Weatherton Scholarship Awarded to Three Inspiring Students

The American Concrete Pumping Association is proud to present the 2025 recipients of the Bob Weatherton Scholarship:  Dustin Cook, Jack Broccoli and Joshua Cordes. These students embody the leadership and spirit that is integral to the legacy of the late “Big Bob” Weatherton of The Concrete Pump Store in California. Bob served on the ACPA board of directors for more than 40 years and was one of the industry’s most avid champions.

Open to eligible members and their employees and respective families, the Bob Weatherton Scholarship Fund was created for undergraduate, graduate and vocational students in fields related to concrete, concrete pumping, construction and engineering, construction management, and administration and vocational studies related to concrete pumps and trucks. Three scholarship awards are offered in the amounts of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000. Funds are paid directly to the school to cover tuition, fees, books, and/or room and board provided by the institution.

In its seventh year, the scholarship drew highly qualified and diverse candidates. Members of the ACPA Scholarship Committee served as judges, evaluating submissions separately and submitting scores individually to an independent accounting firm to tabulate the results. The three individuals receiving the greatest number of points were selected as the winners.

DUSTIN COOK

I had a coworker ask me why I go to school at night when we don’t need a formal education to run and operate concrete pumps. Little do they know that I sometimes ask myself the same question too. I am married with two kids, work full-time and am the provider of the family. After work during my free time in the evening, I attend Pierce College, working towards a degree in construction management. It can be a challenge to balance work, family, school and hobbies. However, after two years of trial and error, I believe that I have found a routine that works for me.

I have been in construction working with concrete for the entirety of my adult life. I started as a laborer, from packing concrete forms to building foundations to running and operating concrete pumps. When I started operating concrete pumps, it was the most stressful thing I had ever done, but I fell in love with it. After gaining years of experience and finding my home at Brundage-Bone, it felt like it was time to continue my education. I started with the service school of our equipment manufacturers to learn how to better troubleshoot in the field and gain some technical knowledge of concrete pumps. This pursuit of knowledge eventually turned into taking some night classes at Pierce College.

I chose construction management as a degree to pursue because of the time I had already been in construction. It felt like a logical choice. During my estimating, print reading, material and methods, and project management, I was able to see what I was learning on the job and relate it to how processes functioned. Being at the job site also gave me the opportunity to ask foremen and project managers what they were doing and why. I was able to go home and better understand my coursework after being on the job site and seeing the work firsthand.  

I love my job today. Every day is a different adventure with different customers in different parts of Washington State. I was always told to remain teachable, because even after years of doing this, I am learning new stuff every day — sometimes in the heat of an emergency, through other operators, or from our skillful mechanics. There is more to pumping concrete than just pumping concrete, and I am on a journey to learn it all.

My main goal for obtaining the Big Bob Weatherton Scholarship is to help with the financial burden of paying for school. I would use the scholarship to help pay for classes, textbooks and school supplies.

JACK BROCCOLI

My name is Jack Broccoli. I have six years of construction experience but have been around it my entire life. My father owns several construction-oriented companies, including Colorado Concrete Pumping in northern Colorado. I grew up on the job site seeing all the different trades working and have been able to get experience with several of these trades. Construction stands out to me because of the hands-on work, project impact and work environment. Being able to see what my work is accomplishing and experiencing entire projects from start to end is one of the most rewarding parts of construction.

I am going into my last year at Colorado State University to obtain my bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance, with a minor in construction management. My chosen degree in business administration/finance has a focus on real estate and real estate investments. The minor in construction management has exposed me to scheduling, estimating, plan reading and public speaking by way of various projects.

My commitment to my family’s companies has led me to work in a variety of positions. I began working as a technician working with superintendents in several developments, building single family homes. I was able to work through and see the entire process of building the homes. I then spent two summers working for a framing company, learning to build homes, read the plans and work with others to maintain a schedule and level of quality. Most recently I have been working with the purchasing department of the company, doing submittals, takeoffs and scrubs for upcoming builds.

Between class projects and work in the field, I have taken initiative in many projects to bring them to completion. I have worked with a wide range of people, from students my age or younger to carpenters who have been in the trades longer than I have been alive. I have learned that each project requires you to adapt to new obstacles with new approaches. My long-term goals are to own a business in the construction industry. I want to do either single-family residential construction or real estate development. I want to be a name that the community knows they can turn to for honest and quality work. This scholarship would help me further my education and set me up to go straight into my career after I earn my degree. I want to thank the Big Bob Weatherton Scholarship Fund for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

JOSH CORDES

My name is Josh Cordes. All my life I have loved trucks, motors and technical things that get my mind racing, things that I have enjoyed throughout my life so far. Now I have an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge. I will be attending Montana State University–Northern to work towards a bachelor’s degree in diesel technology, and also have the great opportunity to play football for them.

With my father Jeff Cordes working for Brundage-Bone, I have grown up seeing larger-than-life concrete pumps my entire life. However, I want to expand my knowledge and expertise from simply seeing and admiring them to maintaining them and becoming an expert in diesel engines of all types. I have had the opportunity to see them up close; now I want to learn how they operate, and learn the deep aspects and components of any big rig or machine. MSU–Northern provides one of the best diesel technology programs in the country to enable me to do just that. The opportunity this scholarship presents, combined with the prestigious program in diesel technology that MSU–Northern offers, will give me the opportunity to make this dream a reality and allow me to fully focus on school.

I have always wanted to work and fix things since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated with motors and how things work. But that focus changed to diesel motors when I saw videos of these awesome trucks and semis going down the road. Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to help my dad with fixing things. Anytime he was outside working on cars, I was out there learning and helping as much as I could. He’s taught me how to use tools and ways to get around problems; he’s taught me how to diagnose issues based on the symptoms of the car. He’s helped me learn a ton of things, and now I am very confident when working on vehicles. I feel comfortable diagnosing symptoms and repairing them.

For the last three-and-a-half years, while going to school and playing football, I’ve had a job as a cook at Angie’s Restaurant in downtown Castle Rock, Colorado. I’ve always been hardworking and always listen to directions. Dedication to any job requires me to work my hardest when I need to and show that I care about the task at hand. I’ve been taught a lot by working there and staying there for so long. I’ve learned how to communicate with coworkers, and through the bosses who are the owners, I’ve learned problem-solving and how to help others when they need it.

My career goals are to work at a very good company such as CAT, Peterbilt, John Deere, maybe even Putzmeister, Schwing or Brundage-Bone some day! Maybe I will be able to open my own shop one day — it is one of my dreams. I am already 609-certified, which helped me learn more about the things I can do. This opportunity would help me get a foundation under me after college and help me get to work and continue my dream.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for taking your time to review this application and hopefully considering me for the scholarship opportunity.