The latest edition of MSi Times is on its way to your doorsteps! MSi Times is our quarterly internal newsletter sharing corporate news and updates from the previous quarter. This particular issue is a special edition as it highlights several of our new employees who joined us in the third quarter of 2014. We mail hard copies to the attention of your families so they can also stay informed of what is happening here at MacKay Sposito!

Last week I had the pleasure of participating in the mentoring program, GLAM (Girls Learning About Manufacturing).  MacKay Sposito has sponsored this event in the Tri-Cities for the past four years. I have been proud to participate as a mentor and panelist each year.  In partnership with Columbia Basin College and TRIDEC, this event hosts 150 freshmen girls from area schools for a full day of hands on learning.  The girls are split into 25 teams each led by a mentor from area businesses and organizations.  The girls are tasked with creating a product based on criteria in their team packet.  Mentors walk the girls through their marketing plan for their product, research and development, distribution, etc. Each team then presents their product and plan to all participants.  The mentors are challenged with generating enthusiasm about learning, encouraging them to pursue higher education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and promoting teamwork. 

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes – and genders. This past Saturday, October 11th was International Day of the Girl.  You may not have heard about this as it’s a relatively new day of recognition that was established by the United Nations in 2011 to raise awareness about gender inequality around the world. Our own Lisa Schauer is the current chair of H-ROC, a local political action committee that promotes women in leadership positions.  Lisa is a great role model for other women and girls who aspire to be leaders.  She has either been very active or held leadership positions on several local non-profit boards, committees, and organizations.  So many, in fact, that I have lost count -- not to mention she is the first female partner in the 40 year history of MacKay Sposito!  So you may be asking, “How do these relate?”  Well, Lisa and the H-ROC Board discovered one good way to encourage and support more women leaders was to mentor them at a young age.  So, they formed a Girls ROC group earlier this year.   The Girls ROC group is focused on encouraging middle and high school aged girls to take on leadership roles.    

For the past three years, we have been honored with the prestigious Hot Firm's award presented by ZweigWhite.  This award is based on growth in our industry nationwide.  They choose 100 firms in the architectural and engineering sector.  We are among firms with thousands of employees and multiple offices across the globe.

We are excited to announce Mr. Ben Dubin has been promoted to land surveying Project Manager.  Ben has been a surveyor with MacKay Sposito since 2010 and graduated from Oregon Institute of Technology. His leadership and professional surveying expertise has been pivotal on recent projects across the Northwest and Alaska.  Congratulations Ben!  

On September 18^th the Vancouver CTC office had an early morning serenade from members of a local band “Blue Skies for Black Hearts”. The performance was part of The Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools (FVPS) fundraising campaign “Give More 24!”.  The campaign raised funds and gathered school supplies for the children who attend school in the Vancouver, WA school district.  The foundation is an independent, 501©3 educational non-profit corporation established in 1988 to support the Vancouver Public Schools www.foundationforvps.org

Pat Kearns and Michael Lewis played 3 songs from their vast repertoire of original pop music songs and gladly volunteered their time and talents to the fundraising efforts.