Thursday, November 7, 2024
By: Joey Mazzaferro
With the city of Atlanta’s history as an Olympic host, they are used to seeing people take home the gold. And this year is no different as the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning awarded this year’s Gator GOLD Award to Wayne Wadsworth.
GOLD stands for Gator Outreach for Leadership and Development and Wadsworth is a very deserving recipient of that honor. This award is presented annually to someone who creates a standard for the work DCP alumni and friends do to support the college and students. Not only does the award recognize a distinguished individual, but it is also an avenue for those who no longer live in Gainesville to support DCP students in their academic careers and future endeavors.
Wadsworth, recently retired as CEO of Holder Construction, has been an advocate for the college and has supported it in many ways. He has mentored countless students, served in college advisory positions and given philanthropically. In 2019, Wadsworth was inducted into the Rinker Construction Hall of Fame and served for more than 20 years as a member of the Rinker School Industry Advisory Board.
“Wayne Wadsworth has had a tremendous influence on our college,” DCP Dean Chimay Anumba said. “He has served on advisory boards, made major financial and other contributions, and mentored numerous students and professionals, including one of the latest inductees into the Rinker School’s Construction Hall of Fame, Beth Lowry. Wayne’s legacy can be seen in these countless mentees, in addition to his own considerable professional accomplishments as a project manager and industry leader.”
“I think we all know that we are blessed that this is the preeminent institution, as a university, as a college and as a school,” Wadsworth said. “And I’m so thankful for it providing the skills and the knowledge to launch my career. I never dared to dream the career that I was going to be able to have with Holder Construction. I recently retired as CEO just a few months ago. And it’s been a 35-year ride. It’s just been an amazing experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I would not have had that opportunity if Rinker did not have the reputation that it did to attract the very best companies. So appreciative for that.”
As then-executive vice president of Holder, Wadsworth served as the principal in charge of the team of contractors that built Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which serves as the home of the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and the SEC Football Championship game. And on January 20, 2025, the stadium will host the 2024-2025 College Football Championship Game.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium includes many world’s firsts, like the roof that opens like a camera lens and the halo display, a five-story circular video board that was the largest LED display in all of sports at the time of the stadium opening.
The Gator GOLD Award was given at the Gator Gold Gala event in front of many of Wadsworth’s friends and industry peers. Not only did the event serve as a celebration of all he has done for the college and the construction industry, proceeds from the event went directly towards supporting DCP student travel to conferences, study abroad programs, research and scholarships. This event could not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of The Benoit Group and Southeast Concrete Systems.
“I just want to say thank you,” Wadsworth said. “And to say what a privilege it has been to be part of this school and part of the college and part of the university. It’s only getting better, and it’s just been a joy to continue to give back to the school and give back to future generations because it is getting better and better every single year.”
