Leadership - The Sixth Core Value

CSHQA's core values are incorporated into the interior graphics of our office.

Collaboration | Knowledge | Creativity | Integrity | Excellence
 

These are our core values as discussed, debated and finally selected by CSHQA in December 2012.  It was a challenge to limit to five only. In the end, a few words missed the cut, including Leadership.  We are definitely Leaders.  In design and innovation, in our profession and in our communities. Three recent stories demonstrate what we might call our Sixth Core Value.
 

Helping Clients Win Valuable Grants

Jim Murray, AIA, LEED GA has been assisting Colorado school districts with BEST Grant preparation for five years, even for districts that aren’t our client, and even if they don’t technically owe us the resulting work.  We have a growing record of accomplishing essential projects such as roofing, kitchen remodels and security.  Not glamorous, but very valuable to our clients.  And the conversations are now turning to new schools and classroom additions.  This  May Jim was two for two for districts awarded funds for 2015-2016 projects.  We are already on board for one and hope to win the second, who happens to be talking high school planning in the near future.  Congrats, Jim!

Moving the Needle in Urban Design

In a recent meeting with Boise’s Capitol City Development Corporation [CCDC] Project Managers, Doug Woodruff and Karl Woods, CSHQA received a very nice compliment.  Kent Hanway, John Maulin, Kyle Hemly, Jeff Ward and I were meeting to talk about urban planning and place making projects on CCDC’s agenda.  The conversation turned to our efforts to get approval for diagonal parking and a paver storm-water management system at the Boise building.  Long story short – it took patience and persistence from civil engineer Jeff Ward PE (and others) to bring several agencies to the table and persuade them of our ideas.  Doug Woodruff commented “You are innovators.  You made things happen and moved the needle in [Boise] urban design.”  Our efforts are now examples of best practices and part of the urban took kit.  Jeff modestly says the timing was right. I say Jeff was the right person.

Inspiring Young People to Think Big
Canyon Springs High School in Caldwell is working to broaden horizons and share new experiences with its students.  It is challenging freshman to get out of their comfort zone and visit area businesses for short tours to learn about different professions.  Two small groups of students recently toured CSHQA, learned about our building, and met and talked with staff at their work spaces.  Amy Dockter, PE, Jose Gallegos, AIT and Andrew Lauda, AIT each shared how their early interests in art, music, math, science, drawing and/or engineering led them to their professions.  They explained they didn’t always know what they wanted to do, but they kept looking, kept doing what they really liked, and found ways to add it together.  We know it was inspiring because three students wrote to thank us.

One wants to switch from mechanical engineering to architecture; another, who wants to be a lawyer, listened and asked good questions; and a third, who was a bit shy, really liked the computer animations and found them very interesting.  Sometimes we lead by simply doing.  Thank you, Amy, Jose and Andrew.  –

KK Lipsey is Business Development Director for CSHQA.  She welcomes your comments, feedback and thoughts on leadership, innovation and design.