CCEE alum named to AGC Hall of Fame/Legacy
CCEE alumnus Berry G. Jenkins, Jr. was named among the Carolinas Associated General Contractors (AGC) Class of 2024 Hall of Fame/Legacy winners. Jenkins will be honored posthumously at the 2024 Summer Summit in August.
Jenkins earned his BSCE in 1965. He began his career in the transportation industry with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and served in various leadership positions, including resident engineer, state construction engineer, and state construction and materials branch manager, before retiring in 1997 as the deputy highway administrator of preconstruction. While at NCDOT, he was devoted to process improvements and worker safety and was instrumental in the development of the sedimentation and erosion control program. Jenkins received several awards including State Government Manager of the Year, Governor’s Award of Excellence, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine — the highest award that can be given for civilians in North Carolina. In 1997, after retiring from NCDOT, Jenkins began working with the Carolinas Associated General Contractors (CAGC) as North Carolina director, N.C. government relations highway-heavy division. During his 22-year tenure, he helped strengthen relationships between highway contractors and NCDOT through his leadership of several joint committees and specialty committees. As a tremendous advocate for transportation in the N.C. legislature, Jenkins was instrumental in securing additional funding and advancing solutions to achieve long-term sustainable revenue alternatives for transportation. Jenkins was a founding member of NC Go!, which provides education and advocacy for transportation funding; he served as the organization’s chairman of the board of directors for many years. In addition, Jenkins was always looking for ways to improve worker safety, particularly in construction work zones, and worked diligently to have fines for speeding in work zones increased. In 2016, Jenkins received the Build with the Best Pinnacle award from CAGC for his contributions to the construction industry. He retired from CAGC in 2019. Jenkins was a passionate Wolfpack fan who was a longtime member of the Wolfpack Club. He was an advocate for NC State and the engineering department and served on the board of directors for the NC State Engineering Foundation.