12/31/2015 12:00:00 AM
Pittsburgh (December 31, 2015) - How does one person make a difference? By participating in after-school programs to promote science and engineering careers, volunteering to educate orphaned children or getting involved in the community at large. When that one person’s efforts are combined with those of 6,000 colleagues, the results are more tangible and impactful. Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, consulting, planning, technical and professional services, salutes its employees whose individual contributions of time, talent and dollars made a big difference in communities around the world in 2015.
Through a variety of formal and informal programs, employees volunteered for a host of service, outreach and assistance projects to honor the company’s 75th anniversary year. At year’s end, employees logged more than 12,000 hours of community service and raised nearly $500,000 in personal financial donations.
“While Michael Baker employees are passionate about their work to make the communities we serve safer, more accessible, more environmentally sustainable and more livable, we’ve witnessed an equal amount of compassion for those in need in the same communities,” said Kurt Bergman, CEO of Michael Baker International.
Here are just a few of the many ways employees made a difference through their service to communities in 2015.
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
Thomas Bruestle and Cory Wilder, both Michael Baker International team members, made FIRST their charity of choice. An after-school program for students ages 6 to 18, FIRST recognizes that young people need something beyond traditional school to succeed in STEM-related careers. The organization enables students to develop skills in design, project management, programming, teamwork and fabrication. Middle school and high school students involved in FIRST can join teams that create robots for competition.
Bruestle got involved with the program when he joined a team in high school. He now serves as a mentor to students in New Jersey. Wilder’s son joined a FIRST robotics team in Phoenix, Ariz., which prompted Wilder to sign up as a mentor.
Kingsley Association
Christian Hughes, a Michael Baker International design associate in Pittsburgh, serves as a liaison between the community and the firms chosen to execute the “Larimer Vision Plan,” an initiative to construct mixed-income housing in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood using a federal grant. He is a volunteer for the Kingsley Association, a community organization helping to execute the Larimer Vision Plan.
Hughes knew residents wanted to see the project take shape, but there was no one involved with a background in design and development. He stepped into that role to help interpret and communicate the needs and desires of everyone involved so the project could move forward.
Lakeview Pantry
In Chicago, Matt Carroll, technical specialist for Michael Baker International, donated his time to Lakeview Pantry, one of the city’s largest and longest-operating food pantries that aims to eradicate hunger and poverty in the community. He worked with other volunteers at St. Alphonsus Church.
“Volunteering is extremely important to me,” said Carroll. “I know that I’m making a difference for my neighbors in my community, and that's a special feeling.”
Other examples of organizations that benefitted from the volunteer efforts of Michael Baker employees include:
- Engineers Without Borders, which builds a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs and equip leaders to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
- Canstruction, which hosts competitions, exhibitions and events showcasing structures made out of full cans of food. All food is donated to local hunger relief organizations.
- Boy Scouts of America , one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations.
- Purpose Quest, which sponsors a program in Kenya to work with and educate orphaned children.
- TRAC™ & RIDES, an educational outreach program designed by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials to encourage interest in the profession of engineering.
“I thank each of our employees who gave of their time, talents, compassion and funds to help improve the lives of others,” said Bergman. “We are all contributors to Michael Baker’s 75-year legacy of giving and caring for those in need and will be for years to come.”
About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International is a leading global provider of engineering and consulting services, which include planning, architectural, environmental, construction, program management, and full life-cycle support services as well as information technology and communications services and solutions. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions in support of U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients. Michael Baker International has more than 6,000 employees in more than 90 locations across the U.S. and internationally. To learn more, visit www.mbakerintl.com.
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