‘Uncle Ed’s’ Christmas Present; Open Call for Elves

Date Posted: December 20, 2016

Posted In: Discussion, News, Organizations, People,

by Tom Finan, Executive Director,
Construction Forum St. Louis

On Dec. 7, 2015, our industry and the youth of our region got an early Christmas gift that has kept giving all year long. That’s when Ed Choklek came on board as executive director of the Construction Forum Education Foundation.

The Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that has a mission of getting youth interested in construction careers and the industry, supported by research and outreach. Shortly after the Forum started the Foundation in May 2015 I asked Ed if he would be willing to serve on the Forum board of directors.

 Ed Choklek at an outreach event early in his tenure as Construction Forum Education Foundation executive director. 

“Why me?,” he asked after surveying the roster of academics and company leaders on the board. I told him that my reasoning was that he was actually doing something on the ground for construction-related STEM outreach. While working his day job as business development director for an architectural firm, Ed had volunteered his time for kid STEM programs with Society of Military Engineers (SAME) and the USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter.

A few months later he told me that he was electing to take early retirement. After a long career in the power industry and as an architectural business developer, Ed wanted to give back. He asked if he could help us. So he has worked for the last year as the Foundation’s executive director, free of charge.

During that time his accomplishments have included:

• Organizing nine back to school events for school districts such as St. Louis Public Schools, Jennings, and Riverview Gardens;
• Developing six career programs at branches of the St. Louis County Library;
• Raising $5,500 to give construction-related books to early reader programs;
• Providing volunteers for career days, student competition judging, and presentations at various schools and districts; and
• Building collaborations with school districts, governmental organization, community colleges and organizations such as the St. Louis Science Center and Little Bit Foundation on both sides of the Mississippi.

Early on I teasingly dubbed him “Uncle Ed,” because of his tireless desire to help youth and because of his jovial demeanor that can defuse conflict and encourage collaboration. And he just looks like everybody’s Uncle Ed.

This week Ed told me, “I was blessed with  the opportunity to give over 1,000 hours to kids in our area and in that time my retirement savings actually grew: It just shows that when you give to others, you get back.”

But Ed’s time of giving back — at least in the St. Louis region — is coming to an end. His last day here is Dec. 31. Then he’s on to his next chapter.

For years he has had the hobby of visiting as many national parks as possible. In one such sojourn to the  American West a few years ago, he discovered  Carson City, NV. With beauties of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe, and the desert all at hand, Ed decided that Carson City was where he wants to spend his retirement. Ed said that once he’s there, probably this summer, he’s sure that he will find another charitable endeavor with which to get involved.

We are very thankful for all that Ed has given to the Foundation, the Forum, the industry, and the youth of the St. Louis region.

A Good Conundrum

Having said that, we are now faced with a double-edged conundrum. The Foundation has achieved a significant amount of traction, credibility, and opportunity. At the same time we’re losing the guy who was instrumental in building relationships, recruiting volunteers, and seeing that programming got done.

We have started the process of planning the mission, branding, direction, funding, and staffing of the Foundation going forward. Meanwhile, we’re in one of those weird “in between” spots. To put it simply, we need a person or persons to volunteer to help us with the logistics of Foundation programming while we make this critical transition.

If you are retired, retiring, or simply have the time, ability, and the desire to help us in this effort of introducing young people to construction  — particularly those who have been marginalized or excluded in the past —  please contact us. To paraphrase the Marine recruiting jargon in the holiday spirit, “The Construction Forum Education Foundation is looking for a few good elves.” 

If you’re half the elf that Uncle Ed has been, we will be blessed indeed.