TALK
We got a whole lot of winter this season – snow in Florida, deep freeze temps for what seemed like weeks, bone-chilling wind – and we pushed through with Spring right in front of us. You ever force yourself to go for a walk on those cold days, and walk a little longer or farther than you think you might be able to. It feels really good. I wonder what that is exactly and why it seems important to test yourself like that. Skiing and snowboarding or just going to snow-covered mountains celebrates that feeling in a way. You have to push it a little bit in a climate you don’t love to get something really enjoyable out of it. We stretched further North this winter with a trip to Mt. Tremblant in Quebec. Hopefully everyone was able to enjoy that beautiful mountain and village and have those moments of looking up and out at nature. It seems to be more and more challenging to not look down at our phones – so much information and interesting things to find on that little screen. But there is so much out there, so much to explore right in front of us. All around us. And it only takes a moment to appreciate it. We try to do a bit of that in this issue – look up, out and around – and admire what’s happening. In our Winter 2025 newsletter we vibe with ducks, celebrate the work of Generation Reverb, recap our Canadian adventure, and announce 2 great new teams at Stonefield to start. Mitch touches upon fishing and patience while Kylie explains her love for big green plants and the coffee bean. And a whole lot more. Eyes up, eyes out, take it in every once
seLec Ts
Chuck Olivo shares some current recommended selections
Music: DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS album recently released by Bad Bunny is awesome. Check out the videos for TURiSTA and BAILE INoLVIDABLE.
Cinema: King of New York. Young Christopher Walken, wild movie.
Book: Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino, really quick and funny. There are a couple parts you can’t help but laugh out loud.
Magazine: Popeye Magazine, if you are not into print, check out their Instagram. Strongly suggest you find your local Kinokuniya bookstore and grab the latest issue.
Snack: Pretty much anything covered in Dark Chocolate and the closer the percentage is to 100%, the better.
Dog: Corgi, I mean look at those guys with those tiny little legs. I don’t physically understand how it all works but they are hilarious.
Photo taken by TJ Ricci on Mt. Tremblant
Design insighT
The creative process for our FW24 collection, adorned with duck-inspired artwork, emerged from a shared experience— one marked by resilience, inspiration, and camaraderie. It all began during our time together in Roscoe, NY, a picturesque yet rugged setting that introduced us to the undeniable spirit of nature and the creatures that call it home.
The retreat took place in less-than-ideal conditions: persistent rain, brisk winds, and the kind of cold that you don’t easily forget. Yet, it was in this environment that we found our muse. Ducks, native to Roscoe, paddled unbothered across lakes, their movements serene and purposeful despite the chill. We came to see them as a symbol of endurance, a reminder of how nature perseveres through discomfort. Much like the ducks, our team embraced the weather, finding joy and unity in the shared experience. Some even braved a polar plunge into the frigid lake—a moment of collective boldness that brought laughter, cheers, and a newfound appreciation for resilience.
Inspired by this, we envisioned a collection that captured the essence of both the environment and the spirit of the retreat. The hoodies are crafted in earthy tones—rich browns and muted greens to mirror the natural palette of Upstate New York. These colors represent the muddy trails, misty mornings, and lush grasses we encountered.
The collection is centered around the duck, illustrated in various forms: some playful and abstract, others representative of their lives. Both designs depict one side of the retreat. From the light-hearted activities we shared indoors to the harsh reality we faced commuting outdoors.
DAiLY cARRY
With Arturo Buenrostro
Pictured before you are the items that I couldn’t travel to Canada without—especially the top half of my Canadian suit (now made official with a patch from Tremblant). The beanie and hiking shoes were crucial in the snow. I’m not sure about you all, but I am a deeply humbled man every time I travel abroad. My passport photo is still the same one taken for my driver’s permit at 16. Speaking of being humbled, it was a new year’s resolution of mine to start reading more, and as you could have guessed, that’s going mediocre at best. On the bright side though, I’m beating somebody at one thing, and that’s being the most hydrated person in the Salem office. I’m looking at you Gio. But hydration doesn’t just come from the
good ol’ H20. Lotion and ChapStick are equally as important. In fact, I won’t even leave my house without Burt’s Bees. It’s an essential part of my pocket check. You know—the pocket check? When you pat your sides and blindly feel for the silhouettes of your phone, keys, wallet, and headphones. And then you have a mini heart attack when one of them isn’t there, but then you realize it is there, and relief washes over your soul. I forgot to mention C-3P0 is also a part of that group for no other reason than I just think he’s the most relatable character from Star Wars. He’s my guy! Oh, and you always gotta have the House Sorting Pin with you too. Never know the type of people you’ll meet, and this is a great way to gauge compatibility.
c onceRT RecAp
IT-Mike and Nick Kaniewski of Generation Reverb (formerly known as the “Stonefield Band”) and Sergio Cabrerra, aka Scenarrio put on their first official shows together at the Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ on January 3rd. The stage was set— fresh fog flowed from the haze machine as the lights danced across the stage. You could feel the excitement in the room as people gradually made their way into the venue. Sergio kicked things off opening with a 30-minute rap performance. Banging beats, sophisticated storytelling, and smooth melodies had the crowd grooving as he debuted some of his latest songs like Skeletons and Smoke Up In The Air
An hour later, the lights went dark, and Generation Reverb took the stage. They played two sets, totaling 18 songs, and had the crowd dancing and singing along as the band seamlessly
flowed in and out of their setlist. The energy in the room exploded as they closed out their first set with a cover of L.A. Woman by The Doors. After a 10-minute intermission, IT Mike eased the crowd into their second set opening with an acoustic song as the rest of the band members made their way back onstage. They played song after song, ending in an epic rendition of Rockin’ in the Free World by Neil Young.
Perhaps the most notable moment of the evening was the sound of the crowd chanting for “more trumpet solos” from Nick Kaniewski! The audience also loved the band’s rendition of Dancing in the Dark by New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen. Mike, Nick, and Sergio are looking forward to their next gigs. Missed the show but want to check out some video footage? Reach out to IT-Mike for “exclusive Stonefield-only access.”
cAnADA RecAp
For the very first time, Stonefield went international. The 2025 ski trip took Stonefielders North across the border to Quebec, Canada to shred together on Mont Tremblant. Upon arrival, those in attendance stepped into a charming ski-village that transported you to the inside of a giant snow globe that just got a good shake. Speaking of shaky, the weekend started off a bit that way with a devastating USA loss to Canada during overtime in the “4 Nations Face-Off” hockey championship on Friday night – but it was only up from there! Days on the mountain were fuelled by poutine, accompanied by fresh powder, and followed by late-nights at the Caribou and Central Night Club. It was still worth the trip for those who chose not to ski or snowboard. They enjoyed extracurriculars like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or relaxing days at the infamous Scandinave Spa. The trip proved to be a huge success. Oh yeah, and that USD to CAD exchange rate was pretty sweet too. We hope to see even more of you on the mountain again next year!
A recap of the Generation Reverb and Scenarrio performances
Michael Prawetz
Sergio Cabrerra
Nick Kaniewski
A recap of our first international ski trip
Te Ams
We’re very excited to announce two new teams, Brazil and Roma, bringing our collective to 23 teams and growing. Team Brazil is a site engineering team predominantly working out of New Jersey with projects across the state and Team Roma is a traffic engineering team working on projects throughout New Jersey as well. We hope the team names serve to inspire each team well because these are two bad-ass places. Vibrant, stylish, cultural powerhouses that are filled with life and energy. Understanding a team and what makes it work requires the same skills we use when we travel and explore a new place like Rome or Brazil. We are completely open in those moments – willing to learn new things, interested, and curious. Working within and with a new team requires the same mindset. We wish Team Brazil and Roma successful futures filled with experimentation and curiosity.
inTeRview
With Mitchell Harvey
Mitchell, an almost-10 year veteran, joined me on a Zoom call from his dimly-lit office space in Detroit. As a native of nearby Rochester, Mitchell stayed local at Michigan State University and then landed an interview in a Birmingham bar which led to his start with the company. Much of our 40-minute conversation centered around his love for the outdoors and cultivating a rich connection to his surroundings. At one point, Mitchell commented on the dishes that he makes with the fish he catches, and I asked him to provide a recipe. Please note that step 1 in the recipe involves catching a salmon or a steelhead, a feat that many in the Rutherford office would struggle to complete before moving on to the second step..
What’s your background?
I was born and raised in Southeast Michigan. I’ve not really been outside of Michigan. I grew up in Rochester, a suburb of Detroit not too far from Birmingham. I went to high school there. Then I went to Michigan State University for four and a half years, where I started out in fisheries and wildlife studies. I always wanted to be a conservation officer. They only hire five conservation officers a year, and four of them come from Lake Superior State, which is the school I wasn’t at. So, I ended up switching over to civil engineering.
The following year, I ran into Tim at the career fair at MSU and had a pretty good conversation there. Later, I met him and a couple other employees at a bar in Birmingham, and that’s where I had my interview. That was nine and a half years ago.
When I first started, it was me and five other guys, including Mike Pannell, who’s still with the company down in Tampa. This was a ton of fun with a lot of similarly-minded people. We all had to work real hard Monday through the first eight hours of Thursday. And then Thursday night was always a ton of fun going out to the various bars.
Does patience play a role in how you work through things when you run into problems?
I find that sleeping on issues is one of my favorite ways to solve things when I run into problems. When I was younger, I thought I could work my way through problems. The older I get, the more I realize, all right, I can take a step back. From a more personal or interoffice standpoint, I benefit a lot from getting out in nature and getting fresh air. I benefit greatly from taking a step back and going outside. I do a lot of fishing in the wintertime.
I enjoy ice fishing, but what really helps me think and process is fishing along rivers. When fishing on rivers, I’m standing, walking around, and covering maybe three miles of a river just walking on the bank and fishing different holes. I get a little bit of exercise and oxygen to the brain.
It’s very quiet besides the constant drone of the river, which gives me a kind of grounding point to think about maybe how I could have handled something better or a general, different way to approach some largerscale issues.
What kind of fishing have you been doing?
Most of what I do in the wintertime is going for steelhead. We’re kind of lucky in Michigan. It’s a really good steelhead fishery compared to the Pacific. They run out to the lake for two and a half, three years and then they come back into the river and you know, you can catch them from as early as September all the way into May.
There is a lot of mythology surrounding fishing for that species. What’s the big draw?
The fight is what it’s all about.
Did you grow up with a love for outdoor things? Did someone take you fishing, or did you discover it on your own?
Yeah, my grandpa took me fishing for the first time when I was three or four. My favorite thing to ever do was go fishing with him. I really enjoy being outside for whatever I’m doing, hunting, fishing, golfing, hiking, and camping. Having an activity to do outside is what really makes me tick.
Can you give the readers a recipe of something that you make with one of the animals you catch or kill?
I really make a good venison meatloaf with provolone, spinach, pine nuts, and seedy mustard on top. I really, really like that. I process all my own deer. So about 40% of it ends up getting ground into ground meat. I’m taking parts of the front shoulder, parts of the rear and grinding that and mixing that in with some breadcrumbs, egg yolks, and garlic and that kind of thing.
I also make a good smoked salmon or smoked steelhead. You can use that for various things like dips or put it on straight up. But you know, that involves a long process of 24 or 48 hours.
What would you suggest to somebody from out here in New Jersey as an entry point to connecting with nature?
I think camping is a very good way to get into it–not just car camping. One thing that I’ve really gotten into from elk hunting is living off my back for a period of time. And that includes my food, tents, water filtration, all my clothes, you know, everything I really need to survive. I love saying, all right, I’m going to go that way for two days and I’m going to come back two days later. I go to set up my lightweight tent, roll out my sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and think, “this is going to be home for the night.” I wake up and don’t have cell phone service. I don’t have, you know, emails going off. If you do this, you are just completely disconnected from the world and it gives you time to really think.
inTeRview
With Kylie Roach
Right after my Zoom call with Mitchell, I hopped on with Kylie Roach, who checked in from Tampa. Her office space at home was bathed in sunlight that supplied many plants housed in neatly-stacked glass boxes. I soon learned that Kylie loves coffee and plants. Kylie does not, however, enjoy the consumption of plants, a preference she is slowly trying to change. While many prefer a balanced ratio of protein and vegetables, Kylie has mastered the art of the veggie-free plate. For this edition of the newsletter, she was kind enough to offer up some of her favorite plant-free options that showcase her careful curation of a life of culinary plantlessness.
What brought you to Stonefield?
I went to USF, and that’s where I met Mike Pannell at a career fair. He’s now my STL, my Secondary Team Lead, at Stonefield for the Tampa team. He saw me walking by the Stonefield table, where I was just kind of looking around and he asked, “Do you need a job?” I told him, “Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” We talked for a little bit, and I gave him all my information. And then I walked away. I started looking at other tables just to see other options. He asked, “Why are you looking at other tables? You have a job. Get out of here.” He basically tried to kick me out of the career fair, which is kind of funny. So, I started as an intern in March of 2023, and then became full-time when I graduated in August of 2023.
What are some of the plants in those elaborate glass boxes in your Zoom background?
One is called a Red Anthurium Crystallinum. I went to this exotic nursery to go get them in Miami because they were doing a big sale. So I had to go get them, obviously. I have a bunch of grow lights in this room. I have some others here with me: my Monstera Thai Constellation looks like stars. This other one is called a Variegated Frydek, a type of Alocasia. They’re my babies.
The one note I was given to prep for this interview was that you are averse to eating vegetables. So, am I correct to assume that because you are cultivating this lush greenery all around your space that you can’t bring yourself to harm the vegetables while eating? Do you not want to injure or destroy something you hold dear?
No. That’s not my reason. Vegetable wise, I’ve been getting better. I used to not eat vegetables at all–nothing on my plate was green. I couldn’t even look at a salad. When I was little, my mom never made me eat anything. If I didn’t want to eat something that she made, she would make me something separate.
So how is your vegetable acclimation process going? What are the early steps?
They have to be very seasoned. They can’t be plain. I really gave Brussels sprouts a try.
That’s a hard gateway vegetable, a tough choice. Have you had any others to try to get used to greens?
Someone then gave me broccoli–a big no.
What about asparagus? That is a pretty neutral vegetable that takes on the flavor that you give it. What would you do with that?
I love asparagus. Asparagus I will work–I throw it in an air fryer with a little bit of lemon, and it’s good to go. I can do zucchini if it’s cooked in a pasta.
You must have some great recommendations for vegetable-free dishes. Give us a few.
Okay, that’s easy.
1) Cherry Tomato Pasta (you can add the basil if you need some green, I also add shredded chicken): https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/pastawith-cherry-tomatoes/
2) Korean Beef Bowl (the green onion doesn’t bring much to the table): https://betterhomebase.com/korean-ground-beef-bowl
3) Rigatoni Rosa (I sometimes hold the zucchini): https://www.hellofresh. com/recipes/sausage-rigatoni-rosa-61670e1d56500a6c124cd925
[Kylie supplied these by email later]
What other passions do you have?
I love coffee. Me and my boyfriend are huge coffee connoisseurs. We love pour over, which gives out less astringency, a very specific taste. For pour overs, if you make it darker, you’ll get a bolder cup, but if you do lighter, you’re going to get a more tea-like, a more fruity, a more honey-like note versus chocolatey, muddy, bold notes.
What do you do as far as espresso?
That’s what I started with, and it was really good. We kept getting deeper and deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of coffee, realizing we had no idea what we got ourselves into. There’s just so much to learn, so much information to find out about coffee. So, we kept digging, buying everything that we possibly wanted for coffee, and then we ended up getting an Espresso machine called an E61, Profitec Pro 500.
Then we come to find out that it’s really not how expensive your machine is. It’s how expensive and how high-quality your grinder is.
What would be your ultimate coffee experience if you had your own place?
I don’t want any of that mainstream stuff. It has to be from special, special coffee roasters. It’d be Omakase for coffee. That would be really cool. I’ve never seen anyone do that. You would get really expensive, high quality coffees. And then you would just do an Omakase with 5 to 10 people.
For a non-coffee enthusiast like me, where can I get a good bean to try out in a pour over cup?
I like Dak from the Netherlands. Every cup has been so good, so consistent. Another good one is Black and White Roasters with a panda logo. Another good suggestion is Corvus Coffee in Denver–they are a really good roaster.
wheRe in The woRLD
Can you guess which one of Stonefield’s 7 offices resides in the mystery city below
WaterFire is a renowned public art installation featuring a series of bonfires set ablaze on the three rivers of downtown.
Conceived by artist Barnaby Evans in 1994, WaterFire has grown into a signature event for the city, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The installation consists of over 80 floating braziers filled with burning wood, creating a mesmerizing display of flickering flames reflecting off the water.
The event typically includes music, street performers, and food vendors, enhancing the immersive experience. WaterFire is held multiple times a year, often from spring through fall, with full lightings featuring all braziers and partial lightings covering select sections of the river.
Beyond its artistic appeal, WaterFire serves as a cultural and economic driver, attracting tourists and fostering community engagement. Many local businesses, artists, and nonprofit organizations participate, making it a hub for creativity and social interaction.
WaterFire is free to the public and relies on donations and volunteers to continue its tradition. Whether viewed from the riverbanks or a gondola, the event offers a unique, almost meditative experience that highlights the beauty of the city’s waterfront.
The answer can be found on the back page.
new office
The Birmingham office has been nothing but eventful since its inception back in the Fall of 2024. Of course, the grand opening wouldn’t be complete without a little toilet flooding to commemorate the space and bring everybody together. A few weeks after Mitch Harvey so kindly handled that toilet “situation,” Stonefield was ready to host their official office-warming to show off the new digs while giving the clients in attendance a glimpse at who we are, where we work, and how we operate. It was quite the turnout with over 100 clients in attendance over the course of the evening. Huge success for the Birmingham crew!
Since the party, our Birmingham Stonefielders have spent a lot of time together playing games in the lounge area, grabbing lunch together at Birmingham Pub, and enjoying drinks in their coffee shop style bar. It’s a cutthroat environment, and their most recent competitive endeavor began the day Reid Cooksey brought in his baseball radar gun. Everybody in the office went outside to see who could pitch a baseball the fastest and to everyone’s complete and utter shock Brenna Scyzoryk blew everyone out of the water clocking in at an astonishing 108mph. It’s safe to say the new office is a hit. Stonefielders from other offices are not only invited, but encouraged to come visit whenever they please. And if you think you’ve got what it takes to beat Brenna’s speed, make your way to Michigan and put your money where your mouth is.
STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
Each Stonefielder answered 10 of the 20 questions below:
1. What’s your Lunar New Year animal and element?
2. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
3. If you were a ghost, would you prank people or haunt them?
4. What concert would you teleport an 18th century human to and why?
5. If you could be any dog breed, what would you be?
6. What is the greatest song ever made?
7. What’s the best fast-food franchise in your opinion?
8. If animals could talk, which one would be the rudest?
9. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
10. If you could only eat one color of food the rest of your life, what color are you picking?
11. What’s your favorite Instagram account?
12. What was your first cell phone? How old were you?
13. What was the first song you ever downloaded on iTunes?
14. What would be your event if you joined the circus?
15. What song would you pick to play every time you enter a room?
16. Why are tacos the only thing we awkwardly turn our heads
... to eat?
17. What was your favorite TV show growing up?
18. When somebody owns land, do they own everything beneath it to Earth’s core?
19. Where’s the Easter Bunny getting all these eggs?
20. What is the single weirdest item a person can take through self-checkout?
noAh Long
mARAe A gARciA
mATThew TheLen
sAmueL gAvin
siTe
siTe siTe
TRAffic
RULES FOR SURAKARTA
Players decide who moves first, then turns alternate. The object of the game is to capture all 12 of the opponent's pieces; or, if no further captures are possible, to have more pieces remaining in play than the opponent.
Pieces always rest on the points of intersection of the board's grid lines. On a turn, a player either moves one of their pieces a single step in any direction (forwards, backwards, sideways, or diagonally) to an unoccupied point, or makes a capturing move special to Surakarta.
CAPTURING MOVE
A capturing move consists of traversing along an inner or outer circuit around at least one of the eight corner loops of the board, followed by landing on an enemy piece, capturing it. Captured pieces are removed from the game.
Corner loops are used only when making a capture. The capturing piece enters and leaves the circular loop via a grid line tangent to the circle. Any number of unoccupied points may be travelled over, before or after traversing a loop. An unoccupied point may be travelled over more than once during the capturing piece's journey. Only unoccupied points may be travelled over; jumping over pieces is not permitted.
Capturing is always optional (never mandatory).
END OF GAME
A game is won when a player captures all 12 of the opponent's pieces. If neither side can make headway, the game is ended by agreement and the winner is the player with the greater number of pieces in play.
SCORING
A match consists of more than one game. Players agree beforehand how the winner will be determined. A couple of methods are typically used:
Playing a fixed number of games: Each game is scored by the number of pieces in play at the end of the game. The winner is the player with higher total points after all games have finished.
Playing to a fixed number of points: New games are played until one player reaches or exceeds the winning point total.