What's Happening at Ranken Technical College

Rodenheiser Project is Underway

Photo: The Rodenheiser building is undergoing a major remodel.

The drive up Newstead Avenue toward Finney Avenue has a much different look as crews continue the major remodel of the home of Ranken’s Automotive programs. Work on the Rodenheiser building began earlier this summer with the demolition of the parking lot outside of the Automotive Collision shop, which will eventually be a brand new addition to the facility. Over the last couple of weeks the east wall has been completely removed and preparations for the construction of the footings for the new addition are underway. The true transformation will begin taking place in mid- October with the installation of the structural steel. The final product will include more than 23,800 square feet of new and remodeled space which will include classrooms, shops, a student lounge, an elevator and restrooms.

The Rodenheiser building has a long history and the easternmost section (ACR) is possibly the oldest structure on campus. According to the St. Louis Transportation Museum, the building opened in 1892 as a streetcar "shed." United Railways closed the facility in 1928 and then was reopened by the St. Louis Public Service Company as a bus garage in 1940, then closed again in 1953. Prior to Ranken purchasing the building in 1960, McDonnell Douglas used the space for a wing assembly plant and research center. The building was renamed Rodenheiser in 1973 after George B. Rodenheiser, the first Ranken graduate (class of 1915) ever to be appointed as the school’s director (1954). Rodenheiser had previously served as a Plumbing instructor, head of the Plumbing department and assistant to the director. He was also a registered professional engineer. During his tenure he took a very aggressive approach to updating and refreshing Ranken’s image as a technical powerhouse and was instrumental in connecting the College to industry. By the mid-1960’s the school was developing training programs with Chrysler, Ford and Chevrolet and at least 30 employers were subsidizing their own workers in campus programs. Other significant changes during his time as director included the admittance of women, the first being Peggy Jo Miller, a graduate of Cleveland High School who received a certificate in Television and Radio Servicing in 1976 and a name change to The David Ranken, Jr., Technical Institute.

Rodenheiser served as the director until September 1972 when he submitted his resignation after suffering a stroke and was no longer able to continue his duties.

The building was used for various business and programs but was gradually completely occupied by the Automotive department. The building was even used for several years as the site for commencement.

The project is estimated to be completed by spring of 2013.

RCDC Receives Excellence Award

Pictured L-R: John Wood, Ranken’s vice president for student success; Betty Krump, ATEA executive director and Dr. Larry Moser, ATEA president.

In January 2012, Ranken was informed that the Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC) had been selected to receive the American Technical Education Association’s (ATEA) 2012 Outstanding Technical Program Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize an outstanding technical program at a postsecondary technical education institution that is exemplary and contributes to the nation’s workforce. Requirements of the award include, cutting-edge instruction, a knowledgeable and active advisory committee, and involvement with local business and industry.

At the end of March, Ranken’s Vice President for Student Success attended ATEA’s National Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi to receive the award. Congratulations to all of the faculty, staff and students who are involved in RCDC on receiving this award!

 

 

"Rebuilding Day" Annual Community Service Event

Alumni and students are invited to participate in the national Rebuilding Day sponsored by St. Louis' Rebuilding Together organization. This day of giving back to the community by repairing, rebuilding and upgrading homes of the elderly, handicapped and low income in the St. Louis area will be held on Saturday, May 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Groups all over the country will be joining together to help others on this national day of service. This is the 3rd year for Ranken's involvement in this event and is a fun day supporting a good cause. Only a helping attitude, 25 workers and a house captain are required. Personal tools are a plus! Join us as we assist a homeowner near the Ranken campus and continue support of our neighbors.

Pictures of previous Rebuilding Days can be found at our Flickr Page.

Contact Kathy Fern, (314) 286-4895 or email ktfern@ranken.edu with your interest or questions.

Time To Nominate Distinguished Alumni!

It is time again for annual nominations for the Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Young Alumni Award to be presented at Ranken's May 12 graduation celebration at the Chaifetz Arena. These awards honor Ranken graduates who have excelled in their career and given back to their community. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2012. 

The criteria, nomination form and additional information can be found at  http://www.ranken.edu/alumni/honoring-our-alumni under Awards. Any questions can be answered by contacting Kathy Fern, (314) 286-4895 in the alumni office.

Recipients will receive a commemorative plaque and name inscribed on a perpetual plaque. 

Past recipients are Distinguished Alumni Earl Walker (2010) and Tom Wood (2011) and Distinguished Young Alumni are Andy Raines (2010) and Jeff Scott (2011).

Phase 1 of MALTC Renovations Complete

 
Thanks to major donations from Jack Taylor and Mary Ann Lee, the Mary Ann Lee Technology Center is undergoing completion and a remodel. Currently the building houses High Performance Racing Technology, Industrial Technology and Fabrication and Welding Technology.

On Wednesday, August 24 a reception was held for employees to see the completion of Phase I of the project which included the renovation of the large "flex space" located just behind the atrium. One side of the open space was split into two floors with steel beams. Each floor now holds three classrooms used for general education classes and faculty offices. The classrooms are also equipped with electric and water so that they could be converted into shop space if needed in the future. The other side was turned into shop space for the INT program and other programs that need additional space.

"We are so excited about this new space," said INT and Welding instructor, John Baima. "The thought process that went into designing and building this project is amazing."

Construction crews continue to work on a new walkway that will connect the new second floor in the flex space to the existing second floor above the current INT shop space. Also still under construction are new restrooms and a kitchen staging area for events held in the atrium.

Originally slated for phase 2, construction of a new auditorium has already started thanks to a a generous donation from former Board president, Bob Staley. To honor his long-time support and dedication to Ranken, the new space will be named Staley Auditorium.

Future plans include a new entrance and additional parking.

 

Employer Spotlight - Drury Hotels

For the past 38 years, Drury Hotels has been providing travelers with a clean, friendly place to stay at an affordable price. One hundred thirty hotels and 20 states later, the family-owned and operated hotel chain continues to make value and service their top priority.

The Drury brand was born in the small town of Kelso, Missouri with a farmer and his family. Lambert Drury taught his children the value of hard work, resilience and family. When baseball-sized hail destroyed a season's worth of crops, Lambert gathered ice from the fields and made ice cream for his children. The lesson of that day lasted long after the ice cream melted: face challenges head on and work hard to make the best of what you've been given.

In the 1960's, Lambert and his sons started a local plastering and construction company. As their reputation for quality and fairness grew, so did their vision for serving the community.In 1962, the Drury family bought a 108-room Holiday Inn, making their first entry into the hotel industry. Over time, the Drury?s became increasingly aware of the need for a value-focused alternative to overpriced luxury hotels and cheap, dingy motels. Filling this void became, and remains, the Drury?s main objective in growing their family business.

In 1973, the first Drury Inn was built in Sikeston, Missouri. Just off of  I-55, the hotel marked the start of a fresh approach to the industry: build and operate hotels internally, cutting costs, and passing the savings on to their guests.

Not satisfied to simply expand, the Drury family began innovating new ways to offer guests additional value. At Drury Hotels, "The Extras Aren't Extra" isn't just a tagline, it's a business model. Guests enjoy free hot breakfast, free hot evening food, free cold beverages, free wireless Internet and free long distance phone calls.

Thirty-eight years and 130 hotels after Lambert Drury opened the first Drury Inn, the Drury family is grateful for the opportunities afforded to the entire Drury family - now 4,000 team members strong. President and CEO, Chuck Drury, remembers the humble upbringings of the company.

"We really didn't start out to build a hotel system across the country," says Drury. "What we really wanted to do was provide the customer with quality service and amenities each and every day, each and every stay." The same spirit that inspired Lambert Drury to turn hail to ice-cream still inspires the Drury brothers today. The Drury family remains driven to provide quality rooms at affordable rates, add new, free amenities and strive for an enjoyable stay for its guests.

Dedicated, hard-working team members are key when it comes to delivering on the promises made by the Drury family to travelers. Ranken Technical College has been a great resource for Drury's Recruitment team when it comes to filling maintenance positions. The students at Ranken have solid HVAC, electrical and technical knowledge and a strong work ethic.

Photo:  Lewis R. Smith (2010 HVAC)

Some of the qualities of Ranken graduates that are attractive to Drury include a good educational background, solid training, stable work experience (preferably in the service industry), professional communication skills and a sincere interest in working for Drury Hotels. Drury attends Ranken Job Fairs annually,and also participates in classroom presentations, informational sessions and conducts on-campus interviews. As a result, we hire an average of 8-20 maintenance candidates annually from Ranken. In 2010, nine Ranken graduates filled maintenance positions in the St. Louis area. Ranken is a great source for our employees and Drury Hotels will remain a constant figure on campus.

For more information on Drury Hotels and employment opportunities, please visit www.drurycareers.com.

 

RCDC Home Receives Energy Star Home Rating

 

Photo: RCDC homes on Evans Ave.

 

Last fall the Ranken Community Development Corporation (RCDC) started looking at more energy efficient ways to build homes. The first step was to undergo an Energy Star home inspection which was done by Gary Freis, an energy auditor and consultant from Applied Science Energy Ratings (ASERusa). ASERusa specializes in building science and technology design, field verification, and program rating services for National Building Performance Programs. The purpose of the inspection was to benchmark how energy efficient the home is and allow RCDC to learn how to continue to build more energy efficient homes. After the inspection, the representative walked through the home with Carpentry students and showed them ways to make the home more energy efficient.

 

Once framing was completed on the home at 4467 Evans Avenue, the shell was audited for proper sealing and all joints were caulked or foamed to avoid unnecessary air leaks into the home’s envelope. Before the holiday break, the home was once again audited for insulation techniques to determine the level of insulation of the walls and ceiling known as "R" factor. Generally the more "R" the better the rating.

When the home was completed in late May, a final performance test was done. ASERusa performs verification for National Building Performance Programs using certified verifiers with authorized tools. This tool, called the Blower Door, measures the Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) and the Effective Leakage Area (ELA) of the building envelope, assuring the building has been properly sealed by the builder. The test is looking for leaks where warm air in the summer or cold air in the winter could enter the home and cause the gas/electric bill to rise. The home specifications (plans, pictures, AC equipment model numbers, window sizes, etc.) and the blower door ratings were then sent to RESNET, a nationally certified home energy rating group. RESNET uses all of the information to create a computer generated model of the home and a rating is awarded.

Prior to learning and using more efficient building techniques, a standard home built by RCDC typically receives a 100 rating. The new home rated at 68, lower being better, so the home received an Energy Star Home rating.

"This was a real team effort between our design, construction, HVACR, plumbing, and electrical workers," said John Wood, vice president for student success. "Everyone really paid attention to detail on this home and the result is that our home owner will enjoy energy bills 30% less than average for a home this size."

"More energy efficient building techniques are not only the right thing to do, but it is also a great learning tool for our students who will be able to go out into the work force with this knowledge and potentially teach their employer and colleagues these new building techniques."

Congratulations to RCDC on two more completed homes and on this big step towards "going green."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Classmates Come Together at Carpentry Reunion

Last week, Ranken held a carpentry department reunion, in conjunction with the fall open house on the Ranken campus. Several presentations were made

• The state of Ranken education—given by department head, Bryan Hicklin
• The state of residential construction—as seen by alumnus Brett Randoll (CRP 1994), Project Manager at Riggs Construction
• The state of residential construction—from the viewpoint of construction consumers (business owners) by Dennis Lavallee, President of the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers. 

Each decade of classmates was represented at the reunion held in the carpentry shop. Instructor Albert Konecnik (CRP 1949) and Instructor/Department Head Bill Wagner (CRP 1937) were in attendance. Many who haven't been back to campus since graduation enjoyed seeing the expanded shop and the community homes under construction.  

Classmates, Jim Newman (CRP 1979) and Mike Weiss (CRP 1979), still best friends today, came to see their instructor Bill Wagner and enjoyed their return to campus.

(003) Alumnus/Instructor Albert Konecnik (CRP 1949), Alumnus Tom Wood (CRP 1955), and Alumnus/Department Head Bill Wagner (CRP 1937, Department Head 1942-1984) at the Carpentry reunion on October 23, 2010. Tom Wood turned 74 yesterday and Bill Wagner turned 93 earlier this month. 

(027) Jim Newman (CRP 1979) and classmate Mike Weiss (CRP 1979) getting reacquainted with their instructor Bill Wagner.  Both men continue in the construction trade owning their own businesses.  They met and became friends in the carpentry classroom and are still best friends today.

 

 

Ranken Volunteers Involved in Community Service

Team Ranken, made up of 27 volunteers including current students, new students, alumni, staff and families, joined Rebuilding Together in their national effort to clean up and repair homes in St. Louis. Team Ranken’s home, located on St. Louis Avenue in north St. Louis, needed some TLC inside and out.  

For eight hours on May 1, Ranken volunteers worked together to make an elderly man’s home safe, clean, and rain-proof. Tasks included cleaning windows inside and out, laying tile, hanging drywall, and painting walls and fences as well as installing soffit and fascia. 

Thanks to our Alumni Leadership Council members, Mike Schweiss and Brett Randoll, house co-captains, for purchasing the materials and overseeing job duties.  

Over 2,500 volunteers repaired 100 homes in the St. Louis area through Rebuilding Together, a not for profit organization located in Webster Groves. This project is held the first Saturday in May annually.  We hope to be together again next year and hope to complete two houses. 

 

Left to Right Back Row

Jeff Scott, Alumnus

Bryan Sohn, Student

Nathan Cheshire, Student

Brittany friend

Tim Willard, Staff

Jean Fancote, Student

Dana Freebersyser, Family

Larry Schmidt, Alumnus 

Judy Huster, Family

Don Huster, Alumnus

Left to Right Front Row

Chris Schweiss, Student holding Half Pint

Dan Dugo, Friend

Brian Freebersyser, Student celebrating his 20th birthday

Nick Wiltse, Student

Theresa Jansen, Student

Tim Lenger, Student

Carmen Willard, Family

Brian Kirkpatrick, Student

Scott Martin, Fall Student

Megan Krato, Student 

New Photos - Walker Hall

walkerHall1
Originally uploaded by Ranken Technical College

Construction on Walker Hall is coming along. The addition of the pitched roof will make the new residence hall much closer in appearance to the rest of the campus's historical buildings.

For more pictures, visit our Flickr account.