Joined by nearly 100 attendees the Women of Asphalt West Virginia Chapter (WofA-WV) welcomed Governor Jim Justice at their 2^nd annual luncheon held at the newly renovated Waterfront Hall in Wheeling, WV.  The July 23, 2024, event aimed to highlight the contributions of women in the asphalt and construction industries and the success of WV’s road construction.

Governor Justice took to the stage congratulating those women in the room for their courage to join an industry historically dominated by men, commending them for their grit, intelligence, competitiveness, and passion for the industry.

Governor Justice went on to discuss the enormous success of the Roads to Prosperity program and the ongoing improvements to West Virginia's infrastructure.  Justice described how the infrastructure improvements have greatly affected the rest of WV.  It’s as if “you’ve awakened to a state that is on fire, with surpluses upon surpluses, a diversifying economy, and an explosion of tourism” stated Justice.  Justice continued thanking those in the crowd saying that our state would have never gotten to this point without the asphalt and construction industries willingness to step up to the challenge.  The Governor concluded saying to those gathered “You should be proud of where you're going as great proud women and what you are bringing to your industry.”  WofA-WV Chairwomen Megan Temple (Kelly Paving, Inc.) presented Governor Justice with a certificate of achievement and gift for his dedication to the heavy highway industry and to the state of West Virginia.

Lynda Hendershot was also awarded a Life Time Achievement Award by WofAWV for her trailblazing efforts in the heavy highway industry.  Lynda originally worked in the eyecare industry, but saw a demand in the highway industry and formed LyndCo, Inc.  Founded in the late 1980s, LyndCo was one of the first female owned companies in the heavy highway industry serving the WV/OH region.  LyndCo was however the first female owned company to serve the industry in regards to temporary traffic control and pavement marking.  Lynda maintained her company for roughly 25years until her retirement and eventual sale of LyndCo to RoadSafe Traffic Systems Inc. in 2012.  "Lynda's vast expertise, keen eye for detail, and passion for excellence, allowed her to tackled challenges head-on, consistently exceeding expectations and setting new standards of achievement.  Her commitment to quality and precision has not only earned her recognition and respect but has also inspired countless individuals to strive for greatness in their own endeavors" said Therese Mizer, Mid Atlantic Maintenance Corp. during the award presentation.

The luncheon also featured speakers Lora Collins, a National WofA board trustee and Asphalt Value Chain Senior Director for Marathon Petroleum Company, and Dan Milleson, owner of the Waterfront Hall.  Lora Collins discussed her time in the asphalt industry and her start in the industry after a 16-year chemistry background.  When Lora joined Marathon, her career came to a crossroads as she left her science footing and entered the marketing world.  While not a typical career move, Lora’s love for learning and leveraging her science background to have a deep understanding of the product line would take her far.  Lora went on to hold many positions within marketing including managing the Asphalt Technology group and eventually directing all of asphalt marketing for Marathon Petroleum.

Mrs. Collins touched on national initiatives for Women of Asphalt including the newly minted Scholarship Program sponsored by Caterpillar and the Networking and mentorship programs.  As part of the Scholarship the recipient would attend the Caterpillar Paving Operations Training at no charge and would also receive travel expenses.  The total scholarship package could be up to $6,000 and would be an excellent opportunity for anyone currently in or entering the asphalt industry.  For more information or to apply for the scholarship click here.  Lora also discussed the growth of the women of asphalt, with 24 branches, covering many states and Canada.  This is incredible involvement for a group that has only been around since 2017.  Lastly, Lora touched on mentorship opportunities, as networking and mentorship is one of the top goals for the national group.  Registration for the mentorship program at the national level will take place in the fall, so stay tuned for more information on that.

Dan Milleson spoke briefly about the importance of WofA’s key pillars: mentoring, education, and advocacy and their relation to the historic nature and need to preserve sites like the Waterfront Hall and how sites like this impact the local communities.  Dan went on to describe Waterfront Hall’s remarkable history, how it was originally constructed in 1873 and was formerly known as the Berry Supply Company.  The Berry family started as a successful cordage manufacturing family in 1877 and began producing rope and belts which became an extremely valuable commodity to river boating industry and local boat owners traversing the Ohio River, as well as other local industries.  As times changed the Berry Family evolved to continue to support the local community, eventually becoming mill supply store and then a kitchen and bath distributor and retail business.

Mr. Milleson went on to describe the rehabilitation of the Berry Building and its journey of becoming a hub for entertainment, great food, drink, and celebration in the Wheeling community.  Check out the Waterfront Hall and its upcoming events.

During the event attendees were offered professional headshots and a lunch provided by the Wood Fired Pizza Company. The event concluded with a walking tour of the Wheeling Streetscape Project, guided by Triton Construction, Inc.

For more information about the Women of Asphalt and their initiatives, you can visit their official website (WV Chapter/National WofA).