INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  --  Missouri S&T Alum Barry Koenemann has been named the recipient of the Great Lakes Valley Conference's 2026 Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction. A 1970 graduate, Koenemann is an alumni of the Missouri S&T Men's Basketball and Track & Field programs.

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The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) has named Barry Koenemann and Michael Ragsdale as the recipients of the 2026 Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction, it was announced by the Conference office on Thursday.

Koenemann and Ragsdale were chosen as this year's winners by the GLVC Awards Committee and will be formally recognized by the league at the GLVC Spring Awards Reception in Brentwood, Mo., on Tuesday, May 19.

A former men's basketball and track & field student-athlete at Missouri S&T, Koenemann was nominated by the Miners' administration. Ragsdale's nomination was submitted by the Rockhurst administration following a four-year career as a men's soccer student-athlete for the Hawks. The Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction is an honor that extends beyond one's collegiate career. It is presented to individuals who displays academic excellence, athletic ability and achievement, character, and leadership, while serving their institutions with personal distinction since their graduation, while also making postgraduate public or community service contributions to athletics at any level.

Barry Koenemann, Missouri S&T

A 1970 graduate of S&T, Koenemann spent one year (1968-69) on the men's basketball team and competed in discus and shot put for the track & field team in 1969. He appeared in five games for the Miners' basketball team, averaging 1.4 points per game.

Koenemann obtained his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Missouri S&T (formerly known as University of Missouri-Rolla) in 1970. He proceeded to work at Horner and Shifrin designing infrastructure before heading to R.W. Murray Co. to serve as a project manager. He later earned a promotion to Vice President of Marketing, which included leading four regional offices.

In 1991, Koenemann founded the United Construction Enterprise Company of St. Louis, serving as the owner and CEO for 35 years. The company started with just five employees and has expanded to 50 employees with over one billion dollars in revenue.

S&T Athletics Director Melissa Ringhausen said, "Barry is a builder in every sense of the word. As founder, owner, and CEO of United Construction, he built a successful company from the ground up, one rooted in excellence, mentorship, and service. But more importantly, he has spent decades building people. Young engineers, community partners, nonprofit leaders, families in crisis, and countless individuals have benefited from his steady guidance, generosity, and deeply held belief in doing the right thing, even when no one is watching."

Koenemann has been a transformational philanthropic partner across the state of Missouri, contributing to organizations such as Addiction is Real, Cardinal Glennon Children's Foundation, Humane Society of Missouri, Little Bit Foundation, S&T Athletics, S&T Order of the Golden Shillelagh, Saint Louis Zoo, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Bach Society of Saint Louis, and Wings of Hope. He serves as a board member for Wings of Hope, along with Lutheran Family and Children's Services and Reliance Bancshares Inc. At S&T, he was a member of the Board of Trustees for 10 years (2004-13) and the founding member of Miners By Design in 2011, a giving society committed to enriching experiential learning opportunities for students. Koenemann's contributions have been recognized with multiple awards from his alma mater including the Honored Founder Award (1994), Award of Professional Distinction for Civil Engineering (2000), and Alumni Achievement Award (2003).

Addiction is Real Executive Director Erin Johnston stated, "After a difficult first year of transition — both operationally and financially — Addiction is Real was at serious risk of closing its doors. Barry's full engagement gave our leadership the confidence needed to continue, stabilize, and move the organization forward. He is a hands-on leader who shows up, follows through, and brings others withhim."

Koenemann and his wife, Debbie, will celebrate 50 years of marriage this summer and currently reside in St. Louis, Missouri.
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About the Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction
The GLVC and the University of Southern Indiana lost a great leader, friend, and fan on June 29, 1999. Dr. Charles Bertram, professor and faculty athletics representative at USI and former president of the GLVC, contributed a great deal of time, energy, and effort to the league's success and was instrumental in Conference operations for many years.

In remembrance of him, the GLVC established the Dr. Charles Bertram Alumni Award of Distinction in 1999.

This award is based upon academic excellence, athletic ability and achievement, character, and leadership of former GLVC student-athletes who have served their institution with personal distinction since their graduation. Postgraduate public or community service, and/or contributions to athletics at any level, are considered during the voting process. Recipients must have graduated at least 10 years prior to receiving the award.

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