Nine children of highway workers who were killed or permanently disabled on the job will receive post-high school financial assistance for the 2024-25 school year thanks to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Foundation's "Lanford Family Transportation Construction Worker Memorial Scholarship."
The program was established with a gift from two Roanoke, Va., highway contractors and their companies — Stan Lanford (1999 ARTBA chairman) of Lanford Brothers and Jack Lanford (1991 ARTBA chairman) of Adams Construction Company. Scholarships have a value of up to $10,000 annually.
More than 200 scholarships have been awarded to worthy students from 33 states to pursue undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as technical training. The program was expanded in 2023 to include additional sectors of the transportation construction industry.
The 2024 class includes:
- Amy McNeil, Lumberton, Texas — Amy's father, Jeffrey McNeil, was killed in 2005 while working for the Texas Department of Transportation. Amy is a graduate student pursuing her master's degree in nursing from the University of Texas, Arlington.
- Jenna Jares, West, Texas — Jenna's father, Gregory Jares, was killed in 2001 while working for the Texas Department of Transportation special crews. Jenna is a graduate student studying occupational therapy at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.
- Breana Jones, Gaston, S.C. — Breana's father, Standra "Stan" Jones Sr., died in 2007 after being struck by a vehicle while at work for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Breana will be entering her junior year at Winthrop University studying graphic design.
- Katie & Christopher Hutt, Cleveland, Tenn. — Katie's father, Chris, was struck and killed in 2006 while installing signage for United Rentals in a highway work zone. Katie will be a senior studying architecture at the University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville. Chris' son, Christopher, will be a freshman studying chemical engineering also at UT Knoxville.
- LaToya Hood, Houston, Texas — LaToya's father, Paris Hood Jr., was killed on a roadway project while working for the Texas Department of Transportation in 1998. LaToya will be returning to Texas Southern University as a junior to complete her degree in healthcare administration.
- Zoe Watts, Marshall, Ark. — Zoe's father, James "Kirk" Watts, was killed by overturned equipment while working for the Arkansas Department of Transportation in 2018. Zoe will be a freshman studying nursing at the University of Central Arkansas.
- Christopher "Tyler" Montgomery, Greenville, Miss. — Tyler's father, Christopher Montgomery, also was killed by overturned equipment while working on a bridge project for Austin Bridge & Road in 2011. Tyler will be a freshman studying physical education at Arkansas State University.
- Bethany Rains, Memphis, Ark. — Bethany's father, James "Bubba" Rains, died in 2013 while working for APAC in Tennessee. Bethany will be pursuing an undergraduate certificate in Nursing Assistance (CNA) at Arkansas State University, Mid-South.
Established in 1985, the ARTBA Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity designed to "promote research, education and public awareness" about the impacts of transportation investment. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, management and education programs, roadway work zone safety training and certificates, special economic research and reports, and an exhibition on transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
For more information, visit artbafoundation.org.
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