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BUSINESS NEWS CH2M GRANTS $50,000 TO COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH AND STEM EDUCATION The CH2M Foundation announced a new grant to CSU with a client- centric, sustainability, and career-focused approach that is sure to make an impact for years to come. Through a grant of $50,000 to the CSU National Western Center Sustainability Team and the CSU Water Fellows Program, the CH2M Foundation is investing in STEM education, while continuing the company’s long-time commitment to sustainability. CH2M is also reinforcing the work of many of its clients: the National Western Center, City and County of Denver, CSU and the Western Stock Show Association and Denver Water. “The CH2M Foundation continues to partner with charitable initiatives that demonstrate our shared values with our key clients,” said Ellen Sandberg, executive director of the CH2M Foundation. The first part of the grant, $37,500, will go to CSU’s National Western Center Sustainability Team. This team is helping develop a campus that addresses innovations in water, energy,
food systems, health, and recreation, and improves the natural environment, while working toward goals like “net zero” energy. The work is occurring in two phases over three years. During Phase I, the team focused on energy, waste, and water system analysis and recommendations. Phase 2, which began in fall 2017, continued energy and water modeling, and also integrated urban ecology, river restoration, air quality, community health, education, and integrated design and organizational behavior. The Gates Family Foundation provided a matching grant of $75,000 for the second phase, so CH2M’s $37,500 grant will be matched. The second part of the grant, $12,500, supports the CSU Water Fellows program. First-generation CSU students from diverse and often underrepresented backgrounds team with high school students from neighborhoods around the National Western Center to spend several months working on water issues. CSU’s presence at the National Western Center will be initiated at its Water Resources Center. As one of the first buildings to be
constructed at the National Western Center, the Water Resources Center will host multidisciplinary, year-round programs such as these, which will draw tourists, K-12 students, water professionals and researchers, water conferences, and community members. “Colorado State University is grateful for this generous grant from the CH2M Foundation, which will further CSU’s work in delivering cutting-edge research and outcomes in sustainability and water,” said Amy Parsons, executive vice chancellor of the CSU System. “Through its support of the CSU Water Fellows program, the grant also highlights the importance of sharing knowledge and empowering the next generation. Our university is appreciative of the support and looks forward to collaborating with our partners at the National Western Center to execute these initiatives.” “This foundation grant leverages local funding, making the value of our charitable donation grow to $87,500 and thereby ensuring even greater success of the program,” according to Patrick O’Keefe, CH2M’s program manager for the National Western Center’s construction and buildout.
ANTHONY FASANO, from page 9
ing management responsibilities as early on as possible in their careers. These might include the ability to tag along with managers to client meetings, work on small components of proposals, or be involved with presentations, whether they be for prospective or existing projects. When you challenge a YP, you are telling them that you believe in their abilities and do- ing so will motivate them tremendously. 3) Challenge your YPs to develop their expertise in a certain field. Do this by recommending they seek technical training in a niche, write papers on the topics, and present at conferenc- es. This will help them build confidence in themselves while creating an expertise that can assist your firm in bringing in new business. 4) Create opportunities for YPs to speak with executives in an open forum. YPs will speak up if put in a position to do so, and usually they will give you useful feedback on how the firm can improve or generate ideas for new service lines, geo- graphic expansion, or other ideas related to growth. 5)Thank your YPs for their hard work and dedication. This can be as simple as an email or phone call in which the main mes- sage is, “Thank You.” YPs appreciate praise, even if it is simply in the form of a phone call as opposed to a salary increase. I have been told this directly by YPs I have coached. So remember, your young professionals are your competitive advantage. Do everything you can to empower and support them. ANTHONY FASANO, P.E., is the founder of the Engineering Career Coach, a company that has helped thousands of engineers develop their business and leadership skills. He hosts the Civil Engineering Podcast, and has written a bestselling book for engineers entitled Engineer Your Own Success . He has also recently started the Engineering Management Accelerator workshop to help engineers become more entrepreneurial. Visit engineertomanager.com for more.
episodes have been downloaded more than 2 million times and our mailing list goes out to more than 10,000 younger professionals. I am telling you this because I am about to give you some strategies for recruiting, cultivating, and retaining young professionals and I want you to understand that this knowledge comes from direct interaction with them. “Provide your younger professionals with challenges including management responsibilities as early on as possible in their careers. These might include the ability to tag along with managers to client meetings, work on small components of proposals, or be involved with presentations.” So here are some strategies you can employ to help you find and empower young professionals: 1) Create or provide access to professional development train- ing, especially management/business training for young pro- fessionals. Not only will this empower your young profession- als and help them develop their management skills, but also these programs can serve as amazing recruiting and retention tools. Motivated professionals want to come to firms that will give them access to training, and they also want to stay with them. 2) Provide your younger professionals with challenges includ-
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THE ZWEIG LETTER February 5, 2018, ISSUE 1234
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