In celebration of Women In Construction Week 2023, we highlight a few women within the Ergon family of companies who are making an impact in unique ways within the construction and infrastructure fields.

Amy Blaida

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Amy Blaida is Technical Marketing Manager for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions’ (EAE) Florida market. In this role, Blaida educates, trains and collaborates with industry engineers and meets with agencies regularly to discuss the benefits and best practices of pavement preservation. This includes highlighting options available to stretch road budgets and extend the life of asphalt roadways as well as troubleshooting when necessary during roadway construction, preservation and maintenance projects.

Blaida’s career in public works began in 2008, following in the footsteps of her father, who served as Public Works Director for Hillsborough County, Florida. According to Blaida, “People in the public works industry are the salt of the earth, and they do their job not for the acknowledgement, but because they want to make a difference in their communities.” Prior to joining Ergon in 2020, Blaida worked for an engineering/architecture firm and a pavement preservation contractor, but she has since found her niche with the Ergon family. “Public works is my passion, and I genuinely love what I do,” Blaida said. “Working for a company like Ergon provides me the opportunity to support the industry by providing solutions to pavement preservation needs.”

In addition to serving as EAE Technical Marketing Manager, Blaida also holds leadership roles within state and national public works and asphalt associations. Most recently, she was named the Committee Chair of the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association (AEMA) Leadership Development Team (LDT). This team focuses on developing future leaders within the asphalt emulsion industry while also providing industry insights and research updates and increasing AEMA participation. As LDT Chair, Blaida oversees these efforts and ensures various subgroups are on track to accomplish annual goals. One of the subgroups she helps to oversee the curriculum for is the AEMA Leadership Education for Asphalt Preservation (LEAP) program, in which Charity Cook, Group Leader for Ergon’s Paragon Technical Services laboratory, was named 2023-2024 Class Dean. The following are additional industry roles Blaida holds for various associations:

American Public Works Association Florida Chapter

• Past President

• Council of Chapters Delegate

• Presidential Award for Chapter Excellence Committee Chair

• Nominating Chair

Florida Association of County Engineers and Road Superintendents

• Sustaining Member Director, Facers Board

• Newsletter Chair

Florida Pavement Preservation Council

• Board Member

To women interested in construction/infrastructure careers, Blaida says, “Go for it! A career in construction is truly rewarding. You know that at the end of the day, you had a hand in making a difference in communities.”

Blaida earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and a Master of Public Administration from the University of South Florida.

Theresa Moore

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Theresa Moore is Asphalt Lab Analyst for EAE’s Vicksburg, Mississippi, facility. In this position, she is responsible for testing performance grade (PG) and other neat asphalt products to ensure they meet state specifications and certifications.

Moore joined the Ergon family in 2012 and worked as an Asphalt Lab Analyst for Ergon Refining before transitioning to EAE in 2020. She has always been interested in a career in the construction industry, specifically on the production side. “I enjoy testing and just being part of creating good quality asphalt products to sell to various agencies,” said Moore. “I love that the work I do makes a difference and is used to help construct and maintain roads people use every day.”

When asked what she would say to women interested in pursuing a career in construction, Moore offered this encouragement: “Most view construction as a man’s profession, but there is always a place for women to succeed in this space.” Thanks to women in construction like Moore, EAE is able to ensure consistent quality products to meet needs and extend the service life of roadways.

Moore earned an Associate Degree in general studies from Hinds Community College in Mississippi and is a certified asphalt analyst.

Rhonda Michael

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Rhonda Michael is Senior Lab Technician for EAE’s Nashville, Tennessee, facility.  She helps to oversee quality control and assurance efforts to ensure EAE products meet specifications provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Tennessee Department of Transportation and other agencies. Quality control efforts include receiving, labeling, testing and analyzing asphalt product samples as well as troubleshooting.

As Lab Technician, Michael must be able to handle a variety of challenges in her daily work, including equipment malfunctions, unexpected product testing results and other unforeseen circumstances. But handling challenges is where her attention to detail, problem solving and ability to work independently are real assets.

Michael has family and friends who work in the construction and infrastructure industries, and she has always been interested in following a similar path. When the Lab Technician job became available at EAE – Nashville, she jumped at the opportunity. “I have enjoyed all 25 years with the company.”

Women make up approximately half of the population and, according to Michael, “It’s only right that we fulfill our potential and thrive in careers across multiple industries, including construction.”

Michael has Asphalt Institute Professional Development Certification.

Maris Risinger

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Maris Risinger is Industrial Engineer for Ergon’s Business Process Management Department (BPMD). “I have always been fascinated with the processes of building, maintaining and repairing structures,” said Risinger. In her role, she is involved with process improvement projects, such as drafting design layouts for maximum efficiency at Ergon facilities. This includes utilizing lean manufacturing methodologies to analyze, identify and implement cost, quality and workflow improvements. Regarding new construction, Risinger’s position is critical to  determining both interior and exterior layouts of materials and traffic flow to help determine construction needs and feasibility. Risinger also works with Ergon personnel to write out procedures for operations, including, for example, procedures for gauging and emptying tanks, injecting additives and transferring products at Ergon’s fuels, refining and asphalt facilities.

Risinger graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a minor in mathematics. She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management.

Megan Ancelet

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Working alongside Maris is Megan Ancelet, who also serves as Industrial Engineer for Ergon BPMD. Ancelet is responsible for designing and improving facility layouts, reducing waste and increasing efficiency within Ergon facilities. She has always been interested in engineering, but it wasn’t until she joined the Ergon family that she began to learn more and uncover how her interests could not only help improve facilities but ultimately ensure these facilities are operating at maximum efficiency to produce the quality products needed to serve customers within various industries, including construction and infrastructure. Ancelet’s advice to women wanting to pursue careers in these industries is: “Continue to work toward your goals, be confident in your skills and knowledge, and surround yourself with people who continuously challenge you to work harder.”

Ancelet earned her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and her Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University.

Read about more of Ergon’s women in construction HERE.

From fundraising events involving entire facilities to individual efforts, employees throughout the Ergon family give generously of their time, talents and blessings to help their communities and people in need.

One great example is the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, which Ergon’s Information Technology Department began supporting in 2017 and now is an annual fundraising event for the corporate office. According to Jana Branham, Ergon Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, “We love this charity because it meets needs of the community where we live and serve … and all the donations go directly to children in need.” When Ergon’s CEO asked for ideas for giving back to communities on an enterprise-wide level, Jana suggested Toys for Tots, and employees in the corporate office were quick to join in.

Each year, employees have an opportunity to purchase toys or provide monetary donations for a toy drive on behalf of the program. Ergon has matched employee donations annually. This year, Ergon was proud to present a check to Toys for Tots for $17,299.71, bringing the total contributions since 2020 to $49,182.58.

Not only do employees donate toys and money, but they really get in the Christmas spirit to encourage each other to participate. Groups of Ergon Elves volunteer to collect donations while others volunteer to shop for toys for children from newborn to age 12. Outside of corporate efforts, volunteers from various Ergon locations also support the Toys for Tots Program, like Juan Torres, who helps set up toy drives in Texas on behalf of the organization.

In addition to Toys for Tots, Ergon employees volunteer their time and resources to support a wide variety of causes, just a few of which are listed at the end of this story.

Ergon’s Refining & Marketing segment is living out company values through a variety of initiatives. Employees at Ergon – West Virginia in Newell, West Virginia, committed to increasing their number of work-sponsored community service hours from 180 to approximately 300 in 2023. Ergon Refining in Vicksburg, Mississippi, has already surpassed their 2023 goal of 1,000 hours, which comes to five hours per employee.

The R&M Mirror Lake Plaza team developed a Community Outreach Program which offers at least four community outreach events each quarter. Their goal for 2023 is 400 volunteer hours and $25,000 in charitable giving. Recently, the group spent time at the Boys & Girls Club of America in Jackson, Mississippi, where they hosted a career panel. Nine Ergon employees were able to share their respective career paths and encourage, inspire and pour into more than 30 teens and preteens.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is another important charity to members of the Ergon family — especially Larry Tomkins, Vice President – Southeast Region for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EAE). Larry has championed the Ergon family in raising $150,000 for ACS in the ongoing campaign for breast cancer research and patient support. EAE recently launched the Road to Recovery campaign, partnering with companies within the asphalt industry to ensure the provision of complimentary rides for cancer patients to get to their treatments.

As our CEO, Kris Patrick, mentioned in his recent message in Ergon’s Doing Right Report, “More dots on Ergon maps and more products in our portfolios are exciting, but I believe even more important is the positive impact we have on the lives of people around the world. May we never lose our focus on the fact that while we should strive to be profitable in our business, our higher calling is to impact the lives of employees, customers and communities we serve in a positive way.”

Happiest of Holidays from the Ergon Family!

Some of the causes supported by Ergon employees:
Adopt-A-Highway
Andre House
Baptist Children’s Village
Boys & Girls Clubs
Broadway Wharf Cleanup
Canopy Children’s Solutions
Chambers of Commerce
Chester and Newell, WV, Volunteer Fire Departments
Children’s Hospital of Mississippi
City of Chester Beautification Committee
Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care
Extra Table
Feeding America
Gracious Givers of Arizona
Habitat for Humanity
House of Grace
Hurricane Disaster Relief Efforts
Idaho Coastal Conservation Association
International Ballet Competition
Jackson, Mississippi, Water Relief
La Vernia Community Food Bank
Mentoring College Students
Mississippi Blood Services
Mountaineer Food Bank
Rescue Mission of the Mahonig Valley
Salvation Army Family Store
Shower Power
Stewpot Community Services
Sunnybrook Children’s Home
Supporting Local First Responders
Teaching STEM Classes at Richland
Upper Elementary
The Brightside Project
The Lily Pad Foundation
The Little Light House, Central Mississippi
Title 1 School Volunteer Programs
Toys for Tots
Truckers Against Trafficking
Valley of the Sun United Way
Vicksburg Warren College and Career Academies
Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation
Warren Central High School Life Skills Class
Youth Outdoors Unlimited

Career opportunities for engineers abound, yet for certain underrepresented groups, these opportunities can feel beyond reach. For businesses, finding qualified engineers to fill positions while developing a diverse workforce can often be a challenge. Ergon is proud to sponsor the Summer Bridge Program at the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU), along with the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation (LSMAMP) and the National Science Foundation — bridging the gap for underrepresented groups one summer experience at a time.

Creating Bridges
As the name suggests, MSU’s Summer Bridge Program is designed to bridge the transition from high school to college. This period is often challenging for students who struggle with adapting to increased workloads and higher academic standards. Ergon covers the cost of the five-week residential program which offers students the opportunity to adjust to university life and includes coursework in mathematics, science and computer programming. Peer mentoring, soft skills training and social activities are also part of the program.

Many higher education researchers attribute the lack of workforce diversity within science and engineering disciplines to underrepresented student groups switching majors and/or dropping out of these programs. For five weeks, Summer Bridge aims to grow the pool of underrepresented engineering graduates by providing newly admitted students with an integrated opportunity to develop academic and life skills critical to achieving success.

The Summer Bridge Experience
Summer Bridge 2022 welcomed 18 future engineers (10 young women and eight young men) to the program. As part of the full immersion experience, participants received on-campus housing, access to class instructors, peer mentors, textbooks and materials, and meal stipends.

The program is led by Dr. Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Director of Diversity Programs & Student Development for the Bagley College of Engineering, as well as Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The experience started off with students hitting the ground running. Students visited Ergon’s Paragon Technical Services lab, Ergon Marine & Industrial Supply, and Ergon Refining, which provided an initial real-world glimpse into the Ergon family of companies.

In addition to required coursework, students assembled into teams to complete an engineering research project aimed at providing students the opportunity to learn engineering design while working to solve a real-world engineering challenge. Ergon employees from Corporate Engineering and Business Process Management departments, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EAE), Ergon Refining and Ergon Terminaling tasked students with designing a new asphalt and emulsion tank for an EAE facility. Each team determined the best material for improving Mississippi’s road networks based on research and asphalt tests conducted in the Civil Engineering labs at MSU. With the asphalt selected and the design completed, the students learned computer modeling skills through the 3D printing of their storage tanks. The engineering research project was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Isaac Howard of MSU’s Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Jessica Lewis, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship recipient; and Dr. Bill Elmore of MSU’s Swalm School of Chemical Engineering.

While the final days of Summer Bridge arrived much too quickly, the program’s mission of producing lifelong friendships and strong support networks was realized. A final project presentation competition, a celebratory lunch and a fitting challenge to “excel in the years to come” from Ergon Chief Operating Officer, Kris Patrick, rounded out the program.

Often, it is a simple question that gets the ball rolling. “How do you hire what doesn’t exist?” was the question Ergon’s Vice President of Product Stewardship and Ergon Summer Bridge liaison, Bonnie Chapman, posed to her team. Her answer?  “You create bridges.”

This was our first year to be involved with MSU’s Summer Bridge Program, but definitely not the last. By investing $900,000 in a three-year sponsorship, the Ergon family is committed to making a difference in the lives of these students and their families while also increasing the pool of engineers in Mississippi.