The $285.5 million project – the largest construction project ever on the UW campus – also will include South Hall, which is still under construction, but will be ready for students during the second semester of 2026. These new facilities are the first new residence halls for UW students in 60 years.

Construction began in November 2022, with JE Dunn Construction chosen as the general contractor. North Hall has 410 beds, and South Hall will have 542 beds.

“The addition of the new dormitories and Dining Center makes UW an even more wonderful place for Wyoming students to further their education,” said Kermit C. Brown, Chairman of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees. “They provide a healthy and stimulating living environment conducive to success at the college level. I look forward to seeing the many ways our students will benefit from these improvements.”

The impetus for the project is largely about the quality of student life, Brown said. The new halls are designed to better foster UW’s robust Freshman Interest Groups and Living-Learning Communities, where students share classes and activities with their residence hall neighbors who share similar interests and majors. The five- and six-story halls offer single-use bathrooms and a variety of room types, including doubles, singles, semi-suites with a private bath, and semi-suites with a shared bath. The new halls are centrally located next to the Wyoming Union and Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center.

The buildings total more than 300,000 square feet: North Hall is 183,029 square feet, including a 71,258-square-foot dining hall on the main and mezzanine levels; South Hall is 123,853 square feet. The architect, alm2s, partnered with Plan One of Cheyenne, and Mackey Mitchell Architects of St. Louis on the design.

“It’s been a great experience partnering with the University of Wyoming and alm2s on this important addition to campus life,” said Will Peterson, JE Dunn Project Director. “Watching student excitement build over the last couple of years has been really rewarding, and we’re proud to deliver a space designed for students to live, dine, and connect. We’re excited to stay on campus as we move toward completing the South Hall for the Spring semester.”

The two-story Dining Hall, with nine serving stations that will cater to a large audience including students, faculty, staff, and Laramie residents, should become a hub for campus life.

“We want to welcome not just our new students, but all of campus and Laramie to what we think is going to be a wonderful dining experience,” said Vaishali Parag Chitnis, Associate Director for UW’s Dining Services. “Our new stations feature state-of-the-art equipment, and our executive chefs, Mathew Branson and Kunal Sinha, are extremely creative and talented and lead a dedicated team of chefs and cooks.”

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The awarded grants include:

Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region – $150,000

Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region has been awarded a $150,000 Cornerstone Grant for an HVAC system replacement at the E.A. Tutt Club. This initiative addresses the urgent need for a safe and climate-controlled environment for the Club’s youth, staff, and volunteers by replacing non-functioning rooftop heating and cooling units. The grant will fund the installation of new HVAC systems that will improve air quality, regulate temperature, reduce allergens, and create a healthier, more comfortable space for learning and development. With this upgrade, the Club will be able to resume vital programming, including summer camps, and better serve the 1,300 youth who rely on its services—72% of whom live at, or below, the poverty line. This project is a foundational step in ensuring that every child has a safe, supportive space to grow and thrive.

“We’ve tried to address air conditioning at this club for 24 years,” said the Club’s CEO, James Sullivan. “The opportunity for young people to be in a building where they can be comfortable only enhances our ability to be more impactful. It’s a significant contribution at $150,000; that’s almost unheard of in our world. It’s so significant, but the partnership goes even further than just this. We actually go back almost 10 years with projects,” Sullivan says. “I would ask other corporations to model JE Dunn.”

Judi’s House/JAG Institute – $50,000

Judi’s House received a $50,000 Cornerstone Grant for its core group therapy program, Pathfinders. Pathfinders provides developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, grief support to children and caregivers navigating the death of a loved one. The grant will help fund direct program costs, including staff salaries and therapeutic materials used in their Pathfinders curriculum. Through art, play, and psychoeducation, the program fosters healing and connection while building healthy coping skills. Offered both onsite and in approximately 20 schools across Metro Denver, Pathfinders ensures access to care for families regardless of income. With 1 in 12 Colorado children expected to experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18, this program plays a vital role in promoting resilience and long-term well-being.

After losing his mother to cancer at age 12, former NFL quarterback Brian Griese and his wife, Dr. Brook Griese, founded Judi’s House. The Aurora-based nonprofit offers free grief counseling to children and families. With its research arm, JAG Institute, Judi’s House is a national leader in childhood bereavement care.

“Attending Pathfinders promotes healthy development among bereaved youth and their caregivers, leading to improved health, strong relationships, academic success, job stability, and self-confidence,” said Judi’s House CEO Micki Burns, PhD. “We applaud JE Dunn and its employees for valuing this important work.”

The 2025 Cornerstone Campaign underscores JE Dunn’s dedication to making a tangible difference in the communities where its employees live and work.

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Mark Reilly, President – West Region, is among the dedicated individuals who have built their careers at JE Dunn. After graduating from Kansas State University in 1984, he applied to work at JE Dunn’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Reilly quickly rose among the ranks, most notably helping JE Dunn expand outside of Kansas City. In 1997, Reilly was asked to relocate to Oregon to act as the Senior Project Manager on the Oregon State Prison Two Rivers Correctional Facility project. This was the largest project for JE Dunn at that time and set many standards for how the firm delivered work outside of their home base in Kansas City. Reilly said, “the Two Rivers project was the most impactful project of my career because I had to prove myself and do it without the comfort of being in Kansas City. It wasn’t easy but was one of my favorite projects because we had such a great project team from JE Dunn, the owner, design teams, and trade partners.” After the success of that project, the sky was the limit for new JE Dunn offices to begin emerging across the United States.

Two prominent team members that have worked alongside Reilly their entire careers at JE Dunn include Scott Pashman, General Superintendent, and Jason Crookshank, Group Manager. Pashman and Crookshank understand that this industry can be demanding, but also very rewarding when the effort is put in. Pashman said, “I’ve worked in seven states within my 34 years at JE Dunn and I understand that your reputation needs to be earned, not inherited. We are on a collective journey, and I know we will all go through difficult challenges, but what keeps me here is knowing we will always get through it together.” Crookshank has worked in multiple departments within the company from Project Management, to Self Perform, to serving as a process improvement champion. When asked why he has stayed with JE Dunn, he replied, “The integrity of the company. I have never been asked or put into a position that would be considered unethical, which is really important to me.”

JE Dunn’s local Rocky Mountain office lead, Dustin Liljehorn, has also spent the entirety of his career at JE Dunn. Beginning in Kansas City, Liljehorn transferred to Denver in 2001 to work on a remodel project for GSA Building 25 at the Denver Federal Center. Since then, he has led some of the firm’s largest and most complex projects, including the Spire Condos in Denver and the Wyoming Capitol Square project. When asked about his mindset behind leading one of the largest offices for JE Dunn, Liljehorn responded, “I hope I’m making it a place where people want to come work and grow their careers. I’ve found that each generation brings a different and valuable perspective, so effectively guiding and growing multiple generations is an important focus of mine.”

The main theme that rang true throughout all the interviews was the people at JE Dunn are what make it a great place to grow your career. Michelle Ott started as a Marketing Coordinator in 2002 and is now Vice President – Marketing Operations Director. Ott summed up her colleagues as “genuine and humble people.” Adding, “I’ve had a number of great mentors and managers throughout her career and have benefited from the confidence gained when people believe in you before you even believe in yourself.” Jason Thomas, Senior Superintendent, agreed with Ott about the culture and people at JE Dunn, saying, “JE Dunn has a solid reputation, they treat me well, pay me well, and are always thinking about my family when I’m asked about a remote assignment. The people are great, and we’ve all grown together. In general, I have just lucked out, JE Dunn is a great company to work for.”

These and similar sentiments were echoed by all 20 of the employees that were interviewed, from superintendents to supporting departments and after two decades of dedicated service with JE Dunn, it is evident that the bond among these team members extends far beyond mere colleagues; they have become a tightly knit community. Through countless projects, challenges, and triumphs, they have forged a collective identity rooted in shared experiences and mutual respect. Their enduring commitment speaks volumes about JE Dunn’s culture and the rewarding nature of their work. In an industry characterized by constant change, their steadfastness serves as a testament to the enduring power of loyalty, dedication, and friendship.

The employees interviewed for this article include:

• Bob Zanzig, Senior Superintendent, 41 years
• Mark Reilly, President – West Region, 39 years
• Scott Pashman, General Superintendent, 34 years
• Jason Crookshank, Group Manager, 30 years
• Marty Rickett, Senior Project Manager, 29 years
• Dustin Liljehorn, Rocky Mountain Office Lead, 27 years
• Brian Holthaus, Senior Project Manager, 27 years
• Jason Thomas, Senior Superintendent, 27 years
• Jason Oltman, Group Manager – Healthcare, 26 years
• Matt Bilstein, Project Director, 25 years
• James Anderson, Preconstruction Services Director, 24 years
• Judy Freeman, Senior Project Coordinator, 23 years
• Jennifer Eng, Learning and Development Manager, 23 years
• Brandon Moore, Vice President – Healthcare, 23 years
• Casey Wolf, Senior Superintendent, 23 years
• Tony Scovel, Senior Superintendent, 22 years
• Rose Lovato, Executive Administrative Assistant, 21 years
• Michelle Ott, Marketing Strategy and Operations Director, 21 years
• Lissa Shaw, Project Manager, 21 years
• Mike Tilbury, Advanced Industries Director, 21 years
• Vince Stellino, Senior Project Manager, 20 years

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JE Dunn’s Building a Legacy program will allow CYO to improve four docks allowing wheelchair accessibility and fishing from a seated position. This project will provide CYO to offer high quality programming to those with any level of ability and will include path access from their large pavilion to the fishing areas. In addition, CYO will expand upon a project JE Dunn completed in 2020 to lead people over an ADA accessible bridge to the archery range where those who are in a wheelchair or have limited mobility will be able to participate in archery activities. The CYO property is named Swift Ponds after Louis Swift who gifted the land to CYO in 2007. Swift had a child who was disabled and was determined to create opportunities for him to participate in outdoor recreation. He installed a dock that was partially submerged so that those in a wheelchair or with limited mobility could put their feet in the water while fishing to engage all their senses. It was never completed so CYO is eager to honor Louis and his vision by installing I-Beams and concrete pylons to make this dream come to fruition.

“This gift is a capstone of the many gifts that we’ve received from the JE Dunn family. It’s a signature to how invested that company, the JE Dunn family, is in our community,” said Bob Hewson, President and CEO of Colorado Youth Outdoors. “Through financial support, through labor support, really through missional support, our two organizations can come together yet again to celebrate something so special. We’re very thankful, extremely humbled, and we love our relationship with JE Dunn.”

JE Dunn employees nominated and voted on a variety of organizations to settle on the final 10 recipients.

“It’s our goal to celebrate the Centennial and the incredible impact JE Dunn has had on the communities where we live and work,” JE Dunn Community Impact Director Nancy Phelps said. “It’s an incredible honor to recognize these amazing organizations and help them further their mission.”

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Memorial Health System is a city-owned health system that operates without the use of city tax support. Funded through the reinvestment of revenues and the philanthropic efforts of the Memorial Health System Foundation, Memorial Health System consistently provides over $70 million annually in un-reimbursed care to uninsured/underinsured patients. Memorial Hospital North allows Memorial Health System to continue meeting the needs of their growing community.

For Memorial Hospital North the team set out to create a warm atmosphere that not only focused on meeting the patient’s medical needs, but also on providing total patient comfort. Located on an 82-acre site at Briargate Parkway and Union Boulevard the first of three hospital buildings was designed with three elliptical shaped wings. The 224,000 SF, 89 bed, hospital features entire columns constructed of glass at the end of each wing and a two-story atrium that fill the building with natural light. The private rooms, serene gardens, and family areas contribute to a healing environment for patients and visitors. Additionally, this modern hospital of the future provides a full range of state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services.

With a combination of soothing surroundings and the latest in medical advancements, Memorial Hospital North offers state-of-the-art medical technology in a patient centered environment.

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