By Lynda Pomeroy, OCA Director
Membership & Advancement Foundation
In late-2022, the OCA Advancement Foundation (OCAAF) Board of Trustees approved funds to launch a new scholarship program – the OCA-Member Legacy Scholarship. Taking a cue from colleges and universities around the country, Legacy Scholarships require the sponsorship of an OCA member firm.
The OCA-Member Legacy Scholarship program looks to those who are already part of the heavy/highway/infrastructure industry workforce – those who have made the industry part of their own lives. The program encourages these workers to reach out to recent/soon-to be high school graduates and extend an “invitation” to promising future workers to join our industry, such as:
- A child or other relative
- A neighbor
- A young worker who has already performed summer work for the company
Each Legacy Scholarship Award is $2,000, and the term of the program is two school years, plus the summer bridging those two years.
Perhaps the most powerful, pivotal piece of the OCA-Member Legacy Scholarship is the ongoing connection between the sponsoring firm and the scholarship recipient. Scholarship sponsors commit to offer summer employment to keep recipients engaged with the industry between the first and second years of post-high school education. Recipients are also required to attend OCA’s State of the Association meeting in the spring and another OCA-mentoring event TBD, and sponsors agree to support this requirement.
The OCA-Member Legacy Scholarship program has identified its first three recipients:
Meet Austin Hammock, a resident of Canton, Ohio, and a 2023 graduate of Perry H.S. Austin is now studying civil engineering at Ohio University.
“I chose the industry because it has been all around me from a young age, and while I haven’t been able to be involved hands-on, I have always had a curiosity and wonder at all things in the field,” Austin said. As for Austin’s plans after completion of his education, “It all depends on what is available to me, but surveying, construction management or a few other things might all be avenues I would begin to pursue.”
Who does Austin know?
According to Austin, “a person in the industry who inspires me is my grandfather, Jack Ford, because he has spent his whole life involved and invested in the field. His career has been fulfilling and he really enjoys what he does. Spending so much time with him and growing up looking up to him has made that passion rub off on me; he is my idol and everything I hope to be as a person.”
Why did OCA-member firm Jack Ford Construction Consulting elect to sponsor this Legacy Scholarship?
“Austin is my grandson,” said Jack Ford Construction Consulting President Jack Ford. “He studied engineering for three years in high school and has a great combination of skills that will serve him and our industry well. I am very excited about Austin’s decision to enter civil engineering and will help him in his pursuit of this career. Many of us in the industry share a desire to build, and we are all proud of what we build; Austin shares that drive. I am committed to supporting Austin in his future in our industry. I am also committed to encouraging him to get involved with OCA, and he understands how my involvement in OCA has helped me be successful in my career. Austin understands the degree of hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in construction. He will be a fourth-generation constructor and I look forward to working with him in his pursuit,” Ford concluded.
Meet Jacob Hermann, a 2023 graduate of Waterloo H.S. in Atwater, Ohio. Jacob has begun studying engineering at the University of Cincinnati.
“I have always been fascinated by the concept of building bridges, and a few of my family members are in the industry,” Jacob shared. “I have worked a couple summer jobs in construction with both Laubert Construction and OCA-member firm J.D. Williamson Construction. After graduation, I would like to get a job and become a project engineer, with hopes of one day owning my own company,” Jacob said.
Who does Jacob know?
Jacob tells us he admires “… My dad, Chris Hermann, because he has become successful in the industry and loves his job. When I was young, he would take me to jobsites on the fun days and show me part of the processes of building a bridge.”
Why did OCA-member firm J.D. Williamson Construction Company elect to sponsor this Legacy Scholarship?
“Jacob (“Jake”) has worked for our company over the past several years during the summer and various times during the school year,” said J.D. Williamson Construction Co. Inc. President Mary Fantozzi. “He is a hard worker, and we are always glad to have him around. Jake is smart and will be a valuable addition to our industry; we are happy to support him on his future career path. I included a fun picture of Jake (above) on one of our jobs several years back when his dad was working as superintendent. It’s fun to see kids interested in our industry who then pursue it as they get older!”
Meet Colbrin Miley, a 2023 graduate of Bryan H.S. in Bryan, Ohio. Colbrin is pursuing studies in construction engineering technology at the University of Akron.
“I have chosen to join this industry because I love to work with my hands – and I do not mind getting them dirty,” Colbrin explained. “I have always enjoyed seeing projects come together. I also wanted to follow after my dad in a similar way. I feel I will fit in because I work hard, and I am willing to learn anything I need to know for whatever position I am in. After I finish school, I plan to work for Miller Bros. Construction Inc., in Archbold, Ohio, as a laborer foreman,” Colbrin concluded.
Who does Colbin know?
Asked to name names, Colbin tells us he is inspired by, “… My dad, Sean Miley! He has been my inspiration for so many years because I love to help him out on different projects around our home and community.”
Why did OCA-member firm Miller Bros. Construction Inc. elect to sponsor this Legacy Scholarship?
Miller Bros. Construction Inc. President Brad Miller said, “Colbrin Miley is an outstanding young man that has been involved in baseball and band in high school. He lives in Bryan and is attending the University of Akron in construction engineering technology. He is very polite, respectful and comes from a close family with strong family values. Colbrin’s dad, Sean Miley, has been with MBC for 32 years and is our VP in charge of all of our private construction. I would very much like to help Cobrin out because of his family ties to our company, but also would like to hire him in the summers and hopefully full-time upon his graduation from college,” Miller concluded.
“To see the next generation of constructors getting engaged is very exciting and rewarding. Our next generation will build things we could only imagine. They will embrace innovation and use technology to build projects safer, with higher quality and be more productive than we were, as we did after our fathers.”
– Jack Ford, president, Jack Ford Construction Consulting
Applications for OCA-Member Legacy Scholarships will be available Jan. 1, 2024.
Contact Lynda Pomeroy for more information, or with any questions, at 614-488-0724, or by email at lpomeroy@ohiocontractors.org.
The Ohio Contractors Association Advancement Foundation (OCAAF) was created in 2013 by members of the association’s Board of Directors to power OCA initiatives that will strengthen the industry by:
- Building awareness about jobs and career opportunities in the industry
- Providing development and advancement opportunities through education and training for workers – both today’s and future workers
- Maximizing the association’s ability to offer scholarships for individuals pursuing careers in the highway/heavy industry.
Today, the OCAAF is overseen by a board of trustees, with Chair Parr Peterson (The Paul Peterson Company-retired), and trustees Jackie Alf (John R. Jurgensen Co.), Nick DiGeronimo (Independence Excavating Inc.), Mike Dinneen (Agg Rok Materials) and Jim Ruhlin Sr. (The Ruhlin Co.). At the Advancement Foundation’s most-recent trustee meeting, the total assets of the foundation were $2,020,108.76. Despite a continuing period of unprecedented market volatility – and allowing for the many grants already awarded by the board – the endowment fund established in 2018 is secure, alive, growing and offering opportunities to enhance OCA’s workforce development and awareness programs.