RLDAM awards four Brian C. Thayer Scholarships

The Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine’s (RLDAM) Board of Directors recently met with a recipient of one of their four annual Brian C. Thayer Memorial Scholarships. 



RLDAM President Joe Hondel, Deering Lumber; along with JoAnne Tarr, Lapointe Lumber; and Jim Murphy, Riverside Millwork; traveled to Central Maine Community College (CMCC) in Auburn to congratulate scholarship recipient Alexander Cormier of Biddeford.

Cormier, who has had a passion for construction, is currently a first-year student in the Building Construction and Technology (BCT) Program at Central Maine Community College (CMCC). 



The RLDAM group also heard from CMCC Department Chair and Instructor Don Varney. Varney showcased the many areas where students learn about the products and installation techniques that give them a great head start in the industry. He added, “It’s a good time for young people to come into the industry. If you’re ambitious, you can really make a good living.”



The BCT program at CMCC prepares students for successful employment in construction-related fields. Through a combination of classroom study, mock-ups, and live projects, students obtain hands-on experience and become broadly familiar with methods, standards, and codes commonly associated with the construction industry. The program offers students the opportunity to earn a certificate or an associate in applied science degree. 



The RLDAM board of directors renamed the RLDAM Scholarship the Brain C. Thayer Memorial Scholarship in 2006 in honor of the late Brian Thayer of Lavalley Lumber. At the time of his death in 2006, Thayer was vice president of RLDAM and served on the board of trustees of the Maine Community College System.

RLDAM has awarded four $1,000 scholarships annually since 2004, a grand total of $56,000 since inception. These scholarships are available to students enrolled in building trades programs at four of Maine’s community colleges. Scholarship recipients are nominated by their instructors.



This year’s other scholarship recipients include Janine Kimball from Veazie attending Eastern Maine Community College, Emile Woodruff from Buxton attending Central Maine Community College, and Benjamin McEndarfer from Woodland attending Northern Maine Community College.