Leo A. Vecellio, Sr., a native of Amherstdale, West Virginia, received his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1938. While a student, Mr. Vecellio was involved in numerous activities, including the Student Government Association, serving as President of his freshman, sophomore and junior classes. During his senior year, he was President of the Corps of Cadets and a member of the Cotillion Club and the University Honor System.



Leo also played football for four years at Virginia Tech, and the university later honored him for his accomplishments on the field and in the classroom during the Sports Celebrity Breakfast held in conjunction with the 1977 Tobacco Bowl Festival in Richmond.



Vecellio and Grogan, Inc., was founded in December 1938 when Leo's father, Enrico Vecellio, and his brother-in-law, Eugene Grogan, formed a partnership to repair a Beckley, West Virginia, street for $6,900. From that beginning-equipped with three trucks and some hand tools-Vecellio and Grogan grew into one of the largest highway construction and mining firms in the East, with more than 1,200 employees and headquarters in Beckley, West Virginia, and West Palm Beach, Florida.



Leo Vecellio became President and CEO of the company, and also held several other corporate offices, including Chairman and Director of three companies in Florida. In addition, he served as founding President and Director of both the Contractors Association of West Virginia and the West Virginia Mining and Reclamation Association. He also was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers.



Along with his wife, Evelyn, Mr. Vecellio was active in church and philanthropic activities. In 1974, the couple were selected to receive the annual religious award presented by the Knights of Columbus in Beckley for work done on behalf of their parish and community. In 1982, Mr. Vecellio was named the State of West Virginia's Outstanding Italian-American during the annual Italian Festival in Clarksburg.



Of particular pride to the Vecellios is the Vecellio Family Foundation, Inc., for which Leo served as President. Established in 1972 by family members, the Foundation provides grants for higher education, employee scholarships, youth and social service agencies, art groups, health services, and church support. Mr. Vecellio's belief in the importance of education was further demonstrated by his service as a Trustee and Trustee Emeritus of Beckley College, now the College of West Virginia, which awarded him an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of his many contributions.



Mr. Vecellio was an active supporter of Virginia Tech and was one of the early members of the College of Engineering Committee of 100. The Virginia Tech College of Engineering honored him in 1988 as the Distinguished Alumnus for that year. The Vecellio family has other close ties to the university. Like his father, Leo, Jr., received his Civil Engineering degree from the university, in 1968, and serves on the Committee of 100. The Vecellios' daughter, Patricia, was a post-doctoral Fellow and an adjunct professor in Biology at Virginia Tech, and her husband, Gary Rogers, received his Ph.D. from the university in Mining and Minerals Engineering.



In 1979, the Vecellios began spending much of their time in Palm Beach, Florida, where Leo died in April 1996. Evelyn continues to reside in Palm Beach and Flat Top Lake, West Virginia. Leo, Jr., is Chairman, President and CEO of Vecellio and Grogan Subsidiaries, now a major golf course builder as well, under the name Ranger Golf.