Raymond
C. Kestner, Class of '55
Raymond C. Kestner, (retired) City Manager/Director Public
Works of Houghton, Michigan, graduated from Michigan Tech
with a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering in 1955.
At Michigan Tech he was a member of the ASCE student chapter,
Vice President of the Varsity Club, a member of Kappa Delta
Psi, and was a four-year letter winner in varsity hockey.
Following graduation he spent two years overseas in the Navy
Seabees. After returning to civilian life he spent five years
as a Paving and Quality Control Engineer on the K.I. Sawyer
and Kincheloe Air Force Bases. He then went on to form the
Michigan Testing & Drilling Company of Detroit, Michigan
along with two partners. During the next eleven years, Michigan
Testing & Drilling became a nationally recognized firm
and is listed on the Engineering News Record 500. In 1971,
Ray returned to Houghton where he served as the City Manager
and Director of Public Works through 1997.
Ray
received the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce "Person
of the Year" Award in 1982, was selected as the Copper
Country "Man of the Year" by the Chamber of Commerce
in 1984, received the MTU Distinguished Service Award in 1988,
and the Rotary Community Service Award in 1989. He is credited
as being the visionary responsible for the revitalization
of Houghton which resulted in the city receiving the Community
of Excellence Award from the State of Michigan for 1987-1989
and 1991. In 1989 he gave a presentation in Washington D.C.
describing Houghton's shoreline development at the Waterfront
Development Conference sponsored by the National League of
Cities. He has also served as the Co-Chairman of Michigan
Tech's Century II Campaign, Copper Country Phase. He and his
wife, Janet, reside in Houghton and have seven children, all
of whom are Michigan Tech graduates.
|
