Inducted 2026
Stephen “Steve” Jackson earned his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering in 1975, but his construction career began much earlier. At age 13, he began work as a yard boy for his father’s firm, Jackson Construction in Nevada, Iowa. He continued working for the family firm every summer until graduating from Iowa State. He then joined Cedar Valley Corporation out of Waterloo as a project estimator. As he advanced through the company, he took on increasing responsibility and complexity, ultimately becoming president and CEO in 1990.
Under Jackson’s leadership, Cedar Valley Corp. expanded its workforce and regional reach, completing major interstate and highway projects across the Midwest. The company has earned over 90 state and national quality awards in the past 12 years alone.
Jackson has long supported the concrete paving industry and the construction engineering profession. He served as president of both the Iowa Concrete Paving Association and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Iowa. AGCI recognized him as member of the year in 2003, and he was elected to the AGCI Hall of Fame in 2010. Nationally, he served on the American Concrete Paving Association (ACPA) and AGC boards and was president of the ACPA in 2016. In 2016, Steve was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Business Hall of Fame. In 2022, Steve earned ACPA’s highest honor, the Hartman-Hirschman-Egan outstanding achievement award.
He has also advanced concrete paving innovation through collaborations with organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration and the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center – partnerships that helped drive advancements in all facets of concrete paving.
His dedication to Cedar Valley Corporation and the industry is reflected in the improved quality and reliability of concrete pavement built by the company’s skilled staff of professionals, operators, and craftsmen. Cedar Valley Corp. has placed over 32 million square yards of concrete paving during its 55 years in business. This equates to about 2300 miles of 24-foot-wide paving, or a distance from San Fransico to Toledo, Ohio.
Jackson has also been deeply committed to mentoring future construction engineers, serving on the Construction Engineering Industry Advisory Council at Iowa State University for 24 years. Jackson retired in March 2026 leaving a legacy of success and roadway engineering excellence.