Three honored by Nevada AGC

Margaret Cavin, whose life of service in construction began when she was a youngster, and Terry Markwell, who built Landmark Homes as a major residential developer, were honored last week by Nevada Chapter Associated General Contractors.

Markwell and Cavin received the group's SIR "Skill, Integrity, Responsibility" Award.

Also honored was Reno Mayor Bob Cashell.

Construction industry awards went to Q&D Construction as contractor of the year, J&J Mechanical Inc.

as subcontractor of the year,Gribben Harman & Associates LLC as design professional of the year and Basalite/Pacific Coast Building Products as associate of the year.

Cavin in 1996 was the first woman elected president of Nevada Chapter AGC.

She is a member of the state contractors board and a director of the Nevada Taxpayers Association.

As a youngster growing up at Hawthorne, Cavin volunteered with the Youth Conservation Corps and spent a summer building trails and restoring streams in the Smokey Valley and along Mosquito Creek.

After graduation from high school, she moved to Reno to take a job at Gruener's Furniture Store.

Not much later, she landed a job in construction and met Jerry Bastasini, her future business partner.

Together they launched J&J Mechanical Inc.

in 1982.

The plumbing and mechanical contractor today grosses more than $5 million a year.

Markwell attended schools in Reno, served in the U.S.

Marine Corps, and enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno, to study civil engineering.

While he was in college, he began work for Isbell Construction a job where he met his future partner, Marv Byars.

Markwell worked at Isbell until a month after his graduation from UNR in 1965, then joined H.M.

Byars Construction Co.

as its first employee.

Six years later, he became a vice president of the company.

While still with Byars, he launched Landmark Development Co.

During the past 15 years the company has developed residential communities and other projects in the Reno-Sparks area, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and the Lake Michigan area.

Markwell served as president of Nevada Chapter AGC in 1980 and has served on numerous state and national committees for the industry group.

The Nevada Chapter AGC honored Cashell for his skills at building consensus on the Reno City Council.

Cashell was elected mayor in 2002 after a two-decade political career that began when he was elected to the board of regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

He was the first freshman regent ever to serve as chairman of the board.

In 1982, Cashell was elected lieutenant governor and worked with Gov.

Richard Bryan on legislation creating the state's commissions on economic development and tourism.

He served as chairman of both commissions until he left office in 1986.

His company, Cashell Enterprises, owns the Alamo Travel Center and Topaz Lodge and Casino.