Jonathan Hill

BUILDING A LEGACY

FOR HIS COMMUNITY

JONATHAN HILL Alumnus & Owner of Jonathan Hill Construction

BY BRENT TIPPEN

Jonathan Hill had a background in

construction long before his days at the University of Louisiana Monroe. As a third generation builder, Jonathan practically grew up on the job sites.

All through his high school years at Ouachita Christian School, Jonathan knew that he wanted to continue his dream of home building at ULM’s School of Construction. He knew that ULM had one of the top programs in the nation and was one of the first programs to be accredited. Jonathan enrolled at ULM in the fall of 1994 as a commuter student, while still putting in 25 hours a week at the family construction business. He gained experience drawing house plans, working with framing crews, and putting in time at a cabinet shop, all while taking classes.

While Jonathan was at the School of Construction, he made several life-long friends. Most of Jonathan’s classwork centered on math and construction. One of his favorite classes was Herb McCaskill’s estimating class. McCaskill’s engaging teaching style made the class easy to understand and enjoyable. Another influential professor was Dr. Keith Parker. Along with being his professor, Dr. Parker was also Jonathan’s advisor and a member of the Home Builders Association. After graduating in 1998, Jonathan maintained a friendship with Dr. Parker.

Jonathan also enjoyed the on-campus activities ULM provided. Jonathan reconnected with old friends from Ouachita Christian School as well as made new friends who had similar interests. Jonathan also worked with The Construction Guild, which competed in construction projects in cities such as Dallas and Las Vegas, as well as participated in volunteer projects for various organizations.

During his sophomore year he met his future wife, Tara. They have been married for 21 years and have three children, Jon Mical, Mallory, and Julianna. Their eldest, Jon Mical, is a senior at Claiborne Christian School and is now looking at colleges. Jonathan and Tara

have encouraged him to consider all the opportunities available locally. Their wish is for him to be judicious with his choice and embrace the college experience.

When Jonathan was away from construction classes, he was often putting the lessons he learned at ULM into practice in his family’s business. Having the opportunity to ask seasoned professionals about things, such as electrical techniques, carpentry designs and concrete foundations helped Jonathan better understand the classwork.

Jonathan was the first person in his family to graduate college, and he attended ULM with the help of a scholarship from the Home Builders Association.

After graduating, Jonathan worked for five years in the family business. There came a time of transition in the business, and after many prayers, Jonathan felt God leading him to step out in faith and begin his own journey. It was 2003 when he branched out on his own and began Jonathan Hill Construction.

Jonathan tries his best to run his business with integrity, and he strives to treat people the way he would want to be treated. One of the things Jonathan enjoys most about homebuilding is the opportunity to build relationships with his clients. He loves the fact that he gets to spend so much time with his customers during the building process. From drawing the plans to selecting finishes to helping with design choices, Jonathan enjoys the personal nature of custom homebuilding. For him, a contractor’s ultimate goal is making sure the client’s fingerprint is on the final product.

Jonathan recognizes the impact ULM has on this community. Having a strong construction program at ULM has a huge effect on his line of work. He trusts the interns he employs and the ULM graduates in his field have the same level of high-quality education that he received. Jonathan is grateful for the opportunity he had to attend ULM and highly recommends ULM’s construction program to anyone interested in the field.■

“Having a strong construction program at ULM has a huge effect on my line of work. I trust the interns I employ and the ULM graduates in my field have the same level of high-quality education that I received.”

– JONATHAN HILL