San Antonio Construction News • May 2016
Page 9
Sending their top techs
Industry FOLKS
F
Judy DeWeese Office/Business Manager Mauze Construction
A
s Judy DeWeese marked her 30th anniversary with Mauze Construction, she was also preparing to retire from her role as office/business manager. After three decades working with the Mauze family, her last day with the company was Mar. 31. DeWeese started at Mauze in 1986 as a part-time clerk, but her position quickly evolved to fulltime. She worked with Jean Mauze, who founded the company in 1978, and Jim Bruner, who came into Mauze just a few months before she did. With all of them getting along and working well together, she says the company has really become a family. She has worked closely with David Mauze, Jean’s son, since he came into the business. David has run the company since his father retired, and they have a staff of 12 people today. “I just told Jim the other day that we grew up together, because I came here when I was young, and the industry was very different than it is now,” DeWeese recalls. “I feel that I’ve had the privilege of growing with the industry in San Antonio and seeing the changes and the huge improvements in the industry and a woman’s role in construction. So, it’s been a learning process, a growing process, and it’s been my family.” DeWeese has her own family, of course, and she is looking forward to spending time with them in retirement. Though she doesn’t have any “grand plans,” she wants to travel with her husband, Ben McGowan. She has traveled a
lot in her career, but not with her husband, and to start, she has daytrips planned, including a search for the best barbecue joint in Texas and a trip to see the Marfa Lights in Marfa, TX. She would also like to do volunteer work with the elderly. But for a while, she assures that she will enjoy not doing anything. At 68, DeWeese notes that she is retiring now while she feels good and can enjoy being retired. However, she will remain active with another family she holds dear, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). Having joined NAWIC in 1978, shortly after starting in the construction industry at Burke Concrete Accessories as a credit manager, she had Jean’s and David’s support on her participation in NAWIC. Having climbed the ladder of service to the association, DeWeese served as national president in 20112012. “I’ll rejoin next year as a retired member, so I won’t be a voting member, but that really doesn’t matter at all,” she says. “The thing that I love about NAWIC now is the ability to mentor other women and to help them grow and to see them grow and improve in the industry. It’s something I get a big thrill out of. So I’m not going to give that up.” –mh
Spring returns to the green
T
he Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter held its Spring Golf Tournament Apr. 4 at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club with lunch and an awards dinner. –mh Winners Blackjack Course 1st Gross: Bartlett Cocke General Contractors 1st Net: Aerohead Mechanical 2nd Net: Smithers Merchant Builders Closest to the Pin: #17: Brian Ehrlich, Central Builders #7 and Men’s Longest Drive: Craig Jendrusch, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors Women’s Longest Drive: Michelle Seward Davis, Joeris Live Oak Course 1st Gross: Catto & Catto 1st Net: IBTX Risk Services 2nd Net: Hart Acoustical & Drywall Closest to the Pin: #7: Mike Sireno, Baker Triangle #11: Aldo Bravo, SpawGlass Longest Drive: Women: Michelle Curry, Cokinos Bosien & Young Men: Austin Haeker, IES Commercial
1st Place Low Gross, Blackjack Course
1st Place Low Gross, Live Oak Course
1st Place Low Net, Blackjack Course
1st Place Low Net, Live Oak Course
our HOLT CAT technicians won a state competition and traveled to Little Rock, AR to represent the heavy equipment dealer in the 2016 Tech Wars, a four-day competition with other Caterpillar heavy equipment dealers. From the Machine Division, Jarrett Payton, field service technician tech 5, San Antonio, took first place at the state level, and Autry Adams, field service technician tech 2, Longview, took second. From the Power Systems Division, Alan Lindow, shop service technician
tech 6, Longview, took first place at the state level, and Vince Jones, lead technician, Longview, took second. The four state winners participated in three rounds of completion at the local, regional and state level against 400 of their HOLT CAT peers. This is the first year HOLT CAT competed in Tech Wars, and the company plans to expand the competition in coming years to include its Transport, Ag, Crane, and Electric Power divisions. –mh
Machine Division state contestants L-R: Howard Schram, Steven Pinkerton, Jonathan Morrow, Autry Adams, Jarrett Payton, Grady Trainor, Paul Boubel
Power Systems Division state contestants L-R: Keven Leon, James Pardaen, Vince Jones, Alan Lindow, Ben Gallo, Wade Nagel