10/08/2026
Some people leave a mark on an organization that is hard to put into words. For CCDI, Dan Lester is one of those people. As Dan closes his 12-year chapter at Clayco, we want to recognize someone who has been part of CCDI’s story since the very beginning.
More than 11 years ago, Dan helped turn an idea into an opportunity for young people who may have never considered a career in construction. Drawing from his own experience with INROADS, he created what would become CCDI’s Saturday Academy, a program built around exposure, mentorship, and connecting young people with an industry full of opportunity.
In those early days, that meant driving around North St. Louis County on Saturday mornings to pick up students who needed a ride. It meant showing up for five students in a room with the same energy and enthusiasm he would eventually bring to a jobsite filled with 4,000 construction workers.
And somewhere along the way, those five students turned into hundreds of young people discovering careers, building confidence, and finding mentors who believed in them.
Dan’s impact is reflected in people like Malik Johnson, CCDI’s very first student, who went on to become a journeyman pipefitter with Local 562 and is now giving back as a mentor himself. These relationships are a reminder that the greatest measure of this work isn’t always found in numbers, but in the lives and careers that continue to grow because someone took the time to care.
Sometimes this work moves so quickly that we forget to slow down and take it all in. We forget about the people behind the scenes who make the phone calls, build the relationships, open the doors, and somehow find the time to make it all come together.
Dan did all of that and more. He helped connect the construction industry with the next generation of talent, challenged people to see potential in others, and brought an energy to every room that is difficult to replicate. Anyone who has watched Dan pull a presentation out of thin air and command an entire audience knows that his ability to connect with people is a rare gift.
And he did so much of this while raising a young family, traveling across the country for work, and volunteering countless hours because he believed in what CCDI could become.
There is no way to capture everything Dan has contributed to CCDI or the construction industry in a single post. But we hope he knows how much those years of service, mentorship, friendship, and dedication have meant to our organization.
Dan, we are proud to be part of your story, just as you will always be part of ours. Thank you for believing in this mission before there was much of a program to believe in, and for helping build something that will continue to impact young people for years to come. You’re a special human, and we are grateful for you.
