About Ron Rolfes

POSTHUMOUS MEMBER

The late Ron Rolfes of Town and Country, Missouri, former senior vice president of operations for Clayco Construction Co., earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1987. Before joining Clayco, Rolfes served in project management roles at Wachter Construction Co., Di Carlo Construction Inc. and J.S. Alberici Constructors. He joioned Clayco in 2004 as a project director then transitioned into an operational oversight role. As senior vice president of operations, Rolfes oversaw Clayco’s projects. He also led young operations talent for over five years, identifying promising project engineers and offering them career development and training guidance. Rolfes was deeply involved in the Construction Career Development Initiative, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Clayco in 2015 in response to the events in Ferguson, Missouri, and was one of the first team members to engage with students in the construction cluster, providing insights into career pathways in the industry, from trades to college degrees and facilitating job shadow visits. He was also instrumental in organizing CCDI’s inaugural job fair event in 2016. Rolfes began working with Pedal the Cause, which raises funds for cancer research, in 2010 when Clayco formed a team. In 2011, he joined Team Clayco with a goal of getting in shape and supporting the quest to find a cure for cancer.  Little did he know that in 2012, he would be diagnosed with cancer himself.  Despite the challenges of his own cancer diagnosis in 2012, Rolfes continued to raise finds and participate in the event for another decade. He died in March 2022. Rolfes coached youth sports, served on the Cellphones for Soldiers committee and was in the M Club at Missouri S&T. Rolfes and his wife, Julie, have four children, Tripp, Tanner, Tessa and the late Thomas.