Dean Lodmell receives prestigious community leadership award

Longtime engineer, construction manager and community volunteer Dean Lodmell received the Southeast Washington Association of School Administrators Community Leadership award June 11 at the organization’s annual banquet in Richland.

“Dean’s career in engineering and construction management has benefited the staff and students of Walla Walla Public Schools and the Walla Walla community for decades,” said Superintendent Dr. Bill Jordan. “

Lodmell grew up in Walla Walla and graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1952. He attended Whitman College in Walla Walla before moving on to Columbia University to continue his education in civil and structural engineering. As a young man and recent college graduate, he was hired to help manage construction of Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. He worked on several dam projects in the 1960s and eventually landed in Pakistan to construct highways and bridges. He also worked for seven years in New York City during the 1970s building tunnels. Lodmell’s influence on local construction is also vast. He was the construction manager for the Walla Walla Regional Airport Terminal, Key Tech Facility, Penrose Library at Whitman, and Walla Walla College Administration Building.

For years, Lodmell has served on the Walla Walla Public Schools Community Facilities Task Force. This group assists in the development of long-range facility improvement plans, provides recommendations to the district for facility improvements and serves as a key communicator during bond campaigns to inform the public about projects on the ballot.

In the early 2000s, Lodmell served as the district’s construction project manager for the Sharpstein Elementary modernization. He would conduct onsite reviews, study plans, meet with the contractor and sub-contractors and provide progress reports to the superintendent on all aspects of the project. Modernizing a 100-year-old community treasure was no easy task and Lodmell’s insight and expertise was critical to ensuring a quality project for the staff, students and community. The building remains one of the more popular architectural attractions in Walla Walla.

In recent years, Lodmell has assisted with the review of building designs for Walla Walla High School as part of the district bond preparation process. For the past year, he has assisted with the development of a new all-weather track for Walla Walla High School. The project is expected to break ground this summer and be completed in the fall.

Lodmell has been married to Betty since 1986. Betty owns and operates Betty’s Preschool. She has been in business in Walla Walla since 1962 and has helped more than 3200 students get ready for kindergarten. 

PHOTO L-R: Superintendent Dr. Bill Jordan, Betty and Dean Lodmell