Kerr’ 18 Receives SAR Award
‘ Class Of’ 54 & Friends Luncheon’ Held
Obermeier Joins Board Of Trustees
Goeke’ 80 Joins Board Of Trustees
Kerr’ 18 Receives SAR Award
Arsenio Kerr, a power plant technology junior, received the Sons of the American Revolution’ s William J. Yearsley 4W1 Outstanding Citizenship Award during the Founder’ s Day ceremony in February in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel.
The award is presented to a junior who has shown outstanding citizenship and the qualities of industry, self-discipline, personal integrity, reliability, contributions above the call of duty, having a GPA above 3.25, and having fewer than 28 disciplinary points.
Kerr, who has a GPA of 3.93, participates in SkillsUSA in the residential wiring competition and as a freshman came in first in districts and second in states and this year came in second in districts.
He also completed an internship his freshman year at Monroe Energy in Marcus Hook where he did electrical work and was in an instrumentation group. He is on the intramural dodgeball team and is a lacrosse team manager.
In his spare time, he enjoys paintball and is on a traveling championship dodgeball team. He also works with his former high school shop instructor as an electrical apprentice.
Arsenio Kerr 1W8( center) holds his SAR award certificate surrounded by( from left to right) W. Bruce Hustis, first vice president of the Sons of the American Revolution-Philadelphia-Continental Chapter; Cloverlyn Kerr, his mother; George Clark, SAR president; and President Michael Rounds.
‘ Class Of’ 54 & Friends Luncheon’ Held
The“ Class of 5W4 and Friends Luncheon” was held at Williamson in April with classes from 1948-1979 attending.
The luncheon began in the dining room with Arlene Snyder, vice president for advancement, welcoming the group and remarks from President Michael Rounds. Rev. Mark Specht 7W7 said grace before the group ate.
After lunch, the group moved to the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel where Rounds introduced Jack Lemon, the author who recently wrote a book on Ted Meredith 19W11, Williamson’ s Olym- pic star.
Lemon told the group many interesting facts about Meredith and set the record straight that Meredith learned to run at Williamson.
The group remained in the chapel for a talk on the history of the American flag by Thomas Connelly, a recognized expert on the history of the American flag, the retired CEO of Connelly Container Inc., and a trustee of the Connelly Foundation, which has supported Williamson for many years. The talk was part of the weekly General Assembly.
“ The Class of 5W4 and Friends Luncheon” included a talk on Ted Meredith 19W11 in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel.
Obermeier Joins Board Of Trustees
Continued from page 2 and we are thrilled that he has decided to share his proven record of success and his knowledge and expertise with us here at Williamson. The very first time he visited campus, I could see how quickly he connected with our students and our mission. He is a great addition to the board and someone who will make a big impact here.”
Obermeier said,“ I hope someday in the future, a young man from Williamson says Jim Obermeier in some small way made a difference in his life. I hope my participation on the board of trustees helps me reach that goal.”
Obermeier has over 35 years experience in the construction industry and, being a second generation builder, has a passion for building. At the age of 13, working in his father’ s sheet metal shop, he gained his father’ s high standards for building.
After graduating from high school, he went to Bala Consulting Engineers as an on-site project manager and owner’ s representative on projects in Philadelphia, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, and Washington. He then became a project manager at Willard Mechanical, working on such projects as One Liberty Place, Thomas Jefferson Hospital, and the Franklin Institute.
With a desire to be a part of the entire construction process, he became an assistant project manager for W. H. Myers Construction. While there, he changed
Continued from page 2 of business experience, but amazing energy and enthusiasm for our mission.
“ As a graduate of Williamson, he understands the challenges of being a student here, but also the things that make Williamson men so successful after graduation. Tom appreciates what Williamson has done for him and wants to share that with our current students. He is happy to have an opportunity to give back to Williamson by devoting his time and energy to leading us into the future as a member of our board. I know that he will make a huge positive impact here.”
Goeke said,“ It is an honor to serve on Williamson’ s board of trustees. I am indebted to Williamson for the education I received and look forward to ensuring future generations are privileged with the same opportunity.”
Goeke has supported Williamson in numerous ways over the years, including serving as a trustee from 2005 to 2008. He was honored by the board of trustees with the Isaiah Vansant Williamson Award in 2004.
Goeke, who studied machine tool technology at Williamson, began his career as a technical service engineer at ICI, in Wilmington, Del. He then was a technical service engineer, and later, a his entire view of the construction industry, learning the difference between being a contractor and a builder. He said,“ As a builder, one invests himself in the project by paying attention to all the details. There is a level of pride that comes from creating something from where there was nothing.”
He then became a senior project manager for P. Agnes before moving in 1999 to CYMA Builders and Construction Managers as executive vice president and director of construction operations. Since becoming a senior partner in 2006, the company has grown to $ 135 million in total sales with five offices nationwide. CYMA focuses entirely in the science and technology market, building highly sophisticated facilities to service and support the pharmaceutical industry.
Obermeier studied construction management at Spring Garden College, is a Philadelphia master plumber, and has a contractor’ s license in California, Texas, Alabama, and Virginia.
He and Lisa, his wife of 29 years, have two sons, Stephen, a graduate of LaSalle College High School and Temple University who works as a commissioning engineer in Ambler, Pa., and Gregory, who will graduate from LaSalle College High School in May and attend Philadelphia University in the fall.
Obermeier enjoys old cars and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Goeke’ 80 Joins Board Of Trustees
sales and marketing manager for food, pharmaceutical, and medical packaging films, at Hoechst Celanese, in Delaware City, Del. While at Hoechst, he spent two years with their German film division, Kalle Folien, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
He then joined Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., as an assistant to the president, and later was appointed general manager for Klöckner Barrier Films. He then served as vice president of operations for Klöckner Pentaplast of America, and then as chief operating officer and executive vice president, responsible for the daily operations of the company and its subsidiaries. He then served as president and CEO and later was appointed chief operating officer and then chief executive officer of the Klöckner Pentaplast Group. He went to Milacron in 2012.
Goeke, who was born in Trenton, N. J., earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at Widener University, and a master’ s degree in business administration at the College of William and Mary.
He and his wife Lucy, a nurse, educator, and humanitarian, have four children, Katy, Jacob, Michael, and Annie, and live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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