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Davis honored for career in transportation

Reprinted courtesy of the TIMES-Republican, May 11, 2009. By Andrew Potter, apotter@timesrepublican.com., Marshalltown, Ia.

A new Iowa transportation museum is eventually going to be located in Grinnell.

One Marshalltown man has been honored before the museum has even been built.

Vern Davis, longtime road and bridge construction worker with Cessford Construction, was named a transportation hero and was honored at a ceremony at the Grinnell High School auditorium May 1.

"It's a wonderful thing to have a memory of all of the things that you've done," Davis said.

Davis's daughter nominated him for the honor but did not tell him. So you can imagine his surprise when a letter came saying he was about to be honored and will have a plaque in the museum.

"It was very nice," said Davis, who spent 30 years in the business and is retired.

The ceremony itself was enjoyable for Davis as he spent time with former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray and astronaut Peggy Whitson.

Davis said he is most proud of the relationships he built with the Iowa Department of Transportation and local municipalities.

The museum is still fundraising as the construction continues.

For more information on the museum visit www.transportationheroes.org.