How long have you been at BL? I have been a full-time employee for eight years, but I was an intern for two years before that.
What drew you to a career in engineering? I knew I really like math, but I also knew I didn’t want to be a teacher. So, I went to my high school guidance counselor, and she suggested I look into engineering. I stumbled into civil engineering but ended up loving all of my classes. And that was just a shot in the dark! Then, my internship at BL really solidified the decision. I really enjoyed the land development world which is where I ended up. It felt like pure luck.
Can you tell us a little bit about your role as the ESOP Communications Committee co-chair? I came into the role in 2021-2022 when everything was still pretty virtual. The ESOP chair at the time needed some help, so I stepped up and helped out with their responsibilities. From there, they asked if I would mind taking over. We always say, “Leadership is not a role, it’s a thing you do every day.” Here we are three years later, and we’ve focused on reshaping the committee to make it more inclusive – making sure we have a representative in each office to facilitate and celebrate our ESOP culture. We’ve also been trying to integrate ESOP education in the last couple of years into our social events, so our people understand the benefits of being an ESOP company.
What does employee-ownership mean to you? It’s about sharing an office culture where everyone wants to do well because everyone benefits from everyone else. The fact that BL is 100% employee-owned means each person here directly affects how well the company does and in turn, we all want to contribute to that success. It has fostered an incredible sense of community and connectedness. We don’t’ just clock in and clock out – we care about our work and each other no matter what department you’re in.
October is Employee Ownership Month — a month-long celebration of the benefits employee ownership. This year’s theme is “fantasy”. Can you tell us a bit about ESOP Month, and share what you are most excited about for this month? Every October, the ESOP Association and employee-owned companies like BL celebrate being an ESOP. BL celebrates each year with daily activities, events, and games designed to strengthen our relationships and culture, culminating in a big end-of-month raffle. In terms of excitement, my favorite events are always the games. I love seeing how competitive people can get when it comes to something like Family Feud or Trivia. They also seem to be the most impactful events where we get a lot of participation, and people get really jazzed about earning tickets! I also love the final raffle because everyone is in a joyous mood. It’s almost Halloween and we get a chance to celebrate all we have done for ESOP month.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work for fun? I’m a bit of a foodie so I’m always on the hunt for good restaurants and trying something new. I also enjoy reading and am a part of a book club. Traveling is up there too! I love exploring what’s out there.