth in the Design Build industry as Divisional Sales Manager for the Kentucky based sales office. With her attention to detail, extensive knowledge of the steel industry and passion for customer satisfaction, she has played a key role in Cooper’s growth.

She’s been involved with the local chapters of Construction Specifications Institute and National Association of Women in Construction where she has served in multiple leadership roles. She was on the NAWIC Chapter Board of Directors also in leadership capacities.

Scholarships

The Richard A. Brooker Scholarship, Sponsored by the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, is awarded to an outstanding full-time Construction Management student who is within four semesters of graduating.  This year's award was presented by David Dean and Richard Vincent to recipient Jaikob Ellison (senior from Richmond, Ky.)

The Murray S. Riffee Scholarship is awarded by the Home Builders Association of Kentucky. Student Mac Crawford presented this year's award to recipient Zach Howard (senior from Paducah, Ky.).

Hall of Fame Constructor Award

This year's Hall of Fame Constructor Award recipient is Judy Construction Co., of Cynthiana, Ky. Since  its inception in 1974, Judy Construction Company has developed a broad spectrum of expertise. Founder Larry Judy credits the company's longevity to a commitment to excellence and consistent quality. Past projects include commercial and institutional buildings, industrial facilities, water and wastewater treatment facilities and highway construction ranging from $300,000 to $35,000,000. In 1998 they were chosen by the Louisville-Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District as the principal partner in the first design/build municipal wastewater treatment plant in the state of Kentucky.

The Hall of Fame Constructor Award is presented to the company and/or individual whose innovations are positively impacting the construction industry and who is respected for their business success. Weight is given to the Constructor who is noteworthy in support of the Construction Management program. Consideration is also given to innovation that reduces financial and natural resource waste and/or promotes collaboration. The award was first given in 2007 at the inaugural Construction Management Awards Banquet.  Recipients are nominated and selected by Construction Management faculty.  Previous recipients include: Gray (2007), Messer (2008), Alliance (2009), 3D (2010), Gray Construction (2011), and Garney (2012).

See more photos of the banquet on the Construction Management Facebook page...

Find out more about the EKU Construction Management program...

Published on April 17, 2013