Iowa Governor, DOT to honor Jack Viverito of Bartlett for volunteer efforts

2015 Jun 1

Jack Viverito of Bartlett is among several Iowa State University engineering students to receive the Group Governor's Volunteer Award.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Transportation will honor members of the Iowa State University Associated General Contractors (AGC) chapter at a recognition ceremony June 8 at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

Andy Reynolds, a spring 2015 construction engineering graduate, is the outgoing president of ISU's AGC chapter and facilitated the group's community service projects in the 2013-2014 academic year. "It is an honor to receive this award not only for the acknowledgement of our service efforts, but also for the advancement of the people and organizations we serve," Reynolds said.

Since 2012, the ISU's AGC chapter has partnered with Appalachian Service Project to rebuild houses in flood-damaged Johnson City, Tennessee. In the last several years, ISU-AGC also rebuilt homes in Joplin, Missouri; Moore, Oklahoma; the Mississippi Gulf Coast; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Throughout the years, hundreds of students have spent spring break and thanksgiving break applying teamwork and construction engineering solutions to rebuilding some of America's devastated communities.

A video recap of the group's most recent trip can be seen on YouTube.

When they don't road-trip to building sites, ISU-AGC students contribute to local community organizations, such as the Mary Greeley Medical Center, Boys & Girls Club of Story County and Ames Community School District. "We have been fortunate to have, year after year, generous, committed and energetic students involved with this organization," Reynolds said. "Service is at the core of ISU-AGC."

The Governor's Volunteer Awards program was created in 1982 with inaugural awards presented in 1983. The program has grown from being only available to state agencies to its present function of providing all Iowa nonprofit, charitable and government organizations with a non-competitive, easy and low-cost way to honor local volunteers with a prestigious state-level recognition award. The program is coordinated by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, which is responsible for planning, development and improvement of the awards nomination process, guidelines and procedures.