Construction Hall of Fame names sought for tech college

    PRESQUE ISLE – Nominations are being sought from the community for individuals who have made a  significant impact on the construction industry in the region for this year’s induction into the Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame.
    The Hall of Fame at Northern Maine Community College last October during National Careers in Construction Week. The opening celebration featured the induction of the first five honorees. This year’s ceremony will again take place during the week set aside to honor construction workers between Oct. 13-17.
    “The Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame was established last year by the trade and technical occupations faculty to honor the invaluable and immeasurable contributions of professionals in the construction trades here in northern Maine and across the state,” said Brian McDougal, chair of the trade and technical occupations department at NMCC. “The concept of creating a ‘Hall of Fame’ to recognize key individuals who have contributed both to the profession and as mentors to others entering the profession, provides an ideal opportunity to honor the legacy of these individuals and is reflective of the teaching and learning that happens in our programs and across the NMCC campus each and every day.”
    The wall of honor featuring the inductee photos is located inside the main entrance of the Mailman Trades Building in the corridor that students, faculty, staff and visitors use to enter and exit the building daily. According to McDougal, the space is ideal, because students and prospective students of the college regularly have the opportunity to see the faces and learn the stories of some of the “legends” in the construction trades, and in turn better understand that similar career success is possible for them.
    The first five inductees honored last fall represent prominent construction business owners and industry leaders, as well as alumni and retired faculty of NMCC and its forerunner Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute. They included Stanley “Bub” Anderson of New Sweden, co-founder and an owner of County Electric; Hollis Burgess, a former long-time instructor in the residential construction program at NMCC, who was honored posthumously; Tim Doak of Caribou, co-owner and president of B.R. Smith Associates, Inc. Surveying and Engineering in Presque Isle; Rick St. Peter of Caribou, owner of Patrick St. Peter and Sons; and Richard “Dick” West of Holden, first a sheet metal (present-day welding and metal fabrication) faculty member and then department chairperson for the trade and technical occupations department at NMCC.
    Anderson, Doak, St. Peter, West and a member of the Burgess family will serve as the panel to determine the 2008 inductees based upon the nominations submitted by the public.
    Careers in Construction Week is coordinated country-wide by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) to raise public awareness of the work of the country’s craft professionals and to emphasize the role construction industry partners play in helping youths and adults achieve career success. This year will mark the fourth anniversary of the celebration nationally, and the second year NMCC officially joins in the festivities by hosting local events.
    For more information on the Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame or to receive a nomination form, contact the college relations office at 768-2809. Forms are also available on the College Web site at www.nmcc.edu.