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 When Gary Jorgensen ’60 graduated from Cornell with degrees in
math and economics and business, he planned to settle into the family
construction business in Clinton, Iowa. But before long the Iowa
economy failed and with so many family members in the firm, Jorgensen
decided to take a risk.
He landed in a Milwaukee firm for
three years before becoming a partner in a small firm, Voss Hrdlicka
Inc., now VJS Construction Services, in Pewaukee, Wis. Since 1976 that
firm has grown from 20 employees to nearly 200. When his family’s
construction business closed, Jorgensen hired his brother. He also
brought two of his sons into the business.
Now Jorgensen is
phasing into retirement and lives in Naples, Fla., four months a year.
One of his sons is president of VJS, and another son is president of
the firm’s development arm.
“I’m not ready to retire yet,” he says. “I’m having too much fun with my boys.”
VJS
has a variety of specialties, including school buildings, churches,
medical and senior care, high-rise housing, and airplane hangars.
Jorgensen has served his profession by being active for 25 years on the
board of Wisconsin's largest construction industry trade association,
the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee, and on the
national board, Associated General Contractors of America.
Jorgensen and his wife, Cornell trustee Judy Hesler Jorgensen ’60,
retired dean of academic support for Waukesha County Technical College,
are major supporters of the college, both as members of the Presidents
Society and through Judy’s leadership.
“We established our life
together through Cornell. We feel really fortunate. Our careers were
established through Cornell, and that’s why we’ve been so supportive of
Cornell,” he says. “It’s just a special place.”
Through Extraordinary Opportunities: The Campaign for Cornell College,
the Jorgensen’s gifts will enhance the Cornell experience by increasing
the college’s endowment, upgrading its facilities, and enhancing the
academic program.
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