Past scholarship winners
2025 ERICKSON STRONG SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
A message from Tony Ramos:
As a quick background introduction, my name is Tony Ramos. I am a Master Plumber who has been in the plumbing trade since 1995. I have worked on the residential side in service and new construction, in the commercial industry in new construction and healthcare, and for many years in the project management role. I am currently a UA Instructor teaching Apprenticeship Day School, ASSE certifications, and continuing education classes for Plumbers Local 75.
I was honored to be the recipient of the Mark Erickson Scholarship for the 2025 Lean Congress in Arlington, Texas. Having worked with Mark for several years, I understood his passion and implementation of Lean in the construction industry. It was not just a process, but a mindset of understanding and implementation in daily work tasks.
Throughout my career, I have had opportunities to experience Lean in many fashions. As a plumber in the field, prefabrication became common practice along with recognizing key components for identifying waste. Understanding of this mindset was never fully captured until my project management years, with the development of a complete mindset from the design and bidding phase, all the way to project turnover. This has become the industry standard in all aspects, from cost savings to safety, and completion on time and on budget.
My takeaway from Congress and implementation with day-to-day apprentice instruction. Instructing the “WHY”. Having the “boots on the ground”, the next generation of men and women in the trades gain insight into Lean approaches and tools relative to the design phase to optimize team communication, collaboration, and results, is key to success. Having them understand the impact they are having on the project’s outcomes. Apprenticeship schooling is designed for them to learn and understand all components of the trades. There is no better timeframe for them to gain insight into the Lean Mindset for their careers.
2024 ERICKSON STRONG SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ATTEND LCI CONGRESS IN SAN DIEGO
Angie Waechter of Blair Fire Protection and Brad DeLaurier of CornerStone One, winners of the 2024 Erickson Strong Scholarship, attended the LCI Congress recently in San Diego, California. Both scholarship winners agree they learned a lot and gained great insight on how to do their jobs better.
“What a great experience and one I will never forget!” shared Angie Waechter. “One of the key takeaways for me was to “maximize the value of our people and teams”. Be courageous and be patient.” Brad DeLaurier shared this quote, “BE A GOLDFISH! When things go wrong….Learn and move forward…Don’t get stuck…. If you are not making mistakes…you probably are not doing anything!”
Steve Adkins, Principal of CornerStone One and a founder of the Erickson Strong Scholarship, also attended the conference. He encourages anyone interested in learning more about lean construction to apply for the 2026 scholarship HERE
2024 ERICKSON STRONG SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED
BROOKFIELD (August 26, 2024) – The winners of the 2024 Erickson Strong Scholarship are Angie Waechter of Blair Fire Protection, and Brad DeLaurier of CornerStone One. The scholarships cover the costs for the recipients to attend the 2024 LCI Congress to be held October 23-24, 2024, in San Diego, California.
The winners were announced at the Fourth Annual Lean Golf Outing on August 19 and presented by Nick Loughrin, The Boldt Company, LCI Wisconsin Community of Practice Leader, Shauna Boyer, The Boldt Company, LCI Outreach and Scholarships Leader, and Steve Adkins, CornerStone One.
The Erickson Strong Scholarship was created to encourage Wisconsin residents who are early in their lean journey to attend the annual LCI Congress. The scholarship honors the memory of Mark Erickson and his commitment to educational and professional growth within lean construction. Watch this video to learn more about Mark Erickson and the scholarship opportunity.
“My lean journey has only just begun, and there’s much I have yet to discover. Winning the Erickson Strong Scholarship serves not only as a tribute to the memory of Mark Erickson, but also as an opportunity to further my career in my current position,” said Angie Waechter.
“Mark Erickson was an inspiration to me here at CornerStone One. I’m interested in learning about and bringing lean construction methods to our company in order to improve our workforce, find efficiencies in our processes, improve quality, and increase our value to our customers,” shared Brad DeLaurier.
