Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame inducts three as part of NMCC Careers in Construction Week

    PRESQUE ISLE – Three county business and construction industry leaders, including the first father/son team, will be inducted into the Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame Thursday, Oct. 16 during a ceremony and reception planned for 5 p.m. in the Mailman Trades building at Northern Maine Community College.   Richard Nadeau Jr., president and treasurer of Presque Isle-based A & L Construction, Inc., and Raymond and Timothy Todd, treasurer and president, respectively, of R. L. Todd & Son, Inc. of Caribou, will be honored and have their official photos unveiled as part of NMCC’s 2008 celebration of National Careers in Construction Week.
    Gov. John E. Baldacci and his counterparts in more than 30 states across the nation have signed official proclamations designating the week of Oct. 13-17 as one to raise public awareness of the work of the nation’s craft professionals and to emphasize the role construction industry partners play in helping youths and adults achieve career success.
    This will mark the second year NMCC officially celebrates Careers in Construction Week with activities, including the induction ceremony. The Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame was established and officially opened on the campus last fall, when the first five inductees were honored.
    “We wanted to create something that would recognize, on an ongoing and consistent basis, the invaluable and immeasurable contributions of professionals in the construction trades here in northern Maine and across the state,” said Brian McDougal, chair of the trade and technical occupations department at NMCC. “The concept of creating a ‘Hall of Fame’ to recognize key individuals who have contributed both to the profession and as mentors to others entering the profession, provides an ideal opportunity to honor the legacy of these individuals and is reflective of the teaching and learning that happens in our programs and across the NMCC campus each and every day.”
    The Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame is located inside the main entrance of the Mailman Trades Building in the long corridor that students, faculty, staff and visitors use to enter and exit the building daily.
    According to McDougal, the space is ideal, because of the fact that students and prospective students of the college regularly have the opportunity to see the faces and learn the stories of some of the “legends” in the construction trades, and in turn better understand that similar career success is possible for them. Richard Nadeau and Raymond and Timothy Todd will be the three new individuals for NMCC students to emulate.
    Nadeau, of Presque Isle, a 1972 graduate of Presque Isle High School and a 1974 graduate of then Northern Maine Vocational Technical Institute’s construction technology program, went to work for General Supply Corp. in Limestone immediately upon earning his degree. During his 18-year tenure at General Supply, one of the largest general contractors in Maine, Nadeau rose through the ranks to become vice president of the corporation.
    After General Supply dissolved due to retirement of its president in 1992, Nadeau and his wife, Marilyn, established A & L Construction, Inc. – named after the couple’s two daughters, Amanda and Lindsay. Richard serves as president and treasurer and Marilyn serves as vice president and secretary of the firm.
    A & L Construction, Inc. employs between 10 and 12 employees on a regular basis and hires additional workers as needed during the summer months. The company is responsible for a number of large construction projects throughout “The County” including work at NMCC, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Leisure Village in Presque Isle, the Harley Welch Building, which houses the Maine Potato Board, Madigan Estates in Houlton, Forest Hill Manor and Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent, The Aroostook Medical Center and the Maine Veteran’s Home.
    Richard Nadeau is active in his community. He has served for several years as a dedicated volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in various capacities. His work with the organization earned him the prestigious Mike Williams Award, which is the highest honor given to a volunteer by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
    Aside from Make-A-Wish, Nadeau has worked on the United Way of Aroostook’s playhouse selection committee for the Dress A Child program, has been a judge for the VICA State Convention and US Skill Olympics. He has also been actively involved in the SAD 1 Music Boosters, helping to raise funds for two major music festival trips to New York City for Presque Isle High School band and chorus members.
    Nadeau’s service extends to his alma mater, where he is a long-standing member of the residential construction advisory committee at NMCC. He is also a member of the Building Board of Appeals for the city of Presque Isle and the residential carpentry advisory committee for SAD 1.
    Raymond and Timothy Todd, of Caribou, will have the distinction of being the first father/son team honored in the Northern Maine Construction Hall of Fame. Raymond Todd is a 1957 graduate of Caribou High School and a 1961 graduate of the University of Maine agricultural mechanization program. He earned his master electrician license in the mid 1960s.
    Raymond, who is currently treasurer of the family business, founded R. L. Todd in 1964, the same year he married the former Nancy McIntire of Perham. The business began in the Todd’s basement, where Raymond would construct electronic panels for one of the first potato ventilations systems in Maine – a system that he was instrumental in developing. Raymond Todd worked day and night to sell the systems, install and service them, as well as develop the electrical portion of the business.
    The business expanded greatly in the 1970s and work for R. L. Todd expanded to other parts of Maine. Raymond worked several years on his own, and during that time developed numerous pieces of equipment that would assist him to safely do his work.
    Raymond Todd is very active in a variety of positions at the Caribou United Baptist Church. He has served in numerous leadership positions in the church and community, including the Baptist Park Youth Camp Board and the Caribou School Board. He has served for several years on the electrical construction and maintenance program advisory committee at NMCC. In addition to their son, Timothy, Raymond and Nancy Todd are the parents of Heidi (Todd) Clark, who is married to Stephen Clark, and they have two grandchildren, Cassandra and Katelyn Clark.
    Timothy Todd is a 1988 graduate of Caribou High School. He earned two associate of applied science degrees from Northern Maine Technical College, in industrial electronics in 1990 and in computer electronics in 1991. In 1994, he earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering technology from the University of Maine. Timothy currently holds licenses as a master electrician in Maine and New Hampshire, as well as an electronic scale repair license in Maine. He is a certified NFPA fire alarm installer.
    Upon graduation from U-Maine, Timothy returned to Caribou to become a partner in the business and the name was changed to R. L. Todd and Son, Inc. However, Timothy Todd had a hand in the enterprise since the young age of three, when he would follow his father around with a toolbox and would put on outlet plates.
    Today, Timothy Todd serves as company president and oversees a staff of more than 10 employees. He is active in various positions at the Caribou United Baptist Church, and the Aroostook Young Farmers Association, and also serves on the electrical construction and maintenance program advisory committee at NMCC.
    Under both Raymond and Timothy Todd, R. L. Todd and Son, Inc. has become an industry leader and has developed to offer a wide array of services for residential, industrial, agricultural and commercial entities.
    Richard Nadeau and Raymond and Timothy Todd will be honored through tributes prepared and delivered by NMCC faculty members and friends and loved ones at the Oct. 16 reception. Photos of each inductee will be unveiled following their individual recognition.
    In addition to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the college will hold three community presentations earlier in the day on Oct. 16 to mark Careers in Construction Week.
    At 10 a.m. in the Christie Lecture Hall, the Aroostook Coalition for Women in Trades and Technology will host a meeting open to all Aroostook County contractors to assess the future workforce needs in the region.
    A demonstration on installing energy efficient windows and the latest energy efficient window products available on the market will be held in the residential construction lab in the Mailman Trades Building at 1 p.m. The window session will be followed at 2:30 p.m. with a demonstration on installing house siding and the newest product lines available in that area.
    Careers in Construction Week is coordinated countrywide by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). This year marks the fourth anniversary of the celebration nationally.
    For more information on NMCC Careers in Construction Week events, contact the college relations office at 768-2809.