J.J. Nelson is just where he wants to be on the job site for the new trades and technologies facility at Lethbridge College – right in the middle of everything.
Nelson, who graduated from the Automotives Service Technician program in 2009 and from the Computer Network Technician program in 2004, is the general foreman for Stuart Olson and has been working on campus since July 2014. As second in command on the site, he reports directly to the site superintendent, and on any given day, he will work with all subtrade foremen, members of the college staff and the project consultant group. He is responsible for the daily coordination of all activities on site and ensures that all scheduling is followed through and that the trades are moving forward.
This fall, Nelson was joined by Ross Caffyn (Business Administration 1997), chair of the Crooks School of Transportation Sheldon Anderson (Automotives 1987), and building maintenance supervisor Clarence Slomp (Carpentry 1989) to review some plans. On other days, he is looking for conflicts before they arise, working on quality control issues and even taking photos of the work as it progresses.
“I love being in the middle of everything, from the planning and layout to the finished product,” Nelson says. “I’m fortunate that I get to see everything come together, including seeing the students using what we build. It feels good knowing that our efforts will aid in the education of future tradespeople.”
