Groundbreaker - University of Louisiana at Monroe · Groundbreaker Newsletter DIRECTOR'S CORNER Dr....

SPRING 2004SPRING 2004SPRING 2004SPRING 2004SPRING 2004

GroundbreakGroundbreakGroundbreakGroundbreakGroundbreakerererererSpring 2004Spring 2004Spring 2004Spring 2004Spring 2004 Published for the Alumni, Students, and Friends of the ULM School of Construction

www.ulm.edu/construction

InsideInsideInsideInsideInside

School of Construction700 University Avenue

Monroe, LA 71209-0540Tel: (318) 342-1860Fax: (318) 342-1861


Newsletter

Director's Corner......................2Potts Professorship.........................3Olin Hall History ......................4Alumni Spotlight......................6Industry Advisory Council.......7Students' News........................8Alumni Updates....................10And More!

Olin Hall tOlin Hall tOlin Hall tOlin Hall tOlin Hall to Come Doo Come Doo Come Doo Come Doo Come Down this Fwn this Fwn this Fwn this Fwn this Fallallallallall

ULM Logoreverse

PPPPPotts Profotts Profotts Profotts Profotts Professoressoressoressoressorship Tship Tship Tship Tship To Be Eso Be Eso Be Eso Be Eso Be Estttttablishedablishedablishedablishedablished

Mark your calendar! Olin Hall, built in the late 1960s,is scheduled to be imploded this fall. September 25and October 16 have been announced as two possibledemolition dates.

Olin Hall has been a landmark on the campus of theUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe for years, and plansto bring down the now-obsolete building, which manyULM male students have called “home”, have beenin the works for months since the announcement ofthe $50 million student housing project.

“The building has not housed students since fall 2000due to its deteriorating condition,” Vice President forBusiness Affairs Dr. Nick Bruno said. “The removalof Olin will contribute to the university’s plan tosystematically reconfigure the campus appearance.”

Most of the negotiations and planning for Olin’sdemolition were handled by the state. AndersonExcavators of Omaha, Nebraska holds the contractfor the demolition work, and representatives of thecompany could arrive on campus this summer to beginplanning the demolition. Both tentative demolitiondates fall on the days of ULM home games. ArkansasState University is scheduled to play at MaloneStadium on September 25 and Florida International isscheduled for October 16.

Other dormitories on campus were demolished thissummer, including Sherrouse and Hudson Halls, andrenovations on Madison and Ouachita halls havealready begun.

IndustryAdvisoryCouncilChairmanLarryFavaloraproudlyannouncedat the IACAprilmeetingthat theinitial$20,000needed tocreate a$100,000Thurman

Potts Endowed Professorship had been raisedthanks to the efforts of the members of the IACand the generosity of many School ofConstruction alumni and friends.

A $40,000 matching gift was made by the LouisianaContractors' Educational Trust Fund (CETF). TheCETF gift will soon be matched by the LouisianaBoard of Regents for a total of $100,000.

Establishing an Endowed Professorship in honor ofThurman Potts, the founding director of the schoolof construction, was one of the primary goals of theIAC and, under the leadership of Charles Poole, ittook the members less than a year to raise enoughmoney to make it a reality.

Thurman Potts came to ULM, then NortheastLouisiana State College, in fall 1966 to assume theadministration of the newly-created department ofbuilding construction after practicing architecturefor 20 years. Pott’s appointment was announced by

Groundbreakerlogo

(Continued on page 3)

(More on page 4)

Thurman and Nadine Potts

GroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletter DIRECTOR'S CORNERDIRECTOR'S CORNERDIRECTOR'S CORNERDIRECTOR'S CORNERDIRECTOR'S CORNER

Dr. Keith A. Parker

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Dr. Keith A. Parker,Director, ULM School of Construction

Mark Your Calendar

09/04/2004 @ Auburn09/18/2004 Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark.09/25/2004 Arkansas St.10/02/2004 @ Wyoming10/09/2004 @ Idaho10/16/2004 Florida International10/23/2004 @ Florida Atlantic10/30/2004 @ North Texas11/06/2004 Utah St11/13/2004 @ Middle Tenn St11/20/2004 Louisiana-Lafayette

Football 2004 ScheduleFootball 2004 ScheduleFootball 2004 ScheduleFootball 2004 ScheduleFootball 2004 Schedule

For season tickets call(318) 342-3ULM

Upcoming Events

Olin Hall Demolition(Tentative Date)ULM Alumni Board MeetingOuachita Parish Shrimp Boil

Homecoming Week

ULM Alumni Awards Dinner

Homecoming

Browse on the Bayou

Maroon Out and Chili Cook-Off

CommencementCheck Out More Events at

www.ulm.edu/calendarwww.ulmathletics.com

Sept. 25

Oct. 11-16

Oct. 14

Oct. 16

Nov. 6

Nov. 20

Dec. 18

As I think back and try to put together thisedition of “Director’s Corner”, one wordkeeps reoccurring. That word – ALUMNI.Although I have been a part of the School ofConstruction for over fifteen years, I nevertruly appreciated our alumniuntil I became the director.What a difference alumnisupport makes!!! When statebudgets are low, our alumnihave given financial support.When accreditation issueshave arisen, our alumni havebeen there to show theoutstanding quality of ourgraduates. When planning thefuture direction of our program,our alumni have participated in the strategicplanning process.

Our alumni are not only active with the School

"To you, the School ofConstruction alumni, Iwould like to say thank

you for all that you havedone in the past and thecommitments you havemade for the future."

of Construction, but hold leadership positionssupporting the university as a whole. JP Piercecurrently serves as president of the ULMAlumni Association, Gary Barnhill serves aspresident of the Dallas / Fort Worth chapter,

Michael Smith is the regionalvice president of Area Seven,and Ted Williamson serves aspresident of the Texas HillCountry chapter. The Schoolof Construction alumni arethere at every turn. To you,the School of Constructionalumni, I would like to saythank you for all that you havedone in the past and thecommitments you have made

for the future. You are truly a group like noneother!!!

GroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletter

Dr. Dan Dupree, Dean of the College of Pure andApplied Sciences at the time.

Under Potts' leadership, the ULM School ofConstruction grew to become one of the largestconstruction programs in the nation, and was thefirst program to receive national accreditation in 1976.Potts retired in January 1987 but has remainedinvolved with the construction program to this day.

Potts has been active in numerous organizationsthroughout his career. He was one of the foundersand a past president of the Associated Schools ofConstruction; one of the founders, past trustee andvice-president of the American Council forConstruction Education; and was named a fellow ofthe American Institute of Constructors.

Born in Oklahoma and reared in Kansas, Pottsattended Kansas State University (B.S. Architecture),and the University of Nebraska (M.S. Architecture).Potts’ construction career was interrupted from 1942-1945 by World War II during which he served in theSecond Marine Division. He received the Purple Heartfor wounds received during the Saipan Campaign.Potts started his career as an architect and soonbecame president of Potts & Associates ofWatertown, South Dakota, prior to coming to ULM.

Potts Professorship (continued) Potts received Professor Emeritus status in 1988, anhonor that recognizes the many years of service anddedication to the university and the invaluablecontributions to the School of Construction and tothe students.

“The School of Construction is very appreciative ofthe people who contributed to making the PottsEndowed Professorship a reality,” Dr. Parker said.“Professorships have a tremendous impact on theuniversity as a whole and more directly on the Schoolof Construction as they allow the school to attractand retains u p e r i o rfaculty to thebenefit of thestudents.”

To ThurmanPotts’ sur-prise, whowas not evenaware of theIAC effortsto create theprofessorshipin his name,n u m e r o u sfriends, family members, and former students gatheredat Copeland’s restaurant on April 2, to celebrate theevent with him and his wife, Nadine.

Charles Poole was the emcee for the evening.Dan Dupree, past executive vice-president ofACCE.

Left to right: Kathy andDavid Dumas, RichardNelson, Ray Windsor,Sally BreckenridgeWindsor and DavidDorsch.

Dan and Jehnell Dupree, Don Greenland III and LarryFavalora.


TheGroundbreakeris published by

the ULM Schoolof Constructionfor its alumni,students, and

friends.

It is funded bythe Potts Fund.

EditorVanessa Doherty

In the 1960s the lack of suitable land on campus to accommodate 832 men forced theuniversity administration to get away from three-story dormitory models and to build OlinHall as an eleven-story structure. Olin Hall was named for the Olin family of Olin-MathiesonChemical Corporation.

The State Board of Education approved the project in November 1965, and appointedHerbert Land and Prentiss Seymour of Monroe as associated architects for the dormitoryfor men. Preliminary plans and the purchase of the George Phillips’ home as the primarysite for Olin Hall were approved in March 1966. Final plans and specifications were approvedin May 1966. The Board awarded the construction contract to Jesse F. Heard and Sons ofMonroe in June 1966. The Board accepted Olin Hall as substantially complete in February1968, and it was partially occupied at the beginning of the spring semester 1968. TheBoard awarded the contract for the expansion of the parking lot at the rear of Olin Hall toBentz and Elmore of Monroe. The total cost of the building was recorded at $3,124,594.

Source: The Building of a University, Northeast Louisiana University, by George T.Walker Ph.D.

Olin Hall ConsOlin Hall ConsOlin Hall ConsOlin Hall ConsOlin Hall Construction Histruction Histruction Histruction Histruction Histttttorororororyyyyy

Olin HallULM Student Housing Construction TimelineULM Student Housing Construction TimelineULM Student Housing Construction TimelineULM Student Housing Construction TimelineULM Student Housing Construction Timeline

Hudson Hall Summer 2004Sherrouse Hall Summer 2004Olin Hall Fall 2004

Lemert Hall Summer 2005Monroe Hall Summer 2005Slater Hall Summer 2005

Breard Hall Summer 2006Cosper Hall Summer 2006Harris Hall Summer 2006

Ouachita, Madison and MasurHalls are currently being updated,modernized and refreshed.Renovations include rewiring, newair conditioning systems andreplacing doors and windows.Matching red roofs will be put onthese buildings in 2005.

Fall 2004Madison HallTechnology upgrades to provide phone,cable television, and broadband Internetservices as well as renovations to units andcommon areas, new furniture, perimeterfence and landscaping.

Ouachita HallTechnology upgrades to provide phone,cable television, and broadband Internetservices as well as renovations to units andcommon areas, new furniture, windows, airconditioning and heating with individualthermostats in rooms, and landscaping.

Masur HallInterior and exterior paint.

Fall 2005Madison HallNew windows in units as well as new airconditioning and heating with individualthermostats in rooms, new window blindsin units and medicine cabinets with mirrorsin unit bathrooms.

Ouachita HallExtensive renovations to bathroomsincluding new showers, sinks, vanities,doors, exhaust fans, accessories and paint.

2005/2006East Side of the Bayou Apartments408 single-occupied bedrooms in 129apartment-style units; new furniture forbedrooms and living areas; technologywiring to provide phone, cable television,and broadband Internet services.

Dorms DemolitionDorms DemolitionDorms DemolitionDorms DemolitionDorms DemolitionScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleSchedule

Student Health CenterAlso to include separate counseling center.

Spring 2006East Side of the Bayou Suites160 single-occupied bedrooms in 80 suite-style units; newfurniture for bedrooms and building common areas;technology wiring to provide phone, cable television, andbroadband Internet services; and conference area.

Fall 2006West Side of the Bayou Suites120 double-occupied bed-rooms in 120 suite-style units; 224single-occupiedbedrooms in 112suite-style units;new furniture forbedrooms andbuilding commonareas; technologywiring to providephone, cabletelevision, andb r o a d b a n dInternet services;laundry facilities;leasing office;retail space; andguest quarters.

Bayou-Side ParkAmphitheater andvolleyball court.


Construction Alumni participate inConstruction Alumni participate inConstruction Alumni participate inConstruction Alumni participate inConstruction Alumni participate inCampus Housing ProjectCampus Housing ProjectCampus Housing ProjectCampus Housing ProjectCampus Housing Project

Check outthe latest

JPICampusQuarters

dormrenderings

atwww.ulm.edu

JPI, one of the nation’s largest fully integratedcommercial real estate firms specializing in theacquisition, development, construction andmanagement of residential communities, has a longhistory with ULM. In fact, Stan T. Waldrop (BS ’81)was one of the original six founders of JPI. Stan wasthe original construction partner and his responsibilitywas to build a construction company that grew into anorganization that built over $1.5 million of finishedproduct per day for a decade. “To build such anorganization I needed talent,” Stan recalls. “So we grewour own talent and hired directly from ULM (then NLU)and paired them with experienced builders who madefor partners and trainers for the green recruits whohave today grown to be recognized as the best in thebusiness.”

A total of seven ULM School of Construction alumniare involved in the current $50 million housing projectat ULM, and JPI anticipates hiring more interns fromthe School of Construction.

Craig Cummings (BS ’84) is the senior vice presidentand has been with JPI for 12 years. He is responsiblefor the overall risk management and construction forthe project. “My education at ULM gave me the basicunderstanding of what I would encounter in the realworld,” he said. “It is a great feeling and honor to beable to go back to my alma mater, knowing that I will bepart of enhancing the university. This project willupgrade the university housing to the twenty-firstcentury. It will definitely be a draw for new students.”

Karl Meeks (BS ’93), an active member of the ULMSchool of Construction Industry Advisory Council, isthe regional vice president of student livingconstruction. Karl has been with JPI for 11 years, andis responsible for overseeing the day-to-dayoperations, including working closely with theconstruction managers and project managers to seethat all jobs are delivered on time and within budget.Karl also spends about half of his time working withthe development and construction estimating team onnew business needs. “We have been selected to buildprojects for some of the most prestigious universitiesin the country,” Karl said. “I can honestly say that I amprouder of being a part of this project than any of theother projects we have been a part of.” Karl chose tostudy at ULM because it had the first ACCE accreditedconstruction management program in the nation. “Theprogram had long been regarded as one of the bestprograms of its kind,” he said. “After graduation, I wasfully prepared for an entry-level management positionwith a large contractor.” Karl is currently involved in$105 million worth of projects at different universitiesacross the U.S.

Doug Sorey (BS ’94) joined JPI in 1995 and is theconstruction manager for the ULM project. Doug’sduties include managing the contract negotiationswith subcontractors. Mike Dixon (BS ’86) is the projectmanager and Scott Pipsair (BS ’95), senior lumberanalyst, is responsible for estimating and purchasingthe lumber materials needed for JPI’s constructionprojects.

Tim Breaux (BS ’02) has been with JPI sincegraduation. As the assistant superintendent, hisresponsibilities include ensuring that all trades, fromfoundation to rough-in to finish end, complete theirwork accurately per plans and specification. “I amlooking forward to returning to ULM to help give thecampus a fresh new look,” he said. “It will be good tocome back to Louisiana for a while.” Originally fromPlaquemine, La., Tim is currently finishing up hissecond on-campus student housing project with JPIat California University of Pennsylvania. Tim choseto study at ULM because he liked the smaller classeswhich foster a better student/professor relationship.“The School of Construction gave me the classroomexperience I needed to do my job,” he said.

Andrew Pruett (BS ’90) has been with JPI for 8 years.As the senior scheduler, he is responsible formonitoring the status of the construction projectmanager schedule and providing updated weekly andmonthly status reports to the project team. He is alsoassisting the efforts of field staff in the coordinationof labor, subcontractors and material deliveries. “It isvery exciting to be a part of this project, bothpersonally and professionally,” he said. “Personally,because, as a native of West Monroe and a graduateof ULM, it is an opportunity to give back to thecommunity and faculty for their dedication andcommitment to higher education. Professionally,because JPI’s commitment to quality and design hasbeen and still is a hallmark of all its projects.”

Andrew chose to come to ULM because his oldestbrother also graduated from ULM with a constructiondegree in 1974 and has had a very successful career.“More than anything, my education at ULM gave methe confidence to pursue a career in any arena ofconstruction; whether it was commercial, industrial ormulti-family,” he said. “The construction program haddepth and quality and the faculty were well roundedin their experiences. Those combined characteristicsprovided a solid foundation for my first steps into theconstruction industry.” Andrew has been on projectteams for over 90 conventional and student-livingprojects with JPI.


ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTALUMNI SPOTLIGHTALUMNI SPOTLIGHTALUMNI SPOTLIGHTALUMNI SPOTLIGHTGary Young, '79President and Founder,Young Contracting Co. Inc.

Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Gary Younghas always been fascinated by the constructionindustry. “It is very results oriented,” he explains.“You can see what your efforts produce in the formof a new facility, retail center, office and the likes.”

Upon graduation from then Northeast LouisianaUniversity in 1979, Gary began hiscareer with a national constructionfirm located in the southwest,where he gained significantexperience constructing industrialfacilities, retail strip centers,regional malls and office buildingprojects. After promotion toDivision Vice President, he wasgiven responsibility for the AtlantaRegional Office. In 1991, Garydecided to venture out on his ownand founded Young ContractingCo. Inc.

“The ULM construction programsignificantly targeted my interestin building,” he recalls, “and upongraduation, after gaining experience with a growingconstruction company, the program also preparedme to go into business for myself.”

Today, as president of Young Contracting Co., Garyoversees the day-to-day company operations,including business development and administrationand is involved in all aspects of company operations.

Among recent company projects is Camp Creek,located in Atlanta, Ga. The Camp Creek project wasover 300,000 retail square feet and was successfullycompleted within eight months. Duringconstruction, even though rainfall totaled 60 inches

"The ULM constructionprogram significantlytargeted my interest in

building, and upongraduation, after

gaining experience witha growing constructioncompany, the programalso prepared me to go

into business formyself.”

ABOUT YOUNG CONTRACTING CO., INC.

Founded in 1991, Young Contracting Co., Inc. is an industry-leading retail construction firm with ateam of talented and highly skilled professionals committed to building quality projects on time andwithin budget.

Young Contracting Co. Inc., began as a small commercial contracting firm and found its niche in theretail industry. Initial projects included pharmacies and small to medium-sized strip shopping centers,and quickly moved to larger “big box” projects. Within ten years, the company has grown substantially.With offices in Georgia and Florida, revenues topped $60 million. Young Contracting Co. Inc., currentlyhas 57 employees. www.youngcontracting.com.

over a record-setting four months, all deadlines weremet or exceeded and within budget. The AtlantaBusiness Chronicle recognized the project as RetailDeal of the Year and the completion of the projectbrought an increase in the community tax base by$750M, creating 3,000 new jobs for the South FultonCounty area.

The Georgia Branch of theAssociated General Contractorsof America also recognizedYoung Contracting Co. Inc., fortheir excellent results with theCamp Creek project by selectingthem for the 2004 Build GeorgiaAward.

Gary is very involved in theconstruction industry. In May2004, he was installed as the 77th

President of the Georgia Branchof the Associated GeneralContractors of America, Inc.,and his primary goal during histerm is to maintain the chapter’s

status as one of the top five AGC chapters in thecountry.

Gary’s advice to construction students is simple,“while in school, get involved in the constructionindustry and as many extracurricular activities aspossible. After school, take on as many differentprojects as possible to learn as much as you can inthe shortest period of time, it makes you more valuableto your employer.”

Gary has been married to Donna Young for 27 years,and they have 2 daughters, Jana and Laura. He enjoysplaying golf, fishing and hunting.

Gary Young


On May 15 and 16, another group of four embarkedupon a fishing adventure with Larry Favalora (’73),chairman of the School of Construction IndustryAdvisory Council and president of FavaloraConstructors.

Randy Alexander of Fitzgerald MechanicalContractors, his son-in-law, Josh Rea, his father-in-law, Vernon Anderson, and his friend, DavidMcLemore were the lucky winners of the fishingtrip auctioned off at the fall 2003 Guild Contractor’sbanquet. The group stayed in a 3-bedroom houseon the water in Barataria, La., and fished Saturdayand Sunday morning.

More than the number or kind of fish they caught,the group will likely remember the good times theyspent together on the boat and at the house. “Wehad a wonderful time and Larry went out of his wayto make sure we did,” Randy said. “The food andfellowship couldn’t have been better.”

According to the group, there were severalmemorable moments and Vernon, who earned thenickname “You know what I mean – Vern,” seemedto have been involved in all of them.

“Saturday morning we were all huddled up under theboat’s small canopy top trying to stay as dry as wecould during the hard blowing rain,” Randy fondlyremembers. “Everyone was wet except for me, I had acomplete rain suit and everyone else just had a topor a piece of one. After an hour and a half, my son-in-law, Josh, was shivering cold and wet when 'Youknow what I mean – Vern' asked him if he would likea rain suit and said 'I’ve got one in my back pocket.'Cold and wet Josh replied: 'You’re telling me after allthis time you’ve got a rain suit in your back pocket!?'Vern said yes, reached in his pocket and pulled it out.We all laughed so hard that our stomachs werehurting. Another incident was when Larry was goingto make a long cast and hit Vern in the back of hishead with the heavy lead weight. When he saw thatVern was going to live he said 'I’m sorry Vern-Youknow what I mean,' and the laughter started again.Actually the laughter never stopped the entire trip.”

Another fishing trip will be auctioned off at the fall2004 Guild Contractor’s Banquet, so start saving ifyou want to experience the Favalora fishingadventure!

A Fishing TA Fishing TA Fishing TA Fishing TA Fishing Trip Trip Trip Trip Trip To Ro Ro Ro Ro Rememberememberememberememberemember

Note: TheContractor'sBanquet is thestudents' mainfundraiser. Allproceeds gotoward helpingstudents attend theconvention of theirchoice.

The spring meeting of the Industry AdvisoryCouncil took place on April 2, 2004, at the Schoolof Construction with 17 members in attendance.

Dr. Parker reported that the spring enrollmenthad slightly increased to 177 students. Facultymembers have attended numerous recruiting andpromotion events in and out-of state.

A motion was passed to accept the followingnew members: Gary Thornton , Thorn Co.;Andy Jones, VCC; Dean Hart, Jr., Dean HartConstruction; Michael Smith, Frank DaleConstruction; and Collin Dunn, Rangers SteelErectors.

Dr. Parker renewed his “Director’s Challenge”by making his third $1,000 personal donation tothe School of Construction Foundation. IACmembers are strongly encouraged to pledge theirminimum contribution of $500 per year. Long-term commitments are also needed. Donationsshould be made to the “ULM Foundation –School of Construction.”

COUNCILCOUNCILCOUNCILCOUNCILCOUNCILINDUSTRY ADVISORYINDUSTRY ADVISORYINDUSTRY ADVISORYINDUSTRY ADVISORYINDUSTRY ADVISORY

On March 3, 2004 at the Mechanical ContractorsAssociation of America’s (MCAA) annualconvention, Dr. David Manry and three students –Michael Barron, Gary Beard, and Heath Lenert –represented the SOC as it obtained its MCAA studentchapter charter. The establishment of the MCAGroundbreakers Chapter of the University ofLouisiana at Monroe continues the work of boththe faculty and the industry advisory council(especially Henry Heier, Mechanical ElectricalCommittee Chair) to provide more avenues for studentinvolvement and job opportunities in the specialtycontracting field.

The SOC thanks Bob and Chris FitzGerald ofFitzGerald Contractors, Inc. in Shreveport forspearheading the effort to get the MCA of Shreveport-Bossier, Inc., to sponsor the SOC chapter. This newassociation with industry is already showingdividends as Dr. Manry applied for and has alreadyreceived a $4,000 Emerging Chapter Grant fromMCAA. Half of the grant will provide scholarshipmoney to SOC students and the other half will beused to help support the chapter’s activities –including field trips, industry speakers, communityservice projects, and MCAA student competitions.

MCAA NEWSMCAA NEWSMCAA NEWSMCAA NEWSMCAA NEWS

STUDENTS' NEWSSTUDENTS' NEWSSTUDENTS' NEWSSTUDENTS' NEWSSTUDENTS' NEWSThe Xi Chapter of Sigma Lambda Chi held its awardsceremony in March 2004. Congratulations to ToddHarris, who received the Highest GPA Award, andGary Gunter, who received the Outstanding GraduateAward. The spring 2004 SLX inductees are PhillipBeasley, Greg Bienvenu, Danny Bolden, Matt Bridges,Harold Curry, Ryan Elkins, Heath Lenert, Kyle Lowery,Tommy Tran and Brian Webster.

ÓË× Awards

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RECENT GRADUATES

The 2004-2005 SLX officers are Kyle Lowery,President, and Andrew Clack, Vice President.

Check OutOur Students'

Resumesat



PPPPPotts/Aotts/Aotts/Aotts/Aotts/AGC Golf TGC Golf TGC Golf TGC Golf TGC Golf Tournamentournamentournamentournamentournament

Todd HarrisHighest GPA

Gary GunterOutstanding

Graduate

The Thurman Potts/AGC Scholarship GolfTournament was held on Monday, April 26 at theAudubon Trail’s Calvert Crossing Golf Club inCalhoun, La. Proceeds from this event go towardsfunding the Thurman Potts-AGC Scholarship givento a construction student at the ULM School ofConstruction. This is the premier scholarship givento construction students at the university. Due tothe overwhelming success of the tournament, fouradditional scholarships have been added as well –two go to construction students at ULM and two goto students in Louisiana Tech’s ConstructionEngineering Technology Program.

Those taking home trophies and prizes from this year’sevent were:Champion Flight: First place went to the HertzEquipment Rental (Monroe) team, which consistedof Paul Nelson, Jason Hogg, Randy Rhymes andShubert Willis. Second place winners were CraigNewton (TXI-Monroe), Clint Cheaney (TXI-Shreveport), Dave Jackson (Dave Jackson Builders-Rayville) and Foy Gadberry (Lazenby & Associates-West Monroe). Third place went to the team of EricLafitte (James Construction Group-Ruston), MarshallHill (DOTD-Monroe), Barry Lacy (DOTD-BatonRouge) and Kevin Crosby (Lazeby & Associates-West Monroe).

First flight: The first place team in this flight was fromRogers Manufacturing (West Monroe). Included onthe team were Derek Moody, Brad Black, MarcRockett and Norm McKenna. The second placefinishers were Jeff Boatright, Roger Fuller, Mike

Mullins and Chris Nichols of the Murco (Monroe)team. Third place went to Jack Gulledge (TXI-Shreveport), Dan Poole (McInnis Bros. Construction-Minden), Mike Turner and Holt Mead (both withWalton Construction-Shreveport).

Second flight: Taking home first place was theLouisiana Machinery (Monroe) team of Josh Toney,Cole McEacharn, Robert Ellington and Gabe Landry.Second place was Matt Massey (Insight, Inc.-Ruston), Scott Thompson (Lincoln Builders-Ruston),Ken Slusher (Ouachita Parish Schools-Monroe) andBrian McGuire (Hugh Parker Architect-Monroe).Finally, third place winners in the flight were GlennGolson (Golson Architecture-West Monroe), JamesHenry (James H. Henry & Associates-Monroe), GregWeston (The Hartford-Metairie) and Phil Norton.

Individual honors went to Jason Hogg (HertzEquipment Rental) on the Longest Drive competition,and Closest to the Hole awards went to NormMcKenna (Rogers), Stacey Manning (Hi-TowerConcrete Pumping) and Randy Rhymes (Hertz).

Louisiana AGC would like to thank everyone whoparticipated and to the sponsors who helped makethis year’s event another great success. A specialthanks to Labor Finders for donating all the ditty bags,TXI for supplying lunch to all participants, IrrigationMart for contributing drinks at the tournament, andKenny Bates for operating the Longest Drivecompetition all day. Finally, thanks to the ULMConstruction Guild and the Calvert Crossing staff fortheir efforts, Charles Poole (James Construction) andespecially to the small, but hard working GolfCommittee, Danny Matthews (Irrigation Mart), DoddLewis (Labor Finders) and Larry Manning (TXI).

Ryan ElkinsGary GunterTodd HarrisPhillip PerotAllyson Sheppard

Other members included Allyson Sheppard, presi-dent, Wes Cruse, vice-president, Andrew Clack,pledge trainer, James Clark, Ryan Grigsby, GaryGunter, Jr., Todd Harris, Jeremy McMorris, GlenMoore, Phillip Perot, Brandon Rogers, JustinScarborough and James Thomas.

Summer 2004Andrew BrownWes CruseTodd HaleWilliam KaysJeremy McMorrisStewart Smith

Spring 2004Glen MooreLee MoreauMatthew NealJames Reneau

This semester, the headquarters of the AmericanCouncil for Construction Education (ACCE), theaccrediting body for construction programsthroughout the nation, moved from Monroe, La., toSan Antonio, Tex., after Dr. Dan Dupree’s retirement.Dr. Dupree, former Dean of the College of Pure andApplied Sciences at ULM, served as executive vicepresident of the ACCE for 15 years from July 1989 toJuly 2004. The Council showed its respect andadmiration by renaming its construction education trustThe Dan and Jehnell Dupree Construction EducationTrust Fund. This will be a living gift to the Duprees inhonor of their devotion to ACCE. Mike Holland is takingDan's place as executive vice president and Dr. BillBernes, Dean of Southern Polytechnic State Universityout of Marietta, Ga., serves as the new ACCE president.

Four Guild members - Wes Cruse, Andrew Clack, JamesReneau, and Kyle Lowery - volunteered their time andenergy to load up the moving van to make the moveeasier and faster for the ACCE employees. To showtheir appreciation, Mike Holland and Dan Dupreepresented them with a $500 check. Dr. Dupree alsodonated over 100 three-ring binders to the university.

This semester, thanks in part to the money raised atthe Guild Contractor’s Banquet, 14 students were ableto attend the 85th annual AGC Convention in Orlando,Florida. They were Kelly Barkley, Andrew Brown, WesCruse, Jason Deal, Todd Hale, Kyle Lowery, BrianMcLawchlin, Jeremy McMorris, Glen Moore, DanielPeterson, James Reneau, Stuart Smith, Tommy Tran,and Shane Williams.

Guided by Jack Blitch (‘71), vice president for projectmanagement, they had the opportunity to visit one ofWalt Disney Imagineering’s job sites, a new animatedride with I-MAX screen. Walt Disney Imagineering(WDI) is the master planning, creative development,design, engineering, production, project managementand research and development subsidiary of The WaltDisney Company, and its corps of Imagineers isresponsible for the creation, from conception to


initiation through installation, of all Disney resorts,theme park attractions, real estate development,regional entertainment venues and new mediaprojects. The students met with one of the projectmanagers, who showed them the stages of the projectusing 3-D and 4-D technology softwares. Theyreceived a free Disney tee-shirt as a souvenir andwent to the Disney park afterwards.

The students enjoyed the convention and met with awide range of contractors. Some of the students evenreceived job offers after making contact withcompanies at the convention. “The convention offersa lot of networking opportunities,” James Reneau,past Guild president said. “We met a lot of people atthe exposition, as well as students from other schools,including people we competed against in Dallas, Tex.,last February. It was great to get into the real world.”

Students Visit Disney Job Site At AGC ConventionStudents Visit Disney Job Site At AGC ConventionStudents Visit Disney Job Site At AGC ConventionStudents Visit Disney Job Site At AGC ConventionStudents Visit Disney Job Site At AGC Convention

ACCE Headquarters MoveACCE Headquarters MoveACCE Headquarters MoveACCE Headquarters MoveACCE Headquarters Move

Andrew Clack PresidentKyle Lowery Vice PresidentAli Hajazi Secretary/TreasurerKelly Barkley AGC PresidentDustin Jordan ABC PresidentRobert Rice MCAMichael Armstrong NAHB

2004-2005 Guild Officers2004-2005 Guild Officers2004-2005 Guild Officers2004-2005 Guild Officers2004-2005 Guild Officers

Left to right: Mike Holland, Kyle Lowery,Andrew Clack, James Reneau and Dan Dupree.Missing in the picture is Wes Cruse.

The Industry Advisory Council recently createdan Internship Committee to investigate thepossibility of developing a system of internshipsor summer jobs for the students of the School ofConstruction. The School is now looking forcompanies willing to participate in this summerinternship program. If your company is interestedin participating in this program, contact Dr. KeithParker at (318) 342-1860.

Internships Needed!Internships Needed!Internships Needed!Internships Needed!Internships Needed!

GroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerGroundbreakerNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletterNewsletter This spring semester was another busy semester on the road.

The School of Construction and the ULM Alumni Associationorganized and attended many alumni meeting throughoutLouisiana and out of state.

On March 27, the Alumni Association held its annual meetingin conjunction with Browse on the Bayou and the Hall of Fameweek end. We met with the Dallas, Texas, Chapter on April 24,with the Lafayette Chapter on May 1, with the Lake CharlesChapter on May 15, with the Austin, Texas, Chapter on May 23,and with the Caddo-Bossier Chapter on June 26.

Many more meetings are planned for next semester. For moreinformation on the dates and locations of these meeting checkout the alumni web site at www.ulm.edu/alumni If you wish tostart or revive a construction alumni chapter in your area contactDr. Keith Parker at (318) 342-1860. It’s great to hear from you!

Alumni Meetings

Left to right: Dr. Keith Parker, Sam Adams, Gary Barnhill, Addison Moore, Chris Guice, Karl Meeks, J.P.Pierce, Michael Smith, Ryan Wright, Josh Kidd, and Mark West.

Harold Thompson (‘80), the all-time leading tackler in ULM history,recording 509 career stops from 1976-79, recently became one of thenewest members of the ULM Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducteedon March 27 together with Lawrence A. “Larry” Giambelluca, M.D.,William E. “Billy” Laird, Bob DeMoss and Larry Turner.

“These gentlemen not only made significant contributions on thefield, but continue to be great ambassadors of our University,” BrianMoreau, Executive Director of the ULM Indian Athletic Foundation,said.

Thompson’s 175 tackles in 1977 still stand as the university’s single-season record and he was named to the All-South Independent Teamhis senior season. The Monroe native helped lead the Indians to a 6-4-1 record in 1978, John David Crow’s first season as head coach.Thompson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in BuildingConstruction from ULM in 1980, graduating Cum Laude and he wasselected to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities.He is now the Senior Vice President for Metzger Construction Companyin Houston, Texas, and lives in The Woodlands, Texas.

Construction Alumni Inducteed intoConstruction Alumni Inducteed intoConstruction Alumni Inducteed intoConstruction Alumni Inducteed intoConstruction Alumni Inducteed intoHall of FHall of FHall of FHall of FHall of Fameameameameame

Left to right: Brian Weems, KevinBryant, Keith Parker, and J.P. Pierce.

Dallas CrawfishBoil

Caddo-BossierCrawfish Boil

ALALALALALUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDAAAAATESTESTESTESTES

John “JP” M. Pierce ( BS’77, JD ’98) has been elected to serve as the 2004-2005 president of the ULM AlumniAssociation. John is vice president at Chamberlin Waterproofing & Roofing Systems, Inc., in Dallas, Texas.He and his wife, Lynette, live in Dallas and have one child, Blake. He is the former president of the Dallas/FortWorth Chapter of the Alumni Association as well as a life member of the Alumni Association. John is a memberof the Indian Athletic Foundation and has served on the Alumni Association Board for five years.

"It is the mission of the Alumni Association to support the fulfillment of our university’s mission through themeaningful engagement of our alumni," he said. "So, I encourage you to support the university and getinvolved at any level, pay your Alumni Association dues (they’re only $25 per person, or $35 for a couple) or,become a Life Member, apply for a ULM credit card provided by MBNA, purchase season tickets to athleticevents, and attend a chapter function. There are many activities during the year to choose from. Simply logonto www.ulm.edu/alumni for updates, information, activities, events, and schedules. I look forward to seeingyou at the next alumni event."

Construction GradConstruction GradConstruction GradConstruction GradConstruction Gradis President ofis President ofis President ofis President ofis President of

Alumni AssociationAlumni AssociationAlumni AssociationAlumni AssociationAlumni Association

John “JP” M. Pierce

ALALALALALUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDUMNI UPDAAAAATESTESTESTESTES

Sgt. Christopher “Aaron” Armstrong ’03After finishing up training at Camp Beauregard,Aaron left the U.S. for Afghanistan in April 2004.“We work closely with Kellogg-Brown & Root andalso local nationals on survey and quality control ofrunway apron extension, survey and quality controlof rotary helicopter pads, design of simplestructures, Auto-Cad drawings, quantity take-offsfor dirt and concrete, and project supervising andteam leading. We are starting a road and some of myduties will include survey, design, scheduling,quality control and terramodel.”

Michael Cruse ’79Senior Vice President, Ford, Bacon & Davis, LLC.,Greenville, S.C.While at ULM, Michael was inducted into SigmaLambda Chi, served on the student chapter of theAGC and was President of the Pi Kappa Alphafraternity. He joined FB&D in 1979 and started as aProposals Manager at the Monroe office and laterserved the company at its offices in Monroe, Atlanta,Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. as Business DevelopmentManager, Director of Business Development, GeneralManager, Vice President of Business Developmentand Vice President of the Pulp, Paper and PowerBusiness Unit. During the years 1992 through 2000,Michael left FB&D to serve as Vice President withBrown & Root in Houston, Texas and Vice Presidentwith Jacobs Engineering in Greenville, SouthCarolina. In May 2000, he re-joined FB&D as SeniorVice President of Operations. He currently has overallresponsibility for projects in the power, pulp & paper,building products, specialty chemicals and industrial/manufacturing industry sectors. Project work forthese sectors is carried out from FB&D Monroe,Baton Rouge, La., Bangalore, India, Houston, Tex.,and Greenville, S.C. offices.

Lenfield D. "Butch" Gilley ’03Project Manager, Engineered Retaining WallSystems, Dallas, Tex.“I am responsible for delivery of materials, inventoryof materials, watching a crew of 10-14 workers,coordinating with other superintendents, and muchmuch more. Every day is a new task and goal. So farI have been from Alabama to North Carolina toVirginia to Pennsylvania and now Iowa. I haven’tbeen so happy with a job in all my life until now.Once again many thanks to all the professors at theSchool of Construction.”

Dean Hart, Jr. ’96Construction Manager, Dean Hart Construction,West Monroe, La.

Charles Michael Mardis ’03Project Manager/ Estimator, Butch ThompsonEnterprises, Inc., Kennesaw, Ga.

Christopher M. Mardis ’03Project Manager, Perry Butcher and Associates,Rogers, Ark.

Nikolaj Morris ’03Building Superintendent, America’s Home Place,Hattiesburg, Miss.

Martin R. Scheve II ’74Vice President, Brice Building Company, New OrleansDivision, La.Martin has recently taken on additionalresponsibilities as Director of Estimating for the NewOrleans division. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Martinjoined Brice in 1974. He is President for Life of theConstruction Industry Association, New OrleansChapter. In addition to his role as Director ofEstimating, Martin has overall responsibility forBrice’s Ochsner Clinic Foundation projects.

Allyson Sheppard ’04Job Site Superintendent, America’s Home Place, Ga.

Michael Smith ’89Vice President Field Operations, Frank DaleConstruction, Ltd., Dallas, Tex.

In MemoriamDonald L. Smith ’83, passed away on February 9,2004, at the age of 43 of a heart attack. He worked forTurner Construction Company, and was on specialassignment in Dallas, Tex., working with Boeing andthe TSA. He is survived by his wife of 22 years,Melanie, and his three daughters, Melissa (18),Michelle (14) and Marie (12). He lived in Powell, Ohio.

Keep in Touch. It's great to hear from you!

Fill out andreturn

the form onpage 12

to have yournews

publishedin the next

issueor e-mail your

news [email protected]

Sgt. Christopher Armstrong.

GOOD NEWS!E-MAIL


Sign Up Today!

Go towww.ulm.edu/

alumni and clickon "Update MyRecord" to sign

up for GOODNEWS!

University of Louisiana at MonroeSchool of Construction700 University AvenueMonroe, LA 71209-9222

The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a member of theUniversity of Louisiana System and an Affirmative Action/EOE.

ALUMNI NEWS, KEEP US INFORMED !ALUMNI NEWS, KEEP US INFORMED !ALUMNI NEWS, KEEP US INFORMED !ALUMNI NEWS, KEEP US INFORMED !ALUMNI NEWS, KEEP US INFORMED !

ALUMNI UPDATE:

Name:__________________________________________________________Year Grad.:_______________Address:________________________________________________________________________________City/State:__________________________________________________Home Phone #:_________________E-mail:___________________________________________________________________________________Job Title:________________________________________________________________________________Company/City/State:__________________________________________Co. Phone #:_______________________ Yes, I am interested in becoming a member of the Industry Advisory Council.

Your news to be published in the newsletter:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Signed/Date_______________________________________________________________________________

Return your news to Editor Groundbreaker, University of Louisiana at Monroe, School of Construction, Monroe,LA 71209-0540. Or e-mail to: [email protected] ; or fax to (318) 342-1861

Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 219U . L . M .

MONROE, LA 71209The G roundbreake

rs•Sc

hool of Construction

•

The

University of Louisiana at

Mon

roeT

M

Groundbreaker - University of Louisiana at Monroe · Groundbreaker Newsletter DIRECTOR'S CORNER Dr....

Documents

Transcript of Groundbreaker - University of Louisiana at Monroe · Groundbreaker Newsletter DIRECTOR'S CORNER Dr....