Employee Spotlight
Cole Woodley --- November 2024 Employee Spotlight
“Cole was one of our first employees at Jones Contracting, and he’s been working his way up ever since he got here. He started out working as a finisher and wrenching on the paver with Jody Zumdome. From there he moved on to being our main paver operator, to now being a foreman.
Cole has a ton of job knowledge, has learned, and contributed more every year he’s been here. He’s one of the guys I can call and bounce ideas off of, and he always has solid input. I’m really proud of Cole, and I really admire his intelligence and hard work. It’s been fun to see him grow with the company.” – Patrick Jones
Visiting Kinnick Stadium on game day to see ‘The Wave’ at the end of the first quarter is one of his favorite things to do, along with hunting and fishing. Cole’s hometown is Donnellson, he doesn’t have a favorite band but mostly enjoys country music. When asked what the best piece of advice he has to give, his response was “Keep your head up and keep on keeping on!”
Thank you, Cole – for all that you do for this company!
David Zumdome --- July 2024 Employee Spotlight
“Dave is one of the sharpest guys I’ve ever worked with. Often times he knows the plans better than the guys that drew them up (Engineers). I’d hate to guess at how much money he’s saved Engineers in SE Iowa by catching their mistakes. Dave is one of the best at catching issues before they become major issues to correct.
I don’t think there’s anything Dave can’t do. He can finish, operate, and run a job about as good as anyone I know. I’m grateful to have a guy of Dave’s caliber leading our guys. He’s one of the best there is.” – Patrick Jones
Dave’s hometown is Donnellson and his first job was mowing lawns. He enjoys hunting and fishing and would like to go hunting in Canada someday. The best piece of advice he has to give is “Don’t say ‘you can’t/won’t’. Say ‘I will try’”.
Thank you, David – for all that you do for this company!
Jesse Martinez --- January 2024 Employee Spotlight
Jesse is a Laborer that has been working alongside us for 2 seasons now. His hometown is
Burlington, Iowa and his favorite place to be is home so that he can relax. When he’s not relaxing or
working, he’s probably listening to his favorite band, Bring Me The Horizon, or out skateboarding,
which is his favorite hobby.
Jesse is the first co-worker nominated Employee Spotlight in the JCC Newsletter. He is not only an
incredibly hard worker, but he’s dependable with rarely missing any work, and continuously looking
for ways to improve and grow within the Company. Recently he’s begun learning the skills that it
takes to become a Finisher. We applaud his drive and willingness to learn! Billy Kerr described him
as ‘The Comeback of the Year”. We’re proud of how far he’s come and the future that he has with the
Company.
Thank you, Jesse – for all that you do for this company!
Rick Seager --- October 2023 Employee Spotlight
Rick is originally from West Point and had his first job as a Newspaper Deliverer for the Des
Moines Register. He traveled all around the United States for work at a young age, which is
probably why his favorite place to visit is Florida, especially the Keys & Key West. Some of his
favorite things to do include cooking out while spending time with friends and family, and
listening to Big Head Todd & The Monsters. He also enjoys cruising around in his 1965 Bel Air!
When asked what the best piece of advice he had to give, his response was: “You only go around
one time, so live life to the fullest and be kind to everyone!”
One thing on Ricks bucket list is to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, with a parachute, of
course!
“Rick is usually one of the first guys in, and one of the last guys to leave. He plays a critical role
in our operation. Rick oversees making sure materials and equipment are at the job site. It can
be quite an undertaking with as much equipment as we use. He is very versatile; he can drive
trucks or help with pouring concrete. I’m very grateful he is part of our team. He’s a great guy
and you can always count on him to get the job done.” -Patrick Jones
Thank you, Rick – for all that you do for this company!
Doug Schreiber --- April 2023 Employee Spotlight
Doug is originally from Kahoka, Missouri and held his first job at the Keosauqua Sale
Barn and working on his family’s farm. Competing in rodeos and training horses are just
a couple of his hobbies, which he’s been doing since he was just 10 years old. Shimek
Forest in Donnellson is one of his favorite places to go because “there is nothing more
peaceful than just you and your horse out in nature”. Moving to Texas and owning his
own ranch is one thing on his bucket list, and when asked what the best piece of advice
he could give was, his response was: “You never know when it’s your time. So, live each
day like it’s your last”
“Doug and I have worked together for a long time. He’s fun to be around and always has
a great story. He’s a great guy that always has a positive attitude. I’m proud of him and
how much he’s grown up in both his personal and professional life. Whether it’s pouring
concrete or running equipment, Doug is a good man to have on the job site.” -Pat Jones
Thank you, Doug – for all that you do for this company!
Billy Kerr --- December 2022 Employee Spotlight
"Billy is a BEAST! He's one of the most hard working, dedicated guys I've ever worked with. He cares about quality and never cuts corners. As a saw/seal foreman, he has a very important job with our company. I appreciate all the hours and hard work he brings to the table. He brings energy everyday and makes everyone else up their game. If you're not pulling your weight on the job, Billy isn't shy about letting you know you need to step it up or hit the road. Billy is also a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. He has a lot of good ideas, and his heart is always in the right spot with trying to make us a better company. I'm proud to have him wear our shirt." -Patrick Jones
Billy's hometown is Keokuk, Iowa ("Home of the Chiefs, Hell yaaa!") and his first job was at Raiders Pre-Cast Company.
His hobbies are playing basketball, fishing, golfing, camping, and his chair time. When he's not busy with his hobbies or working, his favorite place to be is with family and friends. Love, food, and happiness are what's important to him. The best piece of advice that he has to give is: "To always live life like it's your last, because we never know. When we're young we always think we have time, but as we get older one thing to remember is our health is our wealth - 100%."
One item on Billy's bucket list is for him and his family to visit and put their feet in the Gulf of Mexico.
Thank you, Billy - for all that you do for this company!
John Marks ---- August 2022 Employee Spotlight
John started with the Company in March of 2018 as a Laborer and has since been a key employee in the Company.
When talking to John’s peers, there was one word that they continuously used to describe him: Dependable.
John is a very versatile employee with Jones Contracting Corp., whether it be flagging, setting up, pouring, sawing, truck driving, or making sure that the other crews have what they need on-site before a big pave – John has shown that he’s an employee that can be counted on.
Without being loud, in fact, typically being very quiet, John’s attitude and ability to be a team player have spoken volumes. The Company is proud to have him onboard, year after year.
John is originally from San Diego, California which is where he held his first job as a Skateboard Park Attendant at Skateboard Heaven Skate Park. San Diego is also John’s favorite vacation spot. He likes going back so that he can visit with his family and his friends. Moving from California to rural Iowa slimmed down his opportunities to skate, though one thing John doesn’t think many people know about him is that he enjoys reading and also enjoys listening to his favorite band, Audioslave.
Advice from John:
Keep your nose to the grindstone
Joe Walte Sr. ---- May 2022 Employee Spotlight
Joe started with Jones Contracting Corp. in 2015 as a Project
Superintendent. He came on board from Shipley’s, where
he had worked as a Superintendent for over 25 years.
He holds the title as Jones Contracting Corp.’s first Project
Superintendent and has played a major part of the
Company’s growth each year by leading our many crews to
reach company goals. Our daily operations are all made
possible by Joe’s hard work, extensive knowledge, and
passion for the industry.
Walte is always trying to see the brighter side of things
and to say he has been a great addition to this company is
an understatement. We appreciate his dedication to
making our company great and we are thankful to him for
continuing to teach those coming up behind him how it is
done and how to be successful in this industry.