About David “Willie” Vonarx

Willie is the owner and President of VonArx Engineering, Inc. located in Hillsboro, Mo. - a consulting engineering firm providing civil and structural engineering focusing on transportation, site and infrastructure projects.  He employs two other UMR/S&T engineers to complete an All-Miner technical staff.  Willie graduated from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1989 with a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering and also has a master’s of science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University.  He is a member of the MSM/UMR/Missouri S&T Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1985 Men's Cross Country Team.

David and his wife, Kelley, live in Barnhart, Mo. with their five children between the ages of 11 and 18.  Adam is a history major at Truman State University, while Madelyn, Mary and Josh attend Seckman High School and Lilly attends Antonia Middle School.  They are active in their church youth group as youth leaders.  David is an adult leader in Boy Scouts and Venturing and coached softball and the kids are involved in cheerleading, marching band, speech and debate, Girls on the Run, cross country, choir, Girl Scouts, and dance.

Willie is a member of the Engineers Club of St. Louis and is active in his community serving for 13 years on the Jefferson County Parks Board and Park Foundation and received a proclamation from the Jefferson County Council declaring November 23, 2010 as David Vonarx Day in Jefferson County, Mo.  He was chairman of the New Hope United Methodist Church Building Committee for five years resulting in the construction of a building addition.

Willie continues to run two marathons a year and has finished 22 since his first in 1983. He has finished the Boston Marathon seven times and finished in 2:55:41 in 2011.  At UMR he was a four-year cross country letter man and was co-captain of the 1988 team.  In track he competed in the 3,200-meter run indoors and the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs outdoors.  He was a member of M-Club, Toastmasters (President and VP), ASCE, Campus Club and intramural soccer.  He was a Zeta Tau Alpha houseboy from 1986-1989 and lived at the Runner's House for four years.