Thirty-one high school graduates earned $5,000, $2,500, or $500 toward their college or trade school education from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA), and its Foundation for the 2008-2009 academic school year.

The FMA Foundation scholarships are awarded annually to college- and trade or technical school-bound high school seniors and college students who seek careers in manufacturing. This year, the FMA awarded scholarships totaling $110,500 to a record 31 students from across the country.

The winners are:

$5,000 Donor Sponsored Scholarships

William Charvat IV, Elk Grove Village, Ill.
(Don & Andree Begneaud College Scholarship)

Michael Fagan, Los Altos, Calif.
(The Steel Family Charitable Fund College Scholarship)

Shama Iyer, Canton, Ohio
(Outside Processors Council (OPC) College Scholarship)

Paul Lynch, State College, Pa.
(BEGNEAUD Manufacturing Inc. College Scholarship)

Christopher McKelvey, Marmora, N.J.
(Thomas Mallan Memorial Scholarship) 

$2,500 Donor Sponsored Scholarship

John Piotrowski, Mount Laurel, N.J.
(Thomas Mallan Memorial Scholarship)

$5,000 Member Scholarship

• Justin Bush, Weyerhaeuser, Wis.
• Brian Dapore, Versailles, Ohio
• Brent Denton, Appleton, Wis.
• Benjamin Eilerman, Rossburg, Ohio
• Matthew Gonitzke , Rockford, Ill.
• Adam Koesters, Maria Stein, Ohio
• Kevin Langston, Piqua, Ohio
• Drew Mescher, Minster, Ohio
• Sharissa Murphy, White Rock, B.C., Canada
• Ben Shappie, Versailles, Ohio
• Corey Vossler, St. Marys, Ohio

$2,500  Scholarships

• Stephen Blanchard, Katy, Texas
• Daniel Cosson, New York, N.Y.
• Alanna Cummings, Long Beach, Calif.
• Cody Grebe, Milford, Mich.
• Justin Johnson, Long Beach, Calif.
• Robert Johnson, Downey, Calif.
• Tomasz Kuna, Yonkers, N.Y.
• Joseph Logsdon, Corriganville, Md.
• Brian Lutomski, Granger, Ind.
• Ryan Shenk, Suwanee, Ga.

$500 GO-Brennan Scholarships

• Alanna Cummings, Long Beach, Calif.
• Kevin Delyser, Marion, N.Y.
• Brian Freeman, Carrollton, Mo.
• Justin Johnson, Long Beach, Calif.
• Dave Larson, Ontario, N.Y.
• Gary Lawrence, Wolcott, N.Y.

To be eligible, applicants were required to be full-time students with a minimum 3.0 GPA (for a college scholarship) or a 2.0 GPA (for a trade/technical school scholarship) enrolled in an engineering or manufacturing-related course of study, or a trade or technical program that may lead to a career in manufacturing. Students were responsible for submitting academic records and an engineering or manufacturing-related program description with each application.

Everyone at the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation is saddened by the untimely death of a key member of its board of directors. Car-building legend Boyd Coddington passed away early Wednesday morning, Feb. 27, at a hospital in Whittier, Calif.

Founder of Boyd's Wheels and designer of prize-winning custom cars, Coddington won the prestigious "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" award seven times and was inducted into the Grand National Roadster Show and Street Rod Marketing Alliance Halls of Fame. Boyd set a standard for workmanship and creativity with his popular "Cadzilla" creation, considered a design masterpiece. The customized car, based on a 1950s Cadillac, was built for rocker Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

Through his cable TV reality show, "American Hot Rod," Boyd continuously introduced sheet metal work to the mainstream public.

"Boyd joined our board in October, and we were excited about working with this industry guru who so enthusiastically shared his love of metalworking," said FMA Foundation Director Terrence Egan. "Besides being one of the winningest hot rod builders of all time, he was my good friend who constantly amazed me with his creativity. My condolences go out to his wife, Jo, his family, and his employees."

Boyd also supported numerous philanthropic causes through his Boyd Coddington Foundation serving children with disabilities and kids who are terminally ill. He also took under his wing a number of individuals with Down Syndrome, training and employing them in his business.

"Boyd's work with children was an inspiration." said FMA President & CEO Gerald Shankel. "FMA is proud to have been associated with so creative an artisan in our industry, and so generous a philanthropist. We're grateful for his brief time with us."

Boyd, 63, had been hospitalized twice recently for a medical condition, but was thought to have been in recovery.

Funeral services have been set for Wednesday, March 5, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra, with a reception to follow that afternoon at Boyd Coddington Hot Rods and Collectibles.

ROCKFORD, Ill., Nov. 2007 – Boyd Coddington, James P. Bouchard and Delbert "Del" Mullens were elected to the board of directors of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA) Foundation at the group’s recent annual meeting. Each will serve a two-year term on the 15-member board, which provides governance for the FMA Foundation. 

Coddington is an internationally recognized automotive designer, builder, fabricator in the custom-fabricated hot rod industry. He is best known as the under-the-gun, deadline-stomping star of “American Hot Rod,” a show that airs on TLC, The Learning Channel. He also is owner of the Boyd Coddington Hot Rods and Collectibles based in La Habra, Calif. Coddington’s trademark billet aluminum wheels are a product that launched an industry, and today he continues to introduce sheet metal work, welding and pipe bending to the public.

Bouchard is Chairman and CEO of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, of Wheeling, W. Va., and Mullens is owner of Wesley Financial Corp. of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

[More]