AGC Chapter Creates Endowment Fund

The Associated General Contractors, Greater Detroit Chapter (AGC) has announced that it has created the Construction Education Endowment Fund (CEEF) with the goal of providing scholarships to students pursuing construction careers at the college level. Specifically, eligible students are those pursuing degrees in construction management, civil engineering or construction-related careers. "Workforce development is a priority of the AGC, and helping students obtain degrees that enable them to build construction careers is a noteworthy effort," said James J. Cole Jr., senior vice president of Skanska USA Building. The CEEF board of directors is comprised of a mix of contractors and industry service providers. They are:

• Russ Agosta, partner, Grant Thornton

• Peter J. Cavanaugh, partner, Thomas M. Keranen & Associates, P.C.

• Victoria Gotts, AGC director of Continuous Learning & Operations

• Judith Willard, vice president, Barton Malow Company

• Katherine Banicki, chief executive officer, Testing Engineers & Consultants

• James J. Cole Jr., senior vice president, Skanska USA Building

• Ozzie Pfaffmann, Woods Construction (retired)

Cole and Pfaffmann are past chairmen of the AGC, Greater Detroit Chapter.

AGC has two scholarships it currently awards each year — the O.L. Pfaffmann Construction Industry Scholarship and the Thomas E. Dailey Leadership Award. Both are named after industry leaders who made construction education a major priority at AGC, Greater Detroit as well as AGC of America. With the new CEEF, more scholarships will be awarded as the fund grows over time.

Judy Willard, AGC Education Committee chairwoman and vice president of Human Resources for Barton Malow Company, said, "If people are looking for good jobs with good pay, construction is a great place to start. I am confident that with the new AGC education endowment fund we'll be able to help more students achieve their goal of making construction their career of choice."

Among the schools in Michigan offering degrees in construction management and/or civil engineering are Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Lawrence Technological University, Macomb Community College, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, Oakland Community College, Western Michigan University, and Wayne State University.

The CEEF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation and contributions to CEEF are tax deductible under the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986. However, anyone considering a contribution is encouraged to discuss tax implications with his or her financial advisor.

The AGC, Greater Detroit Chapter provides services and products to general contractors, specialty contractors and professional service firms throughout Southeast Michigan.

Work Zone Memorial Applications Accepted

The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation (ATSSF) is accepting applications to host the respected National Work Zone Memorial touring exhibition, which honors those killed in roadway work zones.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety, work zone deaths increased nearly 50 percent between 1997 and 2004. A total of 1,068 work zone fatalities occurred in 2004, representing 2-1/2 percent of all roadway fatalities for the year. More than four out of every five of those who died were motorists.

Work zone crashes rose to an estimated 115,000 in 2004 injuring an estimated 49,620 people — underlining the need for greater public awareness of work zone safety.

The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), of which the foundation is an educational and charitable outreach affiliate, created the memorial to honor fallen workers and to draw attention to the many others who have died. The memorial also helps engage the public by putting a "face" to the anonymous figures of men and women who work along the nation's roadways.

"National Work Zone Awareness Week in April was created to shine a national spotlight on the need for safety as we build and maintain the roadways so vital to American lives and to our economy," Roger Wentz, ATSSA executive director said, "But after that week, the message can get lost."

Wentz notes that the memorial helps keep the need for work zone safety alive in communities across the country all year long and says it has been featured at the launch of major construction projects, at road "christenings," in schools, at fairs, at proclamation signings, at memorial services, and in a variety of other settings.

Typical memorial hosts are roadway industry leaders, state departments of transportation and allied organizations. Host applications are now being accepted for the balance of 2006 and for 2007. ATSSF is also accepting submissions for names to be added to the memorial later this year.

To schedule a memorial visit, to learn how to submit names for the memorial or for more information, contact Kathy Toney at (800) 272-8772, or kathyt@atssa.com , or go to www.atssa.com and click on "The Foundation."

ATSSA represents the segment of the roadway safety industry whose members manufacture and install roadway safety features such as signs, pavement markings (roadway striping), guardrails, lighting, and crash cushions. Members of ATSSA also favor a heavy emphasis on work zone safety and training. The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation engages in educational and charitable work in support of ATSSA's goals to "Advance Roadway Safety."