DFI Educational Trust Update Trust Board Elects New Chair M. Byrl Williams, of Foundation Constructors, Inc., Oakley, Calif., was elected chair of the DFI Educational Trust Board of Trustees, beginning in January 2015. He succeeded David Coleman, who stepped down as chair and retired from the board of trustees. Williams is one of the original trustees that established the Trust in 2006. Since then, he has served in various capacities, most recently as vice chair of the board. In addition, he has headed several board committees, including the Large Donor Committee and the Nominating Committee. Williams’ fundraising efforts on behalf of the Trust are extensive and include chairing the annual DFI Trust California Golf Outing, and attracting large corporate and individual donors to establish named scholarships for the Trust. Williams is a former president of the Deep Foundations Institute (1997- 1998) and a 2008 recipient of DFI’s Distinguished Service Award. Farewell and Thank You At the end of 2014, I made the decision to resign as chair of the DFI Educational Trust and retire as a member of its board of trustees. Along with several former DFI presidents, I am one of the original founders of the Trust, and have served on its board since 2006. Initially, I served as vice chair with Richard Short as chair. When Richard retired as chair and from the board in 2011, I was nominated to step up to the chair position, and have served in this capacity since then. Richard helped to build the Trust into a vibrant organization and left the organization in a good place, with its mission intact and i t s p r o g r ams i n expansion. I am hopeful that I have achieved similar positive results during my tenure. I we l come the new incoming chair, Byrl Williams, as he assumes leadership of the Trust. It has been a singular privilege to work with a very enthusiastic and energetic board as well as with the staff of DFI who work so tirelessly to support the board’s fundraising efforts and manage the Trust ’s scholarship programs. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank all the companies and “David Coleman’s vision as chair helped propel the Trust to a new level. During his tenure, the Trust’s assets doubled to over $2M and scholarship disbursements reached their current level of $100,000 per year. His consensus-building leadership style was instrumental in motivating the board and taking the organization forward. We wish David the best in all his future endeavors and we thank him for his service.” Theresa Engler, executive director, DFI and the DFI Educational Trust individuals that have supported the Trust with their donations and participation in its activities since its inception. Your generosity has been instrumental in the Trust’s growth, and I encourage you to continue your support of this great organization. Although I will no longer be serving on the Trust board, I will remain actively New Chair, M. Byrl Williams Joining Williams as new officers of the trust board are: Dan Dragone, Bauer-Pileco, as vice chair; Matthew Janes, Isherwood Associates, as treasurer; and Tracy Brettmann, A. H. Beck Foundation Company, Inc., as secretary. involved in the DFI Legends Program, which debuts at DFI’s 40th Annual Conference in Oakland, Calif., October 2015; the annual Gala Fundraising Dinner, which occurs every November; and the newly-formed Women in Deep Foundations Program. The latter gives me a particular sense of pride as I see that the Trust has taken a leadership role in addressing issues facing women that are working in engineering or pursuing deep foundations careers. As such, I pledge to continue supporting these initiatives in any way I can. Thank you again to all for your support and friendship. Sincerely, David Coleman DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2015 • 45
