The vice-president of one of Manitoba’s leading heavy construction businesses — E.F. Moon Construction Ltd. — is the latest recipient of Red River College’s Distinguished Graduate Award.

Jack Meseyton, who’s also the chair of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, graduated from RRC’s Civil Engineering Technology program in 2005 with a diploma in Municipal Engineering Technology. His passion for, and commitment to the heavy construction industry in Manitoba, along with his dedication to the community of Portage la Prairie, set him apart and made him an outstanding candidate for RRC’s highest achievement.

“I am very humbled, excited and proud to be receiving this award,” says Meseyton. “I am a very strong believer in higher education and learning — our company has several RRC grads working with us. So, I am proud to have attended the College, proud to have RRC grads and alumni working for me, and very, very proud of this award.”

The Distinguished Graduate Award honours and recognizes RRC’s finest graduates — those who have distinguished themselves in both their chosen profession and their community through outstanding achievements in one or more of the following areas: humanitarianism, professional excellence, and community service.

Meseyton was a clear and deserving candidate for this honour, as he’d demonstrated all of the above in his life, through achieving professional excellence in construction and also by giving back to Portage’s community in a big way. Examples of this include his work fundraising for the United Way, his personal involvement in the Portage Potato Festival and for Merit Contractors Association of Manitoba.

“Red River College is proud to honour Jack Meseyton with the Distinguished Graduate award. His professional achievements exemplify the kind of commitment and leadership we strive to teach our students every day. They also represent the important contributions that RRC graduates make to Manitoba’s economy, including the heavy construction industry,” says Christine Watson, Vice-president Academic at RRC.

Meseyton began working in the construction industry in 1985 when he joined his father’s company, Meseyton Construction. By 1992 he was made partner and helped run the business through daily operations and projects.

He entered the Civil CAD program at RRC in 2003 and graduated with honours in 2005 — the same year he began working at E.F. Moon. He later went on to obtain his Civil Engineering Technologist (CET) designation and his Gold Seal Certificate (GSC) in project management.

One of the reasons Meseyton is proud to be recognized as this year’s distinguished graduate is because of the strong connection RRC has with the heavy construction industry in Manitoba.

“RRC has provided skilled people with the technical knowledge and problem-solving skills they need,” he says. “This has given many companies the support staff needed to work on ever increasingly complex construction projects. Knowing some of the theory behind how and why things are constructed in the way they are has allowed companies to make educated, informed decisions on how to proceed with and undertake the construction of these projects.”

RRC programs that filter into the heavy construction industry take place in the Jan den Oudsten Vehicle Technology & Research Centre and the new Skilled Trades and Technology Centre (STTC), a state-of-the-art 104,000-sq-ft. facility that opened in 2018. The STTC has allowed RRC to increase its capacity for skilled trades and technologies programs by up to 1,000 additional students each year. This upgraded facility and the equipment it houses allows students to remain ahead of the curve in meeting the ever-changing demands of their chosen industries.

Meseyton was presented with the Distinguished Graduate Award on Nov. 14 at the Portage & District Chamber of Commerce’s Business Awards Celebration.

Photo credit: Sara Jane Photography