CMiC Pledges $10 Million to Advance the Construction Industry in Memory of its Founder, Allen S. Berg

The initial $3 million grant to the ACE Mentor Program of America establishes the
CMiC-Allen Berg Memorial Scholarship Awards to help students pursue careers in the construction industry.

TORONTO, April 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - CMiC announced today a pledge of $10 million to advance the construction industry in memory of its founder, Allen S. Berg. The initial $3 million grant establishes the CMiC-Allen Berg Memorial Scholarship Awards, administered through the ACE Mentor Program of America. The awards will recognize outstanding high school students each year—from every corner of the U.S.—who demonstrate promise in architecture, construction or engineering. Specifically, the grant includes a donation of $500,000 each year for an initial period of six years to the ACE Mentor Program. Winners will be recognized each April during an awards dinner and ceremony, with the first selection and announcement of recipients anticipated in the spring of 2019.

"We are delighted with this extremely generous gift and incredibly grateful to the family of the late Allen Berg and the leadership team at CMiC," stated Diana Eidenshink, President of the ACE Mentor Program. "Our organization, which annually supports more than 9,000 students from 1,000 high schools across the U.S., engages sponsors and volunteer mentors to expose these students to real-world opportunities while financially supporting their continued advancement in architecture, construction and engineering careers. With this gift, the ACE Mentor Program will greatly enhance its impact, especially as we identify more high potential kids from less fortunate communities for whom participation in our programs will be life changing," added Ms. Eidenshink.

The family of the late Allen Berg created The CMiC-Allen Berg Initiative in 2018 to preserve and extend Mr. Berg's rich legacy as he passed away prematurely from cancer in 2015.  Mr. Berg earned scholarships to study Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, followed by an advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering and work towards a Ph.D. in Mathematics. In 1974, at age 26, he founded CMiC—which grew to become the leading innovator of software solutions for the construction industry.

Mr. Berg's devotion to education, community service and Jewish causes was rooted in his connection to his past – he was born in a refugee camp to Holocaust survivors who continued to suffer emotionally from the traumas they experienced during the war. He grew up in a modest home and the hardships the family experienced were magnified when Mr. Berg was 13 years old and lost his father. Mr. Berg realized that the way to help his family and create a good life for himself and those around him was through education. Today, Mr. Berg is fondly remembered for his support of numerous community initiatives and for serving on the boards of several religious, government and technology organizations. He is also remembered by all those he mentored personally and all the individuals and families he touched on a personal level.

"Allen's early childhood experience shaped his worldview and became a guiding light throughout his life," said Judith Berg, Chairwoman of the CMiC Board of Directors. "Our goal with the CMiC-Allen Berg Initiative, in the form of scholarships and funds for mentoring programs, is to inspire and enable underprivileged students by providing coaching, exposure and financial support to help them pursue enriching careers in construction and related fields. Allen's greatest joy was helping the disadvantaged by providing opportunities. He cared about the world around him and thought that the best way to drive positive change in the world was to help others become self-sufficient and create better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. We believe there is no better way to extend and amplify Allen's legacy as a builder, creator, mentor and education advocate."

About CMiC
CMiC is the leading provider of complete, unified and advanced enterprise and field software solutions for construction and capital projects firms. CMiC's powerful software transforms how firms optimize productivity, minimize risk and drive growth by planning and managing all financials, projects, resources, and content assets—from a single database platform. For more information, please visit www.cmicglobal.com.

About ACE Mentor Program of America
The ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE) helps mentor high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction. Our mission is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry. Since inception, ACE has awarded over $16 million in scholarships to promising participants. For more information, please visit www.acementor.org.

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SOURCE Computer Methods International Inc. (CMiC)