News and Events - Nickerson &
O'Day Establishes Engineering Scholarship to Honor Past President
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Jack
Kelley III
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Aiming to make it easier for University of
Maine students to pursue a career in construction management, the
well known Brewer building firm of Nickerson & O'Day has
established a scholarship in the name of its immediate past
president, John F. "Jack" Kelley III.
Kelley, who led Nickerson & O'Day for the past
25 years, helped the company establish a strong reputation for
quality construction of schools, nursing homes, churches,
hospitals, offices, community centers and commercial buildings
throughout the state. Signature projects during his tenure include
Hermon High School, Camden Public Library and UMaine's Buchanan
Alumni House.
Now, thanks to the scholarship, eligible
undergraduate students can receive financial help as they earn a
bachelor's degree in Construction Management Technology and learn
to oversee all aspects of civil construction projects.
Kelley, who was on hand when the scholarship
was awarded for the first time in April during a ceremony at the
School of Engineering Technology, says he is honored to have the
scholarship in his name and that it's crucial to help the next
generation of engineers.
"We have a responsibility as practitioners to
invest in the future of our industry," says Kelley, who recently
stepped down as president of Nickerson & O'Day.
Times have changed in the construction
management field, he points out. It used to be that people could
"learn by doing.
"Now, a formal education is basically a
necessity in our industry."
Well-known in state and national constructor
organizations, he served as president of the Associated
Constructors of Maine in 1987 and earned ACM's highest individual
honor, the Major Achievements in Construction Award. He was
elected president of the Associated General Contractors of America
in 2003 and was a founding member of the AGC of the Maine
Education Foundation, which provides college scholarships to Maine
construction students.
Kelley established ties with UMaine several
decades ago and continues to support and advocate for the flagship
university. He has served on the Construction Management
Technology's industrial advisory board for many years and was
presented with the University's Francis Crowe Award which honors
outstanding contributions by alumni and others to the several
disciplines of engineering. He frequently is on campus as a guest
lecturer on construction ethics " a topic that never fails to
generate stimulating conversations among students. Over the years,
he has hired dozens of UMaine engineering graduates.
"The University of Maine Construction
Management Technology program has been very responsive to the
needs of the industry," he says. "Students who have gone through
the program have a great work ethic and a commitment to excellence
in their profession as well as loyalty to the State of Maine."
The new scholarship not only will be a boon to
those currently enrolled in the College of Engineering, but also
will attract more students, says Dana Humphrey, interim dean.
"This is absolutely vital. We need more
graduates from Construction Management Technology and from the
entire College of Engineering," he says. There's a great demand
for graduates and we need to be able to attract more students into
the program. Scholarships are one way to do that.
Calling Kelley a longtime friend and supporter
of the Construction Management Technology program, David Dvorak,
director of the School of Engineering Technology, says he is
pleased that Karl Ward and Nickerson & O'Day have chosen to honor
Jack in a memorable way that directly benefits our excellent
students.
Establishing the scholarship "recognizes
Jack's contribution in a lasting way to the Maine construction
industry," says Karl Ward, who recently succeeded Kelley as
president of Nickerson & O'Day.
"Jack guided the company through good times
and bad," he says, noting that the hallmarks of his leadership
were frugal fiscal management, conservative business strategy and
"insistence on the highest level of ethical practice in
construction."
The company continues to follow Kelley's lead
and is passionate about bolstering the strength of the
construction industry in Maine and supporting youth sports and
education activities, according to Karl, a graduate of UMaine's
Construction Management Technology program.
"We are fiercely loyal to Maine construction,"
he says. "We also believe very strongly that we need to support the
University of Maine and its Construction Management program. By
creating the Jack Kelley Scholarship, we will be doing just that" now and in to the future.
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