FALL
2018
SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP
GILA RIVER
RESTORATION Transforming invasive salt cedars and abandoned sand pits into economic development success in Buckeye, AZ We Make a Difference
“… the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack…”
FALL 2018 | SUSTAINABILITY
02 CHAIRMAN & CEO NOTE
A message from our Chairman, Thomas J. Campbell, and our CEO, Brian A. Lutes
04 SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK 06 IMPACT
06 Story-Mapping for Sustainability
How Michael Baker International's innovative, interactive new story-mapping tool is helping the historic city of Annapolis, Maryland, educate and inform key stakeholders about its flooding issues and mitigation plans
14 Gila River Restoration
Transforming invasive salt cedars and abandoned sand pits into economic development success in Buckeye, Arizona
22 Sustaining Our National Treasures
Three examples of Michael Baker International's work to support the National Park Service by providing sustainable solutions, infrastructure repair and modernization
28 LEADING CHANGE
Strategic Sustainability
Strengthening environmental awareness and compliance at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
32 ACROSS THE CONTINUUM
A compendium of places, projects and people demonstrating how Michael Baker International makes a difference in the communities we serve
36 RECOGNITION: CHAIRMAN’S AWARD WINNERS
Meet the winners of Michael Baker International’s Inaugural Chairman’s Award
38 GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY STATISTICS
Signature is published by the Corporate Communications department of Michael Baker International to showcase our full continuum of people, places, projects, innovations – and how We Make a Difference in the communities we serve.
Chief Communications Officer: Leanna Anderson Corporate Communications Director: Brian Peiritsch Art Director: Brad Morris Contributing Writers: Andrea Davis, Evan Pattak, Dianne Stetzer, Greg Faist, Claire Carrell Contributing Photographers: Harry Giglio FALL 2018 © 2018 Michael Baker International. All rights reserved.
Cover photo: Local fishermen enjoy the Gila River, restored thanks to collaboration between the city of Buckeye, AZ, and Michael Baker International.
C H A I R M A N & C E O N OT E
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND STEWARDSHIP A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN, THOMAS J. CAMPBELL AND OUR CEO, BRIAN A. LUTES
The work we do at Michael Baker International is never just about logistics and materials. It is about connecting communities and people and promoting economic opportunities through infrastructure improvements and innovation.
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C H A I R M A N & C E O N OT E
S
ustainability is more than a buzzword for us. It is part of how We Make a Difference for the clients and
•
communities we serve and why, when we complete
USING INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF FLOOD RISKS Annapolis, Maryland, has been plagued by
a project, we are committed to leaving communities and
“nuisance flooding” for more than 50 years. Michael
the environment better than when we started.
Baker approached the city with a new geospatial-
Our more than 3,000 colleagues – members of our Wolf
based online story-mapping tool to help educate
Pack – do not do this alone. We collaborate to solve
local businesses and the public about the city’s
our clients’ challenges with consistent, repeatable and
flood risks and to spur mitigation and preparedness
innovative solutions that enhance our ability to address
discussions and methods to protect and preserve
infrastructural transformations on behalf of our clients.
architectural resources.
Our clients challenge us with projects that literally change the courses of waterways and historic lands to make them viable for future generations. In this issue of Signature, we focus on projects that are aligned with the environment:
•
•
SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE THROUGH REMEDIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Michael Baker has worked with the National Park
REVITALIZING THE GILA RIVER TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Service (NPS) for more than 50 years. Our work with
The city of Buckeye, Arizona, turned to Michael
National Historic Park in Texas and Canyonlands
Baker to partner with them to return the Gila River to its natural condition after years of invasive
the NPS continues with soil remediation removal and restoration activities in the Palo Alto Battlefield National Park in Utah.
vegetation had choked the river into floodplain
We have also conducted an environmental
status. Our restoration work with the city helped to
management
enhance local recreation and economic development
recommendations for Jean Lafitte National Historic
potential for the river and adjacent lands.
Park and Preserve in Louisiana, to ensure compliance
systems
audit
and
made
with federal, state and local regulations. These projects are just samples of the work we do every day to support our clients and contribute to social, economic and environmental sustainability. This work is crucial to our core values and to our business. We are proud that it will stand the test of time.
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F R A M E W O R K
MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL’S APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY COMPRISES THREE KEY COMPONENTS:
S S S
SOCIAL SOCIAL SOCIAL
We deliver lasting impact through the engineering, planning and consulting services we provide, which foster and preserve the culture, history and shared values of the communities where we live and work. We participate in our communities and volunteer our time to support organizations that, like Michael Baker, demonstrate how We Make a Difference serving those in need.
E E E
ECONOMIC ECONOMIC ECONOMIC
We support our sustainability strategy by operating as a profitable company, which allows us to invest in innovations and efficiencies that benefit our clients, our colleagues and our communities. Our continued economic viability helps us to create new jobs, pursue new projects and generate new opportunities for our employees, whose work around the world solves our clients’ complex challenges. We are privileged to have the support of our employees because we invest in their professional learning and development and ensure a safe workplace for them.
EN EN EN
ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL
We consider the environment in all that we do, from how we commute to work to how we approach projects for our clients. The creative solutions that drive our work for our clients and communities are informed by respect for our natural resources and the knowledge that our actions today impact the generations of tomorrow.
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F R A M E W O R K
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OUR SUSTAINABLE IMPACT
TO WORK
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
STO RY - M A P P I N G F O R
S U STA I N A B I L I T Y How Michael Baker’s innovative, interactive new story-mapping tool is helping the historic city of Annapolis educate and inform key stakeholders about its flooding issues and mitigation plans
A
nnapolis is an old seaport city offering great charm, cultural diversity and historical significance, with many structures that date to America’s colonial period. As the capital of Maryland, it also serves as a hub of
government and politics. At the same time, it is home to the United States Naval Academy and plays a key role in the country’s military defense. Annapolis is also known for something it would rather forget – flooding. As a lowlying coastal town – the lowest-lying sections include downtown Annapolis – the city remains vulnerable to flooding all around: tidal flooding from Chesapeake Bay; flooding triggered by coastal storms; flooding produced by climate-changerelated sea-level rise; and, ultimately “urban flooding” caused by a surge of floodwaters inundating sanitary sewers. Flooding in Annapolis has proven more than an inconvenience. It has become a major disruption to, and financial burden for, local businesses and residences, as well as a deterrent to the vital tourism sector there. Perhaps worse, flooding has imperiled the town’s many priceless cultural artifacts.
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One of many historic Annapolis intersections included in Michael Baker's flood assessment.
Well aware of this dubious distinction, Annapolis actively has pursued ways to both educate the public about its escalating flooding issues and minimize future flood impact. And that is where Michael Baker International and its team of innovative planners, GIS experts, environmental engineers and others have become a key part of the story. By deploying a unique, technology-driven solution developed for the city by Michael Baker, the firm and the city have taken control of the flooding story to potentially change the narrative for future generations.
NUISANCE FLOODING: EDUCATION AND MITIGATION Flooding incidents in Annapolis have risen significantly in recent years. Over the past 50 years, tidal flooding alone in Annapolis has risen from an average of four “nuisance” flood days per year to nearly 40, according to statistics compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The federal
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agency reports that Annapolis has experienced a 925 percent increase in average annual nuisance flooding events over those five decades – the greatest increase recorded for any U.S. city. Embracing those facts, the city of Annapolis launched a large, multifaceted, community-based planning initiative called “Weather It Together: Protect Our Historic Seaport� to help residents better understand and adapt to the risks associated with flooding. At the same time, city planners developed both a
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Flooding surrounding the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, located at the city dock in historic Annapolis.
Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and a Cultural Resources Hazard Adaptation and Mitigation Plan. These documents served as the foundation of the city’s efforts to educate and mitigate. The challenge, though: How could the city bring the initiative, including those documents, to life in a way that would prove engaging, comprehensive and relevant to so many different stakeholder groups in the region, from government agencies, businesses and residents to preservationists, historical societies and environmental groups?
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
STORY-MAPPING THE MICHAEL BAKER WAY The Michael Baker team approached the city with an innovative idea that had been percolating among the firm’s planning practice for some time. What if the team could collaborate with the city and other partners to help it create a new geospatial-based, interactive, online story-mapping tool that would take stakeholders there on a unique, compelling journey that introduces them to the city’s flooding issues while also including many colorful, informative and relevant side trips? Moreover, what if the user experience also would allow visitors to add their own flooding experiences and pictures to make the story continually more dynamic and personal? “The idea was to volunteer our time to enhance our impact in the community,” says Bradley Dean, CFM, CE, coastal scientist in Michael Baker’s Alexandria, Va., office who headed the Michael Baker’s Bradley Dean presenting during the second annual Keeping History Above Water conference.
Annapolis project. “In terms of business development, we thought it would show our leading-edge capabilities to potential future clients.” The story-mapping idea arose early in 2017 when Michael Baker’s planning practice launched what it called the Michael Baker International Planning Innovation Lab, which was created to encourage the development of new ideas among team members. Planners from across the company submitted ideas for commercial consideration following a call
Using a GIS database and risk mapping with additional assistance from the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission’s consulting architect, 104 historic properties were identifi ed for survey and assessment.
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for ideas, including Dean and his story-mapping
Dean and his team debuted the story-mapping tool with
innovation. The Planning Lab chose to accelerate
Annapolis later in 2017, and already its popularity as a
Dean’s idea.
flood-awareness tool has allowed the team to introduce
Dean, with help from the Planning Innovation Lab, a modest investment from Michael Baker, and a team
the concept to other coastal cities where a floodingawareness tool could prove beneficial.
of collaborating coworkers, began developing an advanced story-mapping tool built on an ArcGIS platform that would help clients meet a variety of storymapping challenges. Among the ArcGIS platform’s many advantages, Dean explains, were that the cloud-based, open-ended platform supports numerous computer software applications and does not require desktop software. Michael Baker’s goal was to develop a working prototype in partnership with a select client and showcase the new tool, at no cost to the client, to promote the capabilities of the tool, as well as the thought leadership of Michael Baker, particularly in the planning practice. So Dean and his team, aware of Annapolis’ flood education and mitigation challenges, approached several key Annapolis leaders with the development proposition. Dean recalls that all present in those meetings had discovered a mutuality of interest and agreed to work together on a prototype.
“The story map is actionable and digestible. That is critical when you are trying to move a community forward. We are talking about how we can protect Annapolis from flooding 100 years from now.” Sharon Kennedy | Chairwoman, Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission
“We said we want to advance our knowledge and advance their knowledge,” Dean says of initial discussions last year with Annapolis city officials. “It could be a mutually beneficial opportunity. It is a great marketing
SHARING A BODY OF FLOOD KNOWLEDGE
piece for us and has great benefits for the city. It was one
The completed story map is known formally as “Landmark
of those star-aligning moments.”
At Risk: Protecting the Historic Seaport of Annapolis,
Lisa Craig, chief of historic preservation within the Annapolis Office of Planning and Zoning at the time, had much the same reaction. “Michael Baker was icing on the cake,” she says. “It gave us the opportunity to showcase the information we had
Maryland.” Anyone with Internet access can view the site, which features photos that depict flooding in the region and its effects on residences, businesses, historic structures and cultural treasures. Visitors to the site also can click through many interesting sidebars – and create some of their own as they relate to the flooding.
collected to date – all the databases, all the community surveys and responses – and communicate the issue in a much more dynamic and interactive way than a 200-page report. It was the best example of how public-private partnerships can work without legal agreements but with a handshake.”
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
The statistically inclined, for example, can browse a number of NOAA reports on sea-level rise. Others will enjoy the written and pictorial history of Annapolis, which highlights everything from the 1845 founding of the naval academy to the 1867 “arrival” of Kunta Kinte, the patriarch from Alex Haley’s celebrated novel “Roots.” “It is more than just an awareness tool,” Dean says. “That is the primary focus, but it is meant to engage stakeholders as well.” When “Landmark At Risk” was introduced at the second annual national Keeping History Above Water conference, which Annapolis hosted, participants were so taken by the story map that some added their own photos.
“Michael Baker’s Planning Innovation Lab helped the city take this topic and present it in a beautiful, accurate and informative way that will not only engage the public but also will provide a great history of the project.” Shawn Wampler | GIS Coordinator for Annapolis
L-R: Lisa Craig, former Chief of Historic Preservation of City of Annapolis and current Director of Resilience at Michael Baker; Shawn Wampler, GIS Coordinator for City of Annapolis; and Bradley Dean, Coastal Scientist for Michael Baker.
The City of Annapolis Offi ce of Historic Preservation recognized Michael Baker for “outstanding contribution to preserving Annapolis.”
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Craig notes that while long-term local residents may be
Weather It Together project for so long, determining how
quite familiar with their city’s flooding woes, the audience
to showcase and present it was a very daunting task.
for the story map is ever-changing and ever-expanding.
The amount of information that has been collected and
“Business owners change,” she notes. “People move in
analyzed is massive.”
and out. Visitors do not understand why the downtown
Wampler commends Michael Baker’s Planning Innovation
floods 45 to 50 days every year. There is a need to
Lab for its drive and foresight. “Michael Baker’s Planning
constantly be informed as to what the issues are.”
Innovation Lab helped the city take this topic and present
Sharon Kennedy, who chairs the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission, suggests that the story map could help Annapolis craft policy decisions for years to come. “You can access it at a very high level of policy and strategy, and you can dig down into the details,” Kennedy says. “It is actionable and digestible. That is critical when you are trying to move a community forward. We are talking about how we can protect Annapolis
it in a beautiful, accurate and informative way that will not only engage the public but also will provide a great history of the project.” Because Annapolis boasts such a rich but vulnerable treasure trove of period structures, architects also have taken particular interest in the story map, so much so that the American Institute of Architects invited Michael Baker recently to discuss the project at one of the organization’s professional conferences.
from flooding 100 years from now. That is a really big
“The story map has brought a lot of national recognition
question to ask.
to Annapolis and to us,” Dean notes. “They are seen as
“The story map allows people to dip in and dip out of the conversation to get information that will inform the debate,” Kennedy continues. “It is really important to have a shared body of knowledge which the whole community can access.”
A MODEL FOR OTHER COASTAL COMMUNITIES Although Michael Baker’s innovative story-mappingbased flood-awareness tool is new, it already has
a leader in resilience and, specifically, in the protection and preservation of architectural resources. The amount of Annapolis’ buildings that date back centuries is really a big piece of this.” Moreover, the story map soon may serve as a model educational and awareness vehicle for other coastal communities. Craig left her position with Annapolis recently to join Michael Baker as director of resilience, focusing on hazard mitigation, flood risk and historic preservation.
attracted considerable attention, including more than
“I am taking the template that has been developed for
4,200 views immediately following its debut. The city
addressing climate change in low-lying communities and
of Annapolis was so pleased with the results of the new
rolling it out to others who have shown an interest in this
tool that it presented an award to Michael Baker for what
type of tool,” Craig says. “There are more than just water
Shawn Wampler, GIS coordinator for Annapolis, calls
issues involved. We are really talking about the hazards
“much-needed guidance and expertise."
associated with climate change.”
“As a GIS professional, it is very easy to become focused on the data and overlook how to best communicate the information to the public or other city staff,” Wampler says. “GIS data often can be complicated, misunderstood and misused. Since the city has been working on the
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
GILA RIVER R E STO R AT I O N
T
he Gila River, Arizona’s second-largest river, was slowly choking. Never mind Southwest Arizona’s arid, desert climate or even the sand-and-gravel mining companies that had prospered along the river’s meandering path around the city of Buckeye, southwest of Phoenix.
This interloper had grown up along the river’s banks, spread out and kept growing, planting its roots deep in a region where it did not belong. And it contributed to the emergence of a floodplain that was dampening the prospects of new economic development and growth in the region. The culprit? An invasive species of tree called the Tamarix, or, as locals refer to this non-native invader, the salt cedar. These fast-growing, high-salt-content trees had become a scourge to aquatic life in the Gila, as well as to the surrounding riverbanks and inland areas – so much so that the region between the river and Buckeye had evolved into a federal floodplain, causing a devaluation of property and a host of economic development obstacles.
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vasive n i g n i m r o f s Tr a n nd salt cedars a and abandoned s nomic pits into eco ccess in u s t n e m p o l e dev Buckeye, AZ
Following the restoration, area residents engage in activities such as fishing along an attractive waterfront venue.
Of course, the pockmarked collection of flooded mining pits left behind along the river when sand-and-gravel miners shuttered their operations did not help the situation either, at least not for the less-than-visionary. For some, though, those flooded and abandoned pits, filled with water from the region’s shallow groundwater table, took on the look of bodies of water with economic development potential – if the tree and floodplain issues could be resolved. Clearly, Buckeye leaders contended, something needed to be done for the future of the city and region. What if they could find a way to elevate this river region from an area roughed up by nature and industry into something more? Something better? Something to
BRINGING THE OLD RIVER BACK Overall, the master plan lays out regional goals to return the Gila River to its natural condition by restoring riparian habitats and, in turn, leveraging those assets to enhance the local recreation and economic development potential of lands adjacent to the river. Central to that plan, which Michael Baker then helped to refine to incorporate timing and budget issues, is a specific project to establish the El Rio District, a strategically significant 3.5-square-mile area located just south of Buckeye’s historic downtown along the banks of the Gila River. The city contracted with Michael Baker to help lead that project.
maximize the river’s and region’s inherent beauty and economic potential? That “something” ultimately took the form of a visionary master plan, titled “Reclaim the River; Enliven the Banks: A Vision Plan for Buckeye’s El Rio District.” Leading the entire planning process in partnership with the city was Michael Baker International.
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
“Regionally, the salt cedar trees were restricting the flow
HELPING BUCKEYE TAKE THE LEAD
Klyszeiko, community planning practice lead for Michael
“Over the last 20 years,
facing the planning team. “The thinking was, if the river
and county officials
not be as impeded, and the floodplain could be made
develop a master waterway plan for 17 miles of the
went down, creating a vibrant ecosystem in the heart
framework and really only scratched the surface. A plan
of flood waters, which expanded the floodplain,” Matt Baker’s Phoenix office, says of the overarching challenge
different
could be brought back to its original condition, it would
have
smaller. Farmers as well would benefit as the floodplain
Gila River,” Copeland says. “So we came up with a
of an urban environment.”
to enable recreation, restoration, trails and economic
Adds Adam Copeland, principal planner for the city of
Buckeye, a real leader, pushed the project forward. In
Buckeye and project manager on the city side for the El Rio District project: “Revegetating the river to what it was 100 years ago became an important early priority.”
The final plan, which city officials already have begun to
implement, significantly reduces the damaging effects of the salt cedar trees, and it also provides guidance and
mayors
wanted
to
development was adopted in 2006. The mayor of fact, we were the first city in the region to come up with a program to support the master plan.”
Copeland says the El Rio District project received a
unanimous vote to approve it, including 14 city and county representatives.
a framework from which local developers are beginning
“They since have said they want to see more projects to
gravel pits into hubs of recreation and entertainment.
he explains. “A lot of economic development progress
stature as an Arizona treasure.
that with Buckeye. Arizona's Senators, along with the
to develop the areas around the flooded sand-and-
mirror this one, because of the quality of work done,”
Consequently, the Gila is beginning to regain its historic
depends on the city investing in an area, and we have governor, all support our efforts, and all agree that this project can only help with economic development.”
Michael Baker’s Klyszeiko says his team facilitated
many preliminary discussions with city staff and others on needs of the area and stakeholder expectations to kick-start the project. They also partnered with a
number of technical experts to address the project’s many complexities.
“A lot of specialists worked on complex issues, with Michael Baker making sure all pieces fit together,” Klyszeiko says. “This has been a very enjoyable project. The city has been a great partner.”
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The reestablishment of riparian vegetation supports migratory birds and other wildlife species along the river.
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
GUIDING URBAN DESIGN RECLAMATION, DIALOGUE AND FUNDING Partners – many of them – played a sizable role in the Gila River project, particularly given the many technical facets of the proposed long-term transformation. The master plan fused urban design principles, a river restoration program, sand-and-gravel reclamation guidelines, local community dialogue to create a framework for change within the study area and an innovative funding mechanism that would provide a key underpinning to so much that would occur: an in-lieu fee (ILF). Within the context of mitigating the impact of development on federally designated wetlands, developers are required to pay a special permit fee, or in-lieu fee, to a third party in lieu of conducting their own project-specific mitigation. “The in-lieu fee created a funding mechanism to provide the necessary tools to implement key parts of the plan,” Klyszeiko says. “A key benefit for this project was when it teamed with the Arizona Fish Commission because they were able to implement the ILF. The ILF needed to follow federal guidelines because it affected the defined watershed and the ‘washes’ permissible as development progressed.”
(L-R) Adam Copeland (City of Buckeye), Jackie Meck (Mayor of Buckeye), Matt Klyszeiko (Michael Baker International), George Diaz (City of Buckeye), Richard Mladick and Jennifer Mladick (owners of lakefront entertainment facility).
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HOW THE IN-LIEU FEE WORKED Within the defined watershed, a building developer began to construct a residential subdivision about 10 miles from Buckeye. Using the ILF, the developers purchased in-lieu credits, and the funds then were used to protect the Gila River. Those credits would satisfy federal guidelines to protect runoff into streams and creeks (known as “washes” in an arid environment). The ILF essentially permits these credits to be used “in lieu” of directly taking steps to protect the washes, while building a fund that is used to protect the larger ecosystem at the same time. “Using the ILF, development could continue, while always contributing to the preservation of the river,” says Matt Klyszeiko, community planning practice lead for Michael Baker International’s Phoenix office. “It represented the most forward-thinking part of the master plan.”
The Gila River in its restored and revegetated condition.
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
Other innovative components of the Gila River
As Klyszeiko explains, those mining operations have a
project included:
certain life span, and when they are finished at a site, it
•
leaves open bodies of water behind.
Developing a unique “planning continuum” of new land uses
•
“Michael Baker worked with mining operators to have
Creating specific regulatory procedures for
these water bodies repurposed once the industrial
the preservation and restoration of high-quality
operations have moved on,” he says. “This helps to
river habitat
address a legitimate concern. We do not want to avoid
•
Identifying salt cedar management methods
the elephant in the room.”
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Designing flood-protection measures
•
Incorporating active and passive recreational opportunities
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Applying creative land-use planning tools to drive the transformation process beyond the pages of the document and define a new legacy for Buckeye along the Gila River
TURNING MINING PITS INTO LAKEFRONT RECREATION HUBS One of the most visible and high-impact innovations, however, came with the transformation of abandoned sand-and-gravel mining pits into lakefront centers for recreation and economic development. A commitment to partnership carried the day here as well. “As we worked with the city to look at used and dormant industrial mining sites, we urged private-property owners to contribute a long-term vision for river corridor,” Klyszeiko says of the gradual transformation. “Sand-andgravel operations will expand; It is a successful business, and we would not want to impede that. Working with
“Michael Baker brought a reputation that gave us a lot of comfort. From the most technical engineering professionals to interested members of the community, people feel comfortable talking with the team at Michael Baker.”
the state industry association, we agreed to a Sand-andGravel Mitigation Plan."
Adam Copeland | Principal Planner for the City of Buckeye
Adds Copeland, the city planner: “The question among the various players has been, how can we help each other out? The mining companies basically said that, as long as we can operate our business, we will participate in being good stewards of the environment. “These mining pits were located in the floodplain, which meant they had limited commercial value,” Copeland continues. “The city, however, saw tremendous value in these locations as venues for community amenities.”
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To date, developers have reclaimed and developed the land around at least one of the former sand-and-gravel pits. Now area residents enjoy concerts, fishing and other forms of recreation along an attractive waterfront venue.
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BIRD INVENTORIES, FLOOD CONTROL, TRANSPORTATION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The complex nature of the built, natural and social
“Participating in this way creates an economic boom for
systems within the Gila River study area required
the region and for private investors, who are becoming
complete and detailed technical analysis. This included
more interested in developing these new sites,”
collectively assessing regional environmental and flood
Klyszeiko says. “It is also good for the mining companies
control initiatives; conducting bird species, habitat and
themselves because this development potential actually
vegetative community inventories; analyzing specific
increases the value of their land.”
land use and alternatives for development; developing
Copeland agrees. “Everyone connected thought it was a fascinating project that touched every aspect of planning, public and private partnerships,” he says. “We
transportation and economic development objectives; and encouraging local resident and stakeholder engagement.
have linked these new ‘lakes’ together for recreational
“Returning the Gila River to a healthy state, along with
purposes, while still permitting mining companies
the positive development and regional participation
to conduct their business at working pits. It connects
we have seen, has brought national recognition of the
downtown Buckeye with different land-use fixtures. We
benefit to Buckeye,” says Klyszeiko.
still see a lot of opportunity along the riverbank.”
Adds Copeland: “The precedents established here have created a toolbox to be used over the next 20 to 30 years as this project continues to expand and develop.” Copeland describes the city’s relationship with the Michael Baker team as great. “We have known a lot of the folks there for a long time,” he explains. “Michael Baker brought a reputation that gave us a lot of comfort. They had a good team put together during the bid process that has performed very well. They have always had a great, eloquent way of working with different stakeholders. From the most technical engineering professionals to interested members of the community, people feel comfortable talking with the team at Michael Baker. As a result, some great cooperation has resulted, and some great ideas have been generated.” “This is a planner’s dream project,” Klyszeiko says, “to work on something so forward-thinking and complex, but also realistic and attainable.”
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
S U STA I N I N G O U R N AT I O N A L T R E AS U R E S Michael Baker supports the National Park Service by providing sustainable solutions, infrastructure repair and modernization
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
I
n 1872, Congress established Yellowstone as the first of the country’s national parks, and the National Park System has grown to reflect the compelling diversity
of America’s culture and interests. Today, the system spans 417 parks that offer incomparable variety, from battlefields to preserves to seashores to parkways. In 2017 alone, the parks attracted nearly 331 million visitors, employed 22,000 people (counting full-time, parttime and seasonal workers) and infused approximately $35 billion into the national economy. In many ways, America’s national parks are a resource both unique and irreplaceable. The parks are dynamic, changing to meet new visitor needs and emerging trends in safety and environmental preservation. The National Park Service (NPS) manages that process, working diligently to assure the conservation and sustainability of the parks and their many wonders.
I M PA C T
“One of our goals is to preserve the landscape and historic natural scenery of each park. We have to implement solutions that do not permanently change the landscape." Mark K. DeJohn, PG | Senior Geologist Michael Baker International
“Michael Baker International served the NPS for more than 16 years, and the NPS has become a special and
“We think of the parks as national jewels,” says Mark K.
key client for us,” says Gary Case, project manager and
DeJohn, PG, senior geologist for Michael Baker, “but
senior environmental scientist for Michael Baker. “We
many parks have been affected by past practices and
understand the NPS mission to preserve the cultural
have landfills, leaking storage tanks and abandoned
and historical significance of the national parks, sites
mines that may have been worked before the park
and preserves. We look forward to the continued success
was created.”
and satisfaction of assisting the NPS in maintaining and restoring the parks’ beautiful natural resources, along
Here is a look at three of these initiatives and how
with their individual and overall historic significance for
Michael Baker helps to sustain, protect and support the
many years to come. Furthermore, we strive that all of our
management of our national treasures.
employees working at the parks understand their history and learn what makes each park unique.” On a number of occasions in recent years, NPS has called on Michael Baker International to help with contaminated site management and sustainability projects. These projects have included remediation of environmental hazards and evaluation and updates of parks’ environmental management systems (EMS).
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
ELIMINATING A HAZARD AT PALO ALTO
Michael Baker found that the contamination was shallow
On May 8, 1846, the United States and Mexico
solution. First, the contaminated soil would be excavated.
engaged in the Battle of Palo Alto, a major conflict that foreshadowed the much broader Mexican-American War. In March 2009, the site near Brownsville, Texas, was designated a national historic park following stints as a national historic landmark and a national historic site. The facility’s visitor center features exhibits and a video about the battle and the broader conflict, and a half-mile trail
— only about three feet — and proposed a two-part Then, the material would be trucked off-site for disposal in a permitted, secure landfill. The soil excavation was “time-critical,” meaning the most hazardous soil was dug up and removed first, leaving less contaminated soil for removal at a later date. Michael Baker managed the removal operations and restoration activities for the NPS.
leads to an overlook of the battlefield. Interpretive panels
Jay Boisseau, PE, the environmental program manager
present the protracted conflict between Mexico and the
for the NPS Intermountain Regional Office at the time,
United States from the perspectives of both countries,
but who now serves as project manager for line-item
providing important context.
construction at the agency’s Denver Service Center,
Well before the battlefield’s designation as a National Historic Landmark in December 1960, the area was home to many ranches where cattle roamed the land. In earlier
calls the time-critical approach an example of “adaptive management” that has served as a model for similar projects in other parks.
times, the cattle were treated in dip tanks to protect them from tick infestations. “Ranchers used concrete- or brick-lined tanks filled with a pesticide solution to treat cattle,” DeJohn explains. “The tanks were deep enough that the cattle had to swim through them, then drip-dry in a corral. When the dip bath was spent, the rancher would typically dispose of the used solution on site.” The problem was, while mostly water, the solution contained arsenic. In those years, the solution was dumped on site, where it now poses a potential hazard to park visitors and staff. In hindsight, this practice was deemed not sustainable or eco-friendly, and the residual hazardous materials resulting from these operations would need to be cleaned up. The NPS contracted with Michael Baker to investigate the site and to develop an effective disposal/remediation plan. “One of our goals is to preserve the landscape and historic natural scenery of each park,” DeJohn says. “We have to implement solutions that do not permanently change the landscape. Here, we came up with a list of options and evaluated them on the basis of effectiveness, sustainability, cost and ease of implementation per federal, state and local requirements.”
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Michael Baker developed and implemented a technique using large screens to separate waste from soil in Canyonlands National Park.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
“When you attempt to reduce the quantity of the hazardous material to near-background levels, it gets very expensive,” Boisseau says. “We have removed the main sources of contamination, and what is left is such a small concentration that the migration potential is greatly reduced. We have bought some time to implement the
I M PA C T
PROSPECTING FOR SOIL AT CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK Possible soil contamination also was the challenge at Canyonlands National Park, which spans 337,598 majestic acres in the heart of Utah’s high desert. The
final clean-up remedy.”
park is a colorful preserve of canyons, mesas, buttes, fins,
Another key element of the plan: the project would
landscape by centuries of water and gravity. Many areas
occur during the summer, when Palo Alto visitation is
are so remote or rugged that access is by hiking or four-
historically lowest. The park’s trail was closed only briefly,
wheel drive only.
arches and spires, all of it sculpted into a breathtaking
minimizing disruptions. Now, Palo Alto visitors can enjoy the vistas and contemplate the battle in a much safer environment.
“There is definitely a sense of pride in supporting NPS and preserving national treasures – even in the small ways that we are sometimes doing it. I see my role as helping to restore the environment the way it was meant to be." Mark K. DeJohn, PG | Senior Geologist Michael Baker International
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I M PA C T | S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
Michael Baker’s work with NPS covers a variety of issues and requires diverse expertise. Yet no matter the project, helping to preserve America’s scenic, cultural and recreational jewels provides special satisfaction for Michael Baker team members.
The soil-waste separation technique used at Canyonlands saved “golden soil,” enabling Michael Baker to restore the site more economically.
In the Needles section of the park, NPS asked Michael
to be a very effective method of separating the waste
Baker to assess a 4.5-acre site near a campground
material from the soil and reduced the project cost by
that had been used as a landfill. Michael Baker’s initial
almost one-third.
investigation in 2009 indicated an assortment of waste products — household trash, bottles, tires, batteries and medical equipment likely used in the park’s paramedic training program — reaching six feet beneath the surface. However, subsequent excavations revealed that the waste actually extended 10 feet below the surface, meaning much more material would need to be removed and trucked off-site. Faced with a much larger excavation, Michael Baker’s team devised and deployed a simple but innovative technique to solve the problem of additional material. They acquired and used large mechanized screens, much the way gold prospectors would, to separate waste from soil. That way, concentrated waste would be segregated for off-site disposal. Michael Baker’s solution proved
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“It became much more efficient and economical because disposal costs are on a tonnage basis,” Ed Kleinkauf, PG, a senior project geologist from Michael Baker, notes. “It was a tremendous savings for NPS.” As an added bonus, saving all that “golden soil” enabled the team to restore the site more easily and economically, as it greatly reduced the need to acquire and bring in clean fill. “For revegetation, the park supplied us with seeds and small shoots for plants,” Kleinkauf says. “It is basically a desert area, so we could not go in and hydro-seed. We spread the shoots around in a kind of haphazard pattern to resemble what natural growth would look like.”
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
I M PA C T
AN EMS AUDIT FOR JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK To ensure that the U.S. national parks employ the most modern and sophisticated sustainability practices, NPS periodically conducts audits of the parks’ environmental management systems (EMS). Such EMS audits are comprehensive with eight required elements that include the parks’ environmental commitment statement, environmental impacts at the park, goals and objectives to maintain environmental compliance, roles and responsibilities, recordkeeping, training and communication. In 2017, NPS engaged Michael Baker to perform an EMS audit for parks in the Southeast Region, including Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve in Louisiana. Jean Lafitte National Historic Site, which is named for the infamous early 19th century pirate, includes six physically separate sites with diverse goals. Three of those sites, for example, preserve and interpret the Cajun culture of the region while the Barataria Preserve features trails and canoe tours through bottomland hardwood forests, swamps and marsh. Still another component preserves the site of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans and includes Boisseau, who also supervised the Canyonlands cleanup for NPS, confirms the benefits the agency reaped. “Michael Baker’s innovative work with the soil screening system was great for us. They were able to sift a large quantity of soil in a short period of time, and it kept us from generating additional solid waste. Waste reduction is a priority in the NPS.” As a precaution, the team tested groundwater wells near the campgrounds — no contamination was found — and decommissioned two of the wells. The park later removed the fencing around the campground and now has a clean, safe site should it ever choose to expand this area. This was another example of how the suggested engineering ideas of Michael Baker helped to enhance the park while also preserving the environment.
a national cemetery. Tiffanie Beardsley, environmental specialist in Michael Baker’s Moon Township, Pa., office, headed the audit team. “They have a great EMS program that is fully implemented and functioning,” Beardsley reports. “During the four-day audit, it was easy for me to verify that the park has done an excellent job of addressing all required system elements and incorporating them into daily park activities.” Michael Baker conducted and managed the park audit to ensure compliance with NPS standards as well as federal, state and local regulations. To enhance their program, Michael Baker recommended that park strengthen its training element and add follow-up reports for any measures implemented, but the audit overall showed a park meeting its environmental goals.
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LEADING CHANGE
| S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
ST R AT E G I C
S U STA I N A B I L I T Y
Training exercises at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune BY:
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Elizabeth Krousel Elizabeth is an Associate Vice President and NAVFAC Sustainability Program Manager for Michael Baker International in its Alexandria, Va., offi ce.
S I G N AT U R E - FA L L 2 0 1 8
Alicia Filzen Alicia is the Qualifi ed Recycling Program Manager, and formerly in the Environmental Management Division, at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C.
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
LEADING CHANGE
How do you motivate an entire base of U.S. Marines, civilian staff, their families and others on the base to seriously embrace environmental stewardship, sustainability and recycling – and therefore comply with long-standing executive orders, when their minds are focused largely on c o m b a t r e a d i n e s s ? Yo u e n g a g e t h e i r c h i l d r e n .
M
arine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville,
and-file, especially since most residents did not pay for
N.C., already had instituted a Strategic
their own electric, water and gas utility costs; a transiency
Sustainability Performance Plan and a Qualified
among Marines and their families, as well as the
Recycling Program when program managers realized they
commanding leadership; a host of outside contractors
needed to do more to foster meaningful participation in
lacking both the knowledge of – and incentives to heed
these initiatives among the base’s regional population
– environmental standards; and an apparent disconnect
of more than 137,000 people. Driving this need for
between the base’s environmental initiatives and its daily
participation was a series of consecutive executive orders
operations focused on mission readiness.
that define a detailed list of environmental sustainability compliance directives aimed at federal agencies. Among those orders: •
Michael Baker International, in partnership with Camp Lejeune’s Environmental Management Division and Qualified Recycling Program, devised a multi-pronged
The diversion of 50 percent of non-hazardous solid
strategy for raising awareness and, ultimately, improving
waste and construction and demolition debris from
engagement in environmental compliance efforts.
landfills via recycling programs; •
Two percent annual reduction in petroleum consumption;
•
Ensuring that 95 percent of all new contracts require products and services that are energyefficient, water-efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable, non-ozone-depleting, contain recycled content, and are non-toxic;
•
Increasing the use and generation of renewable energy; and other targeted directives.
OBSTACLES ON THE PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY Addressing many of those directives proved challenging
EDUCATING OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS Construction workers and other outside contractors had no way of knowing anything about the executive orders and the base’s environmental requirements. To change that, the team helped the Environmental Management Division (EMD) develop a list of environmental standards and acceptable “best practices” to which the contractors would have to adhere going forward. The team also updated a guidebook for outside contractors to help them better understand the compliance rules and, overall, Camp Lejeune’s environmental stewardship mission, along with ways to effectively comply.
without changing the mind-sets of people across the base. Obstacles included limited funds; limited manpower to enlist help; a lack of incentives for the rank-
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LEADING CHANGE
| S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
designed as a go-to reference guide about the military base’s environmental goals and programs that were in place to achieve those goals. All of those materials ultimately contributed to an increase in participation in the various recycling programs on the base and even led to related initiatives to better manage the base’s supply and use of batteries to conserve energy and reduce waste. The battery initiatives alone resulted in a savings of an estimated $500,000 in long-term procurements costs. The team also developed an executive-overview-type performance report for base leadership with simple-toread visuals that used the colors red, yellow and green to denote the level of compliance with the executive orders. While some leadership demonstrated greater interest than others in the environmental sustainability The Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan engaged Camp Lejeune's Marines, families and workers.
and recycling programs themselves, all took a keen
WRITING THE BOOK ON RECYCLING
certain measurements would slide into the red, which
interest in the performance reports, particularly when signified non-compliance.
Before the outreach effort began, Camp Lejeune’s EMD had developed a number of progressive recycling initiatives under its Qualified Recycling Program (QRP). For instance, the team launched recycling efforts to identify and recycle solid-waste items, such as copy machine toner cartridges, used oil rags and batteries, that previously had been discarded in the landfill. The team continued to analyze other waste that could be diverted from the landfill, including household cooking oil, plastics and cardboard, and tested a pilot program for single-stream recycling. Still, one of EMD’s biggest challenges was awareness and participation in its programs. To support the base’s Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, recycling program and environmental initiatives, a series of flyers, brochures, pocket guides, training manuals and even social media campaigns aimed at educating Marines, families and workers on base were developed. Key among the materials was an environmental-standards guidebook for Marines titled, “Overview of Camp Lejeune Environmental Programs.” This accompanied the guidebook for outside contractors. The guidebook was
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A team from Michael Baker and Camp Lejeune’s Environmental Management Division and Qualifi ed Recycling Program strategize to raise sustainability awareness.
REACHING THE PARENTS THROUGH THEIR CHILDREN
Camp Lejeune’s Qualifi ed Recycling Program includes several initiatives, such as the recycling efforts of solid-waste household items.
The most effective awareness and outreach efforts
the area now are requesting that Camp Lejeune and
revolved around engaging the children of those living
its environmental team adapt the Earth Day Expo and
and working on the military base. The idea was that if
related environmental activities to take on the road into
the team could engage the children and convince them
the neighboring schools themselves.
to establish stronger environmental stewardship habits at home, those children would educate their families and get them to adopt a similar mind-set and habits. The approach, which centered around the development of large-scale, hands-on events for children, worked better than what the team had imagined. The base’s signature event became an annual Earth Day Expo, which attracted more than 1,000 local children the first year alone. As part of the expo, held on base every April, the team developed upwards of 19 booths and stations – manned by subject-matter experts from across the base and beyond – where the children could interact and learn about the environment, recycling, energy conservation and other relevant topics that supports the EMD’s Camp Lejeune mission. To help move the children through the maze of educational activities, the team devised a scavenger hunt requiring the children to ask questions along the way
Eventually, the team succeeded in engaging the Marines themselves in the environmental activities. Among the more successful initiatives: Splash For Trash, in which Marines provided kayaks and other boats to military volunteers to collect trash and clean up the shorelines and beaches. To maintain a united front on environmental sustainability and recycling, cohesive branding, including a logo for the sustainability program, tied together all educational materials, recycling programs, annual events and even the performance reports. And it worked. Ultimately, notices of violations of directives within the executive orders driving these environmental activities dropped, and compliance across the spectrum improved. As a result of these hands-on initiatives, the EMD saw recycling increase in family housing within a brief period and are confident this trend will continue.
and seek answers to specific questions. Also included is an art contest leading up to the Earth Day event and prizes to garner additional participation. The result: annual attendance continues to climb, and schools in
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ACROSS THE CONTINUUM
| S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
I N V E ST I N G I N G R O W T H INDUSTRY LEADER JOINS TRANSPORTATION PRACTICE Michael Baker International continues to position the organization at the forefront of the transportation industry with the addition of Malcolm Dougherty, P.E., as senior vice president and national transportation practice lead, bringing more than 25 years of experience to the role. In this role, Dougherty will drive the strategic direction, growth and performance of the practice and will lead an integrated team of regional transportation and management professionals in all aspects of transportation, including: Highways (State Departments of Transportation), Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and Smart Transportation. He will have direct oversight of the firm’s national practice leaders for aviation and railroad/transit and will facilitate the ongoing growth of the transportation business. Prior to joining Michael Baker, Dougherty held roles of increasing responsibility for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that culminated in his most recent position as director, in which he was responsible for the maintenance and operations of more than 50,000 lane miles of roadway in the State Highway System and the delivery of an $11.4 billion construction portfolio. He also had overall fiscal responsibility for the department’s budget of more than $10 billion and 20,000 employees. “I am proud to join Michael Baker’s renowned transportation practice to contribute my expertise from working with governments and municipalities, directing large infrastructure projects and working to advance emerging technology-driven trends such as connected and autonomous vehicles,” said Dougherty. In May 2018, Dougherty was elected to the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Board of Directors. Dougherty and his fellow board members will provide strategic leadership and guidance to ITS America’s membership of key stakeholders in the intelligent transportation industry as they work to create a policy environment that drives the development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and the Internet of Things to improve safety.
LEADING OPPORTUNITY IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION Recognizing the growth potential in the Mountain Region, Michael Baker International has hired Jeffery R. Kullman, P.E., as senior vice president and regional director for the firm’s Mountain Region. In this role, Kullman will provide leadership, support and vision to the Mountain Region and will oversee the engineering business, marketing and financial operations of the firm’s Denver; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Salt Lake City; and Anchorage, Alaska, operations. He also will be responsible for driving best practices to grow and expand work and market opportunities throughout the region to broaden the existing client base. “I am honored to join Michael Baker in this regional leadership role,” said Kullman. “I look forward to collaborating with our local teams to contribute to the company’s Culture of Excellence by executing a strategic growth plan that diversifies our business and focuses on providing unparalleled client service.” As a diverse professional with proven success in both the private and public sectors, Kullman brings more than 35 years of experience to his new role.
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
ACROSS THE CONTINUUM
POSITIONING FOR SUCCESS IN THE WEST As the firm’s largest region, the West Region of Michael Baker International is unique. The firm’s talent, combined with the region’s market opportunities for investment in infrastructure, offer many opportunities for growth. To leverage this potential, Michael Baker has created a new position, area executive, to focus on driving project performance, deepening client relationships and growing the firm's presence in the West. Two area executives have been named:
Darren Riegler, P.E., former office executive for
Bob Schlesinger, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, will continue to
Hamilton, N.J. Riegler, who joined the company in 2003,
be responsible for all operations and 250 employees in
will be responsible for all operations in the Ontario, Palm
the Santa Ana, Camarillo, Long Beach and Los Angeles
Desert, Temecula, San Diego, Carlsbad, Phoenix and Las
offices. Bob has been with Michael Baker for nine years
Vegas offices. He will oversee 275 team members and a
and previously served for 29 years of active duty in the
diverse portfolio of client work.
United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps, where his final tour was Commanding Officer.
BOLSTERING COST MANAGEMENT SERVICES WITH ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP To expand its cost management services to current and potential clients, Michael Baker International welcomed George Guszcza as its vice president of cost management to provide strategic vision and operational oversight to the business. In this role, Guszcza will be responsible for the growth of all service lines at Michael Baker, such as cost estimating, value engineering, scheduling and forensic consulting. Guszcza brings more than 20 years of experience leading operations, finance and information technology across private, public and non-profit sectors, most recently as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Adams and Associates, Inc. He will report to James Koch, Ph.D., P.E., Mid-Atlantic regional director. Mark Childs, vice president of cost management, will continue his excellent support of the company’s cost management initiatives by managing and growing Michael Baker’s portfolio with existing clients and contracts.
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ACROSS THE CONTINUUM
| S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
E X PA N D I N G
O U R F O OT P R I N T
DENVER NOW THE FLAGSHIP FOR THE MOUNTAIN REGION AND A NEW OFFICE OPENS IN THE QUEEN CITY Continuing to leverage the significant
Growth is also evident in the Great
“Michael Baker has long planned
market opportunities in the Mountain
Lakes Region. In addition to its
expansion opportunities to support
Region, Michael Baker International
existing offices in Canton, Cleveland
our existing operations in Ohio.
recently designated Denver as
and Columbus, Michael Baker has
Southwest
the region’s flagship office. With
expanded its presence in Ohio with
experience infrastructure growth with
abundant infrastructure projects that
the opening of an office in Cincinnati.
a number of active and upcoming
align with Michael Baker’s services and expertise, the firm is focusing on Denver, a city with an increasingly growing economy and population.
To best service the needs of the Cincinnati area and the OhioKentucky-Indiana (OKI) region, Michael
Baker
established
a
Ohio
continues
to
construction and design projects, which drove the need to expand our presence in the area,” said Kent Zinn, senior vice president and regional director of Michael Baker’s Great
Along with this move, Michael
team specializing in construction
Baker established dedicated senior
management
business development roles to
services,
inspection,
Gary Middleton, P.E., project manager,
help lead the Mountain Region and
transportation, aviation, dam safety
has joined Michael Baker to manage
appointed Jeffrey R. Kullman, P.E.,
engineering and Next Generation
the Cincinnati office after 30 years
as regional director (see page 32 for
9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) support, among
of serving the region as an Ohio
more information on Kullman).
other services.
Department of Transportation (ODOT)
and
bridge
inspection
Lakes Region.
Administrator with a construction management background.
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
ACROSS THE CONTINUUM
RANKINGS
2018
Michael Baker International is committed to embracing a Culture of Excellence and maintaining its position as an industry leader. The latest Engineering News-Record (ENR) industry rankings highlight the Company’s focus on growth and continuous improvement.
REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS*
US & INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
No.
30 of 500
Top National Design Firms TOP 6% ANNUAL REVENUE UP FIVE PLACES SINCE 2016
No.
6
Top Bridge Design Firms
No.
10
Water Practice UP TWO PLACES SINCE 2017
No.
14
Transportation Practice
No.
67of 150
Top Global Design Firms Ranks total design-specific revenue
No.
2
ENR's Mid-Atlantic Region
[ District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia ] This Mid-Atlantic Region saw improved rankings for Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering (up one to No. 4), Government/Public Service (up five to No. 2), and Structural Engineering (up one to No. 2). Pennsylvania secured the No. 2 overall rank for the fourth consecutive year, and Virginia scored at No. 4.
No.
9
ENR's Intermountain Region [ Idaho, Montana and Utah ] UP 15 SPOTS SINCE 2015 The Intermountain Region for Michael Baker increased its rankings in Architecture (up one to No. 9), Civil Engineering (up five to No. 7), Structural Engineering (up four to No. 3) and Transportation (up one to No. 3), and also maintained its No. 4 rank in MEP Engineering.
No.
19
ENR's Southeast Region
[ Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee ] UP FOUR POSITIONS SINCE 2017 In the Southeast Region, Michael Baker increased its Civil Engineering ranking to No. 9 (from No. 16) and Transportation to No. 12 (from No. 14).
UP TWO PLACES SINCE 2015 * Regions defined by ENR vary from Michael Baker's regional structure. Rankings for ENR's New England and Northwest regions are expected this fall.
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RECOGNITION
| C H A I R M A N ' S AWA R D W I N N E R S
L-R: Mohiuddin (Mo) Shaik, Dayle Coburn, Thomas J. Campbell, Magdy Hagag
RECOGNIZING
EXCELLENCE INAUGURAL CHAIRMAN’S AWARD In April 2018, our Chairman, Thomas J. Campbell, presented the inaugural Chairman’s Award to three Michael Baker International colleagues. The Chairman’s Award was created by Tom to recognize colleagues who exemplify the organization’s Wolf Pack Philosophy that “we are stronger together,” and whose work in 2017 has distinguished them among their peers.
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C H A I R M A N ' S AWA R D W I N N E R S |
RECOGNITION
The Chairman’s Award recipients were honored during the 2018 Michael Baker Leadership Meeting attended by 150 colleagues.
Mohiuddin (Mo) Shaik,
Dayle Coburn,
Magdy Hagag,
P.E., PMP, DBIA, GISP, CFM,
P.E., program manager from
P.E., office executive in New
program manager, from Michael
Michael Baker’s Salt Lake City
Jersey, was recognized for his
Baker’s Charleston, W. Va,
office, was recognized for his
commitment to flawless execution
office, was recognized for his
ability to drive collaboration,
and belief in the basic tenet that
outstanding work with the West
particularly in our Design-Build
nothing sells great work like doing
Virginia Department of Highways
work, and engage the contractor
great work. Hagag focuses on
(WVDOH), including securing the
and owner (Utah Department of
winning work as well as deepening
largest project ever administered
Transportation) to build trust and
client relationships and leveraging
by the WVDOH, and his insatiable
confidence in Michael Baker.
capabilities in his office and
quest for perfection. “Receiving this award reinforced my belief in the ‘power of the
Pack,’ humility, hard work and a
willingness to improve and share.” Mo was nominated by Rusty Hall, P.E., office executive for the Charleston office.
“I am humbled to have been
selected among so many highly
the region to diversity Newark’s portfolio.
qualified employees. All projects
“I am deeply honored and grateful
with require collaboration and
said Hagag. “Michael Baker’s
that I have been involved
teamwork, encompassing several
disciplines to achieve our results.” Dayle was nominated by Mike Arens, P.E., S.E., office executive of the Salt Lake City office.
to receive this recognition,”
clients know that we will never
take the easy path in delivering
creativity and quality to them – it is what separates us from the competition.”
Magdy was nominated by Mike Brescia, P.E., Northeast regional director of Michael Baker.
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G L O B A L S TAT I S T I C S
| S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
G LO B A L S U STA I N A B I L I T Y STAT I ST I C S At Michael Baker International, our efforts to revitalize infrastructure around the world, along with our social, economic and environmental sustainability initiatives, contribute to the overall progress of global sustainability efforts. The statistics below demonstrate that, while progress has been made around global sustainability efforts, much work remains to ensure a lasting, positive impact for future generations. I N V E ST I N G I N
E N E R G Y C O N S E RVAT I O N M E A S U R E S H AS T H E P OT E N T I A L TO :
B O O ST
THE ECONOMY
C R E AT E
NUMEROUS JOBS
CUT
F U E L I M P O RT
A N D I S A L S O E S S E N T I A L TO A D D R E S S C L I M AT E C H A N G E
T H E I N D U ST R I A L S E CTO R AC C O U N T S FOR ABOUT
%
O F TOTA L N E E D E D E N E R GY C O N S U M P T I O N
% %
T R A N S P O RTAT I O N C O N S U M E S O F G LO B A L E N E R GY U S E AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR O F E N E R GY - R E L AT E D C O E M I S S I O N S
A D O P T I N G E N E R GY E F F I C I E N CY M E A S U R E S I N I N D U ST RY – S U C H AS R E D U C E D M AT E R I A L LO S S E S A N D H I G H P R O D U CT Q UA L I T Y – COULD REDUCE ITS OV E R A L L E N E R GY U S E BY
2
%
OR % E N E R GY U S E G LO B A L LY
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y |
G L O B A L S TAT I S T I C S
B U I L D I N G M O D E R N , S U STA I N A B L E A N D R E L I A B L E I N F R AST R U C T U R E I S C R I T I C A L F O R M E E T I N G T H E R I S I N G AS P I R AT I O N S O F B I L L I O N S O F P E O P L E A R O U N D T H E G LO B E
R E B U I L D I N G ST R O N G E R , FAST E R A N D M O R E I N C L U S I V E LY A F T E R D I SAST E R S C O U L D G E N E R AT E M A J O R B E N E F I T S TOTA L I N G $ BILLION PER YEAR
T R A N S P O RTAT I O N H AS T H E H I G H E ST GROWTH OF CO EMISSIONS OF A N Y S E CTO R
I T S C O N T R I B U T I O N TO E N E R GY- R E L AT E D C O E M I S S I O N S A R E E ST I M AT E D TO G O F R O M O N E Q U A RT E R TO DAY TO O N E T H I R D BY
THE WORLD WILL NEED M O R E WAT E R F O R E N E R G Y G E N E R AT I O N B U T A L R E A DY TO DAY, OV E R . B I L L I O N P E O P L E ST I L L L A C K AC C E S S TO E L E CT R I C I T Y
AT T H E R AT E G R O U N DWAT E R I S B E I N G D E P L E T E D , A P P R OX I M AT E LY . BILLION PEOPLE COULD BE LIVING IN REGIONS WITH
A B S O L U T E WAT E R S C A R C I T Y BY
WITH MORE THAN M I L L I O N TO N S O F P L A ST I C E N T E R I N G T H E O C E A N S E V E RY Y E A R , O U R O C E A N S C O U L D C O N TA I N
M O R E P L A ST I C THAN FISH BY
E ST I M AT E S S H O W T H AT W I T H C U R R E N T P O P U L AT I O N G R O W T H A N D WAT E R M A N A G E M E N T P R A CT I C E S , T H E W O R L D W I L L FA C E A
%
S H O RT FA L L B E T W E E N F O R E C A ST DEMAND AND AVA I L A B L E S U P P LY O F WAT E R BY
Sources: seforall.org, worldbank.org, unenvironment.org
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OUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
OUR COMMITMENT TO
EXCELLENCE To Our Clients… We believe in building strong, long-term relationships that put your needs and aspirations first. We will move mountains to leverage our full continuum of expertise, experience and innovation – with respect and integrity – to help you solve your most complex problems. We will serve as your change agents and trusted advisers, guiding you and your communities through transformational change.
We deliver performance.
To Our Employees… We cultivate a culture of excellence that fosters collaboration, career development, diversity, creativity, differentiating innovation and an impassioned entrepreneurial spirit. We will invest in your education and training. We will seek opportunities for you to develop your careers. We will reward innovation, teamwork and leadership.
We deliver careers.
To the Communities We Serve… We care deeply about the communities we serve. We will give you our best as we deliver improved quality of life, peace of mind and a more prosperous future. We also are dedicated to giving back around the world with our time, talents and financial support to lift up those in need. You represent our families, neighbors and friends.
We deliver a helping hand.
We Make a Difference
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We Make a Difference
MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL
42 /
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