GSCC alumna Melissa Herkt, noted civil engineer, to speak at school's fundraising gala

Greg Bailey, Gadsden Times
·2 min read

Gadsden State Community College’s Cardinal Foundation is hosting the inaugural Cardinalidae Gala 6 p.m. Sept 14 in the Beck Conference Center on the Wallace Drive Campus, with a distinguished alumna of the school as guest speaker.

The event includes dinner, an auction and a film, according to a news release from the college. The purpose is fundraising to support such things as facility enhancements and improvements, new programs and scholarships for students at GSCC’s five campuses.

Melissa Herkt, a graduate of Gadsden State Community College and Auburn University, has had a distinguished career in civil engineering.
Melissa Herkt, a graduate of Gadsden State Community College and Auburn University, has had a distinguished career in civil engineering.

Guest speaker is Melissa Herkt, a Gadsden State graduate who went on to a stellar career in civil engineering.

She attended GSCC and Auburn University — she was the first co-op student for Alabama Power Co. — and has received the Outstanding Alumni Award at both schools.

Herkt later became the first female engineer posted overseas with Exxon, according to the release, and served as a construction engineer on a $30 million project in Denmark.

She later became Exxon’s first female construction manager, leading projects valued at $700 million in the United Kingdom, Denmark and France.

Herkt served president of Process Systems and Solutions-Americas, where she led 4,000 employees and supervised industries with close to $900 million in revenue.

She is a member of the National Academy of Construction and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

“We are elated that Melissa is sharing her story with us at the Gala,” said Tommie Goggans III, president of the Cardinal Foundation Board of Directors. “She has been breaking barriers in the field of engineering since 1977. Her success paved the way for future generations of women in the field of civil engineering. She has an inspiring and captivating story that began at Gadsden State Community College.”

Individual tickets are $75 each, and sponsorships ranging from $600 for a table for eight to $10,000 as a Presenting Sponsor are available. For more information, visit gadsdenstate.edu/cardinalfoundation or call John Roberson, GSCC’s director of Advancement and Alumni Relations, at 256-549-8377.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: GSCC alumna Melissa Herkt to speak at school's fundraising gala