TCA Announces Recipents of 2012 Professional Achievement Awards
TCA selected four new award recipients for its professional achievement awards, which the association presented at its annual meeting during the World of Concrete
Murray Parker Memorial Award
A tireless promoter of the site cast tilt-up construction method, Shawn Hickey has been instrumental in certification for the industry and training for contractors throughout the world. He has continued his pioneering spirit through involvement in western Africa and the Middle East. He has worked with the Canadian government to expand their knowledge on the use of tilt-up in their worldwide development for security and durability. At one time, tilt-up was not well known in Ontario, throughout the design and construction community. SiteCast was able to remedy the situation by marketing and promoting tilt-up throughout the Province and by performing high quality industry groundbreaking techniques. As SiteCast has expanded its operations globally, it has become a leader in the transfer of technology and knowledge.
"I have been fortunate to present the tilt-up process to an international audience," said Hickey. "In all cases, not only have we taught a new skillset to an unskilled worker, they have taught me their social values. In Ontario, the acceptance towards tilt-up is overwhelming, which is a statement that our programs are working."
Named in honor of Murray Parker who died in 2000, this award was created to recognize a contractor who has significantly contributed to the tilt-up industry. Parker was regarded for his development and promotion of tilt-up throughout the industry, especially in the Atlantic Provinces region of Canada. As General Manager/Vice President of B.D. Stevens, Ltd. in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Parker is credited with introducing tilt-up to an area of the world where many thought it was impossible to use the medium. His contributions and commitment to excellence helped the method gain credibility in the area and paved the way for future tilt-up projects. Past recipients include Tilt-Up Systems (S. Africa), Balch Enterprises, L.D. Clark, Citadel Contractors, Hughes General Contractors, Seretta Construction, Steve Miers and Frank Adames.
David L. Kelly Engineering Award
The TCA's Distinguished Engineer Award was renamed in 2008 to honor the career-long commitment by David Kelly of Meadow Burke to the tilt-up industry. Kelly retired from Meadow Burke as vice president and chief engineer and continues in private practice to solve unique tilt-up challenges. He was a longtime board member and past president of the TCA. His innovative and creative engineering ideas led to the construction of hundreds of tilt-up projects. Previous winners of this award include Johnson Structural Group, BBM Structural Engineers, John Lawson, Jeff Griffin, Alan Reay Consultants, Gerry Weiler and Philip Kopf.
This year's recipient, Jeffrey Needham, P.E., has been instrumental to several efforts undertaken by the TCA in the past year. A founding member of the TCA, Needham donated and oversaw his staff's time as the engineering lead on the Korean War Memorial for Kansas City. Perhaps even more significantly, Needham served as the chair of the TCA's appointed Natural Disaster Task Force that investigated the collapse of a Home Depot in Joplin, Mo. after taking a direct hit from an EF-5 tornado. Needham's leadership on the task group led to a comprehensive report that investigated the cause of the collapse and identified five general recommendations that focus on increasing building safety in catastrophic storms through enhanced building performance and/or use of shelters. The recommendations also stress the inherent strength and durability of tilt-up construction and recommends the TCA develop responses that take advantage of this performance.
