Children of Fallen Highway Workers to Receive Financial Assistance from ARTBA Foundation

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship fund is giving post-high school financial assistance for the 2023-24 school year to five children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job.

Now in its 24th year, the program was established with a gift from two Roanoke, Virginia, highway contractors and their companies Stan Lanford (1999 ARTBA chairman) of Lanford Brothers, and Jack Lanford (1991 ARTBA chairman), with Adams Construction Company.

More than 200 scholarships have been awarded to worthy students from 33 states to pursue undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as technical training. Scholarships have a value of up to $10,000 annually.

The 2023 class includes:

Amy McNeil, Lumberton, Texas
Amy’s father, Jeffrey McNeil, was killed in 2005 while working for the Texas Department of Transportation. Amy is a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas, Arlington.

Katie Hutt, Cleveland, Tenn.
Katie’s father, Chris, was struck and killed in 2006 by a passenger vehicle while installing signage for United Rentals in a highway work zone. Katie will be a junior studying architecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Jenna Jares, West, Texas
Jenna’s father, Gregory Jares, was killed in 2001 while working for the Texas Department of Transportation special crews. Jenna is a graduate student studying occupational therapy at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton.

Breana Jones, Gaston, S.C.
Breana’s father, Standra Jones, Sr., died in 2007 after being struck by a vehicle while at work for the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Breana will be entering her sophomore year at Winthrop University studying graphic design.

Joann Jones, Bluffton, Ind.
Joann’s father, Dale, was struck and killed in 2009 while working for the City of Anderson Street Department. Joann will be a senior studying biology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

About the Foundation
Established in 1985, the ARTBA Foundation is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt entity designed to promote research, education and public awareness about the impacts of transportation investment. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety training and certificates, special economic research and reports, and an exhibition on transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.