Rosendin, an employee-owned electrical contracting company with an office in Tempe, announced that its CEO Mike Greenawalt was selected for Grand Canyon University’s Colangelo Servant Leadership Award for providing alternative career pathways for high school graduates. 

The annual recognition, first awarded in 2019, honors four prominent Arizona leaders who exemplify the ideals for which businessman Jerry Colangelo is best known: servant leadership, ethics and entrepreneurism, a release detailed.

“I am honored to be recognized as a servant leader alongside some of the most influential people in Arizona. I take tremendous pride in the partnership we built with GCU and thank everyone who helped develop this program in a way that can be repeated in other regions,” Greenawalt stated in the release.

In 2022, he partnered with GCU to develop, teach and fund a Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Electricians. The 4-credit program gives students hands-on learning, classroom instruction and work experience to decide if they want to join an apprenticeship, according to the release. Since fall of 2022, over 180 students completed the certificate program. 

“Mr. Greenawalt has been an instrumental partner to the university in creating new and innovative career paths, so we are honored to present this award to him,” stated Dean of GCU’s Colangelo College of Business John Kaites in the release. 

The program is part of Greenawalt’s long-term vision of developing partnerships with colleges, educators and businesses to create new training pipelines that prepare students and reduce workforce shortages, while also adhering to strict government and safety regulations.

“We need to shift the way we think about the building industry and embrace responsible public-private partnerships that give young adults free opportunities to launch a sustainable career that supports economic growth,” Greenawalt stated. 

Over the last 40 years, Greenawalt has had a lasting impact on the building industry, according to the release. He’s developed programs and tools to make the workplace safer, introduced training to make construction more inclusive and helped launch The Rosendin Foundation nonprofit to give back to communities.

Within months of becoming CEO, he was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately jumped into action to keep Rosendin's essential workforce safe at offices and on the project sites, the release stated. Alongside Rosendin's entire executive committee, he worked closely with multiple local and national authorities to ensure all Rosendin employees maintained their employment and worked safely.

In January 2024, Greenawalt was also recognized as Engineering News Record’s Southwest 2024 Legacy Award Winner for achieving a lifetime legacy of service within the electrical industry and local communities.