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William M.
Cress |
Updated:
04/24/07
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William M. Cress received
the Construction Management Founders Society Lifetime Achievement Award.
William M. Cress was born
in Clay City, Kentucky on March 19, 1942, the youngest of three brothers.
He attended Powell County Schools and graduated in 1959 as salutatorian
of his class. He enrolled at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering
in the fall of 1959 on a Highway Scholarship, working for the Kentucky
Department of Highways during the summer. His summer employment included
stints at Irvine, Campton and Hazard.
After attending college, Mr. Cress went to work full time for the Department
of Highways at Campton, Kentucky in the Resident Engineer crew where
he was involved in the construction of KY 15 from Campton to Jackson.
He subsequently transferred to the Division of Materials in Frankfort
as a Bituminous Design Engineer. In this capacity, he was responsible
for asphalt plant mix designs for highway projects throughout Eastern
Kentucky. He transferred to the Jackson District Office where he served
as District Materials Engineer for five years and supervised material
sampling and testing for the ten-county area. During this time, he obtained
his Professional Engineer's License.
Mr. Cress joined Hinkle Contracting Corporation in 1972 as assistant
paving division manager. He subsequently became paving division manager
and vice president, responsible for asphalt paving and quarry operations.
At that time, the company owned and operated four quarries and seven
asphalt plants. In 1973, Hinkle started an operation in Central America,
in which Mr. Cress was very involved. This operation included asphalt
plants in Guatemala and El Salvador, along with paving work in both
countries.
Mr. Cress later became executive vice president, the position he currently
holds. In 1979, Mr. Cress oversaw the opening and operation of a sandstone
quarry near Hindman, Kentucky that supplied the aggregate for base stone
and paving of the newly constructed KY Route 80 from Hazard to Watergap.
He is currently responsible for Hinkle's 15 asphalt plants and all paving-related
activity. He was responsible for the rehabilitation work on several
sections of I-64 in Rowan County, one of which recently won a National
Asphalt Pavement Association Quality Award. He also coordinated the
rehab work on the Mountain
Parkway through Powell and Wolfe Counties. He is executive vice president
of Kentucky Hauling, Inc., which is the trucking branch of Hinkle. In
this position he is responsible for management of the Company's fleet
of sixty trucks. He is the president of Ohio Valley Asphalt, LLC which
is based in Carrollton, Kentucky. One of the most significant projects
Mr. Cress oversaw for Ohio Valley Asphalt was the paving of the Kentucky
Speedway at Sparta, Kentucky.
During his career, Mr. Cress served as chairman of Kentucky Crushed
Stone Association in 1984, president of Plantmix Asphalt Industry of
Kentucky in 1994 and 2001, and chairman of Kentucky Association of Highway
Contractors in 2003. Mr. Cress is also very involved in civic and community
affairs, having served on the Board of Directors of Clark Regional Medical
Center in Winchester, the Stanton Airport Board, and Pioneer Federal
Savings Bank. He has served as president of the Powell County Jaycees,
Powell County Lions Club, Powell County Education Foundation, and Beechfork
Golf Club. He is currently a director of Whitaker Bank.
Bill married his high school sweetheart, Donna Sue Tipton on Christmas
Day in 1961. They have one daughter, Carmen, who is a pharmacist, and
grandchildren: Will, age 18, and Gabriella who is 11. They attend Stanton
Christian Church, and they reside in Beechfork Estates in Powell County.
In his spare time, Bill enjoys golfing and following University of Kentucky
sports events.
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