Contact: Gerry Fritz, (703) 812-2062 For Immediate Release
March 11, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) educational affiliate, the Trimmer Education Foundation, Feb. 28 presented its 2009 John Trimmer Excellence in Teaching Award posthumously to Professor Michael O’Dea of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., at ABC’s 2009 National Convention in Honolulu.
“ABC is pleased to honor the memory of such a strong proponent of the merit shop construction values at the university level,” said Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and CEO. “Professor O’Dea was a dedicated supporter of free enterprise and open competition in the construction industry. We applaud his efforts to help shape the next generation of construction professionals, and it is an honor to recognize him with this well-deserved award.”
The award recognizes an outstanding college or university professor in a construction management program and is named in honor of John Trimmer, who served as ABC’s national executive vice president from 1952 to 1976. Trimmer was a tireless advocate both for merit shop construction and for superior construction education programs.
“Professor Mike O'Dea was heavily involved in both his teaching and participation with the ABC Purdue chapter,” said Sam McAllister, a member of ABC’s student chapter at Purdue University. “He frequently attended our meetings and spoke on merit shop construction and really instilled in all of us a sense of what our ABC chapter was based on. Mike was also a big part of the industry support we received.”
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Editor's Note: Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States. For more news and information, visit ABC’s website www.abc.org.
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