TZL 1291

ELEVATE / EDUCATE P.W. GROSSER CONSULTING, INC. ARRANGES DEMONSTRATION OF “REAL-LIFE” DRILLING PROCESS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS P.W. Grosser Consulting, Inc. ’s CEO, Paul W. Grosser, Ph.D., P.E., PG, has been a member of Stony Brook University’s Civil Engineering External Advisory Board for the past four years. Along with his colleagues, he helps to set direction and provide real-world advice to the Civil Engineering Department’s curriculum. As such, for the past three years, the firm has arranged for a local driller to demonstrate, for the Soil Mechanics class in the Civil Engineering Department, what a “real-life” drilling process looks like. The demonstration includes a discussion of proper safety procedures when working around construction equipment including appropriate clothing and footwear – all students are provided with a P.W. Grosser Consulting hard hat for them to keep – and professional protocol to follow when working with drillers. After the drilling is completed and soil samples are extracted, the handling of environmental and structural soil samples is discussed, and the students classify the soils that are obtained

with the drill rig. Approximately 50 students attend the events. The latest event was held in February. FORESITE GROUP, INC. DEVELOPS PROGRAM TO TRAIN COMMUNITY TO OPERATE NEW FIBER OPTIC NETWORK Foresite Group, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary engineering firm that offers network design services. When the firm’s Network Design practice area was chosen to assist New Orleans in designing its fiber optic network, Foresite wanted to do more than just provide a service for the city. It wanted to engage with the community and train their future workforce that will encounter this network. The firm developed the Foresite Group Fiber Academy as a program to develop candidates to qualify for a job in network design. Foresite recently adapted this training into a four- month curriculum/mentorship program for use at Delgado Community College in New Orleans that centers on ETA certification and simulating what it’s like to work in the AEC industry. The firm’s hope is that participants may go on to work on the very network being created in their city. If anything, participants

will gain an understanding not only of fiber optics and how it functions within a given architecture, but also the impact that fiber networks have on communities around the world. SWBR DESIGN NEW STEM CENTER FOR ROCHESTER, NY COLLEGE PREP SCHOOL New York-based SWBR developed a visionary design for the new STEM center at McQuaid Jesuit, Rochester’s college prep school for young men. The new Wegman Family Science and Technology Center houses 10 classrooms and computer labs, a student life area complete with outdoor commons, campus ministry rooms, and an atrium that serves as a collaboration space for students. The $12.4 million project consisted of a 39,000-square-foot two-story addition that connects to the current school by covered skyways. The metal panels and glass clad addition uses color and scale to blend into the campus while simultaneously displaying a sleek, angular, and thoroughly modern design befitting the progressive program it contains.

❚ ❚ Listen more. The best musicians listen empathetically and are aware of their surroundings. Use Harry Connick Jr.’s rule to ask five questions before talking about yourself. ❚ ❚ Be concise. The late great Ron DeWitte had amazing guitar chops. His guitar solos were articulate, concise, and meaning- ful without showing off technical abilities. With clients, use less jargon and be brief. ❚ ❚ Commit. Stripling, the trumpeter, commits to bringing joy to people through music. What drives you? Decide what markets and clients you’ll passionately pursue. Persist to build mean- ingful client relationships. ❚ ❚ Stay connected. Keep track of your connections. Use Linke- dIn, your steel-trap memory … whatever works for you. Al- ways keep track of people with whom you could form a busi- ness relationship. ❚ ❚ Practice, practice, practice. Practice networking, persuasive writing, public speaking, conversation, listening, etc. Make faithful progress every day of your journey. As drummer Buddy Rich said, “You only get better by playing.” GREG KANZ is marketing director for Shive-Hattery Architecture- Engineering. Contact him at gregkanz@shive-hattery.com. “Set a low threshold for face time with clients. When you’re together, give your full attention to the client. Let the conversation flow naturally and keep the energy focused on them. Being present means active listening and having a high-level of self- awareness.”

GREG KANZ, from page 11

❚ ❚ Attendance at industry events ❚ ❚ Being alert for “chance” encounters ❚ ❚ Calling or visiting ❚ ❚ Meeting for lunch, dinner, or coffee

❚ ❚ Gathering client feedback ❚ ❚ Inviting clients to the office ❚ ❚ Sharing a relevant article or book ❚ ❚ Biking, running, or golfing ❚ ❚ Attending collegiate athletic events or other entertainment “Look for ways to blend your professional and personal life,” Bottorff says. “I always try to be genuine with BD activities and attempt to follow a ‘give first’ mentality. Be a friend first, be honest about who I am, provide solutions, and then move into a professional services provider for them if it’s a right fit for both of us.” Set a low threshold for face time with clients. When you’re together, give your full attention to the client. Let the conversation flow naturally and keep the energy focused on them. Being present means active listening and having a high-level of self-awareness. Great musicians do this well. Here’s what I’ve learned from them to be more present: ❚ ❚ Give first. As you meet people, look for ways to give. The bus- iest musicians and client developers I know always take time to help others. When they offer assistance, they don’t expect anything in return.

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 8, 2019, ISSUE 1291

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