Rob Danforth’s Post

The first major concrete pour for the Mount Vernon Library Commons took place last week. That's almost a story-tall form and rebar. Up we go!

One thing we love is supporting great causes. Over the weekend a group of folks, including FSi staff Ali T. and Jean Phillips, got together to make new blankets for homeless teens in King and Snohomish Counties. The day ended with about 25 completed quilts and a lot of laughter. "Jean and I had a lot of fun helping," said Ali. Jean added that she met some really wonderful people as she pitched in to tie the quilts. Project Linus organized the event and will distribute the colorful blankets to those who need them. There's a link to Project Linus in the comments, which you can follow to find out about the next event. No sewing experience needed. #community #homelessness #volunteer

I love the practice of gratitude and counting my blessings. I particularly enjoy it during November, as everyone is talking about what they are grateful for in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I am happy to kick off FSi’s month of gratitude, where every week you’ll hear from one of FSi’s Principals about our thoughts on gratitude about the work we get to do. I’ve decided to focus on our people-focused culture that has us mentoring and developing our staff. FSi has recently welcomed back 3 former employees, and I am really happy about it. A couple of them were gone for just a year or two, and one is back after more than a decade. They each left for different reasons, and the “why” is not really important. We want our colleagues to succeed, and sometimes, a job change is a great career move for them. What I think is really important is that they chose to come back. I think it says a lot about the culture we have at FSi. In the 22+ years I’ve worked in the industry, I’ve had a chance to work for and with many companies. I chose to stay at FSi and to join the leadership team because of our shared culture and values. This is a company that walks the walk, and I think having people return to us demonstrates that in a very tangible way. My experience of corporate culture prior to joining FSi was that every employee is expected to toe the line and fit into the company model or move on. I had always chosen to leave. Until I came to FSi. At the most basic level, this company grows in the directions that match the interests and passions of the staff. I was encouraged to grow my skills in ways that inspired me, to help the company become more focused on radical sustainability like Living Buildings, and to become a much stronger player in education and community projects like libraries and rec centers. Those are the things that grab my attention and at FSi, I continue to grow as a person and a mechanical designer. There are so many things I’m grateful for at FSi that I could go on for another few pages. But in the interests of leaving things the other leaders to write about, I’ll end here. Thank you FSi for being a place people want to return to. And thank you to those of you who chose to come back.

We just got the word about a project that earned LEED Silver Certification. Getting this designation is a significant investment of time, thought, and money for the building owner, and we are always thankful to the clients who care enough to pursue it. Congratulations to the City of Fircrest for having a forward-thinking project at the heart of your community. We also want to say thank you to O'Brien360, who is always a pleasure to work with, and to ARC Architecture for inviting us to be a part of their team. Let's do it again somewhere else! The Fircrest Community Center is a beautiful15,000 sf community center with a pool and other amenities that serve their residents.

FSi has long supported research for MS, and this year, we have two Bike MS teams we are proud to sponsor. Bike MS is the largest cycling fundraiser in the world, with 75,000 riders and 6,000 teams. Our engineer Benjamin Gozart will be riding in the Deception Pass Classic on 9/10-11. Sr. Associate Rick Himmel is riding in Cycle The Silver Valley (Idaho) on 9/24-25. They have both been fund-raising, and we invite you to participate as well. Together, we can change the world for people with MS. Please see fundraising links in the comments to make your contribution to this important cause. And from all of FSi, thank you! Thank you also to co-sponsor Harbor Architects! #BikeMS #community #TeamDraft