Applications available for Lean scholarships

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The winners of the 2025 Erickson Strong Scholarship are Alicia Carella of Roman Electric and Tony Ramos of Plumbers Local 75. The scholarships cover the costs for the recipients to attend the 2025 LCI Congress to be held Oct. 20-24, 2025, in Arlington, Texas.

The winners were announced at the Fifth Annual Lean Golf Outing on July 28 and presented by Shauna Boyer of The Boldt Co. and Steve Adkins, principal at CornerStone One.

The Erickson Strong Scholarship was created to encourage Wisconsin residents who are early in their lean journey to attend the annual LCI Congress. The scholarship honors the memory of Mark Erickson and his commitment to educational and professional growth within lean construction.

“As a student at MSOE pursuing dual degrees in Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, I believe attending this event will provide me with valuable insight into how Lean thinking can be integrated into every phase of the construction process, from preconstruction planning to project closeout. Lean construction offers a framework for minimizing waste, optimizing workflows and applying a culture of respect and accountability. These values align with my vision for the kind of leader I want to become in the construction industry,” said Alicia Carella.

“I was introduced to LEAN while working at Grunau, and it had a lasting effect on the direction of my career path in plumbing over the past 20-plus years.” Tony Ramos said.

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2026 scholarship to the 28th Annual LCI Congress, scheduled for Oct. 13-16, 2026. To learn more about the scholarship, go to cstoneone.com/erickson-strong-scholarship-2026.