TZL 1381 (web)

BUSINESS NEWS ZWEIG GROUP ANNOUNCES 2021 ELEVATEHER™ COHORT Zweig Group announced the 2021 ElevateHer™ cohort, a special task force comprised of individuals with a commitment to promote diversity as a means to combat recruiting and retention challenges in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. This group will operate as a think tank, developing strategies to help solve the greatest challenge facing the industry, recruiting and retention of the work force. “Despite this program only being in its second year and many new challenges relating to the pandemic, we still saw significant growth and interest in this program. I’m excited to

see how this year’s class can build on the momentum from last year and also bring fresh perspectives and creativity,” said Jamie Claire Kiser, Zweig Group managing principal and program founder. All individuals, regardless of age, experience, gender, background, or job role, were welcome and encouraged to apply. The program kicks off with the ElevateHer™ Class of 2021, a cohort-style annual program designed to define key strategies and provide open-sourced, accessible action plans to tackle diversity and its role in recruiting and retention issues. To provide the group the opportunity to collaborate, a two-day kick

off session will be held virtually. This event is designed to bring all members throughout the country together to share ideas and develop impactful projects, which will be presented at a special ElevateHer™ Symposium virtually in October 2021. Click here for more information. Zweig Group is the leading research, publishing, and advisory services resource for the AEC industry. The firm provides strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, ownership transition, marketing, financial management, project management, and executive search services.

ANNE MELIA & NICOLLE SCHELLER, from page 11

❚ ❚ Managing the corporate website and social media channels ❚ ❚ Coordinating participation and record keeping of external and internal events, such as trade shows, conferences, recruitment days, and staff events ❚ ❚ Creating efficiencies for marketing-related operational items, such as employee apparel, vendor communication, and marketing assets ❚ ❚ Reviewing and analyzing annual data, specifically for our website and social media usage ❚ ❚ Providing internal communications for Human Resources; Health, Safety and Wellness; and other employee-specific topics CONSISTENCY. Blackstone has had a strong brand and voice since its inception, and hiring a marketing specialist, who is a central source for branding and content, has only strengthened that. Areas of improvement include: ❚ ❚ Cohesive voice and tone in messaging and content ❚ ❚ Consistent branding elements and formats throughout printed and digital materials ❚ ❚ Updated brand usage guide ❚ ❚ Updated look and feel and improved usability of website and social media channels ❚ ❚ Updated digital communication and printed pieces with standard look, feel, and voice ❚ ❚ Updated templates for all mediums and creation of new ones ❚ ❚ Archival of out-of-date pieces THE VALUE. Creating space in our budget for a marketing and business development resource for our staff has had positive outcomes for Blackstone Environmental. The role has been filled full-time and part-time and both scenarios have worked well in improving our corporate identity and internal efficiencies, and most importantly added a collaborative role to our staff that supports the essential scientific, engineering, consulting, and business-related work of our project management team and company leadership. ANNE MELIA, CHMM, is a senior project manager at Blackstone Environmental, Inc. Contact her at amelia@blackstone-env.com. NICOLLE SCHELLER is a marketing specialist at Blackstone Environmental, Inc. Contact her at nscheller@blackstone-env.com.

in tandem with project managers and company leadership, the marketing specialist supports relationship development in various ways. One is creating messaging and an online presence that highlights individual project managers and their involvement in professional, community, and personal activities. Another is supporting project managers as they engage with current clients and cultivating new ones. This includes coordinating presence at trade events, organization of company events, and managing procurement of client gifts. ❚ ❚ Participating in awards and recognition programs is an important part of highlighting who Blackstone is as a company, but it can also be time consuming. The marketing specialist leads the coordination of these types of projects, with the support of Blackstone staff as expert content providers and reviewers. “This new role has worked well in improving our corporate identity and internal efficiencies, and most importantly added a collaborative role to our staff that supports the essential scientific, engineering, consulting, and business- related work of our project management team and company leadership.” STREAMLINING. An important organizational change happened when the marketing specialist position was created. Instead of various marketing and business development functions residing with various project managers and administrators, those areas where combined under the marketing umbrella. This allowed for better marketing and business development processes and a central hub for related information. The marketing specialist is a dedicated point person for: ❚ ❚ Finding and reviewing business development opportunities, supporting monthly business-development meetings, and responding to requests for proposals ❚ ❚ Organizing Blackstone’s creative assets like photo collections and content archives

THE ZWEIG LETTER MARCH 1, 2021, ISSUE 1381

Made with FlippingBook Annual report