All work and no play? That’s not our style. On Tuesday, our Nashville office held an office-wide BINGO tournament paired with an ice cream social—for nothing more than some fun and reprieve. It was a perfect blend of leisure and delight. The cherry on top? Winners took home some fantastic prizes, including the highly sought-after pickleball set! #SSOEsoutheast #chooseSSOE
Music has the power to unite us. This Pride Month, our LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group (ERG)—also called PRIDE—has thoughtfully curated a series of programs that embody this year’s theme: Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is an act. Our lineup of initiatives, ranging from community-sponsored events to enlightening workshops, is designed to strike a chord of acceptance and inclusion. Parallel to the way music bridges cultural divides and fosters harmony, our Spotify PRIDE at SSOE Playlist echoes our aspirations for unity. It’s a curated collection of songs from our PRIDE members, celebrating diversity and fostering a sense of belonging. #PrideMonth #SSOEcares
Today, we honor Juneteenth, a pivotal moment commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. and liberation of the last enslaved individuals. This day reflects a profound narrative of resilience and determination for equity and justice, deeply rooted in the African American and Black community’s enduring legacy. As we confront historical injustices, we—as architects, designers, and engineers—are committed to fostering reparative practices that pave the way for equitable futures. One of SSOE’s Employee Resource Groups, BLACC, which stands for Black Leaders and Collaborative Changemakers, is observing Freedom Day with an insightful session led by Dr. Jocelyn Poe. The discussion will explore “Trauma Imaginaries and Reparative Futures”—an examination into the lasting effects of systemic discrimination and its influence on the built environment. We’ve formed local office watch parties for lunch and learn experiences across our firm, with many of our office’s Employee Clubs enriching our teams with the culinary delights of local Black-owned businesses. #Juneteenth
Last Tuesday, our world headquarters was buzzing with the vibrant energy of young minds. We were thrilled to host an enthusiastic group of students from Toledo Public Schools as part of the MADE summer camp program. MADE, an acronym for Manufacturing and Design Experience, is a fantastic initiative in collaboration with the Lucas County Workforce Development Board aimed at inspiring the next generation of creators and innovators. They enjoyed lunch, a guided tour of our facilities, and engaging presentations from some of our leaders who are all design professionals by education: Section Manager and Senior Architect Heather Judge, Department Manager and Mechanical Designer David Rizo, and CEO Vince DiPofi, who began his career as a mechanical engineer learning drafting and design on the board. (And of course, we couldn’t let them leave without their hands full of cool SSOE swag!)
Last week, employees from our world headquarters spent the day at downtown Toledo's Fifth Third Field, joining forces with 30 local businesses to construct 30 playhouses, each donated to a child in Northwest Ohio. The SSOE-sponsored event, known as the Playhouse Project Blitz Build, is Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity’s biggest fundraiser of the year and helps the nonprofit organization provide affordable housing to families in need. This year, our talented team crafted a playhouse for a 2-year-old boy with a passion for cars, trucks, and Tonka toys. Inspired by his interests, we engineered a playhouse that would make any car enthusiast’s heart race, sure to accelerate his imagination. #SSOEcares
Discover the transformative power of Lean through the lens of Catherine Myers, President of SSOE and Chair of the Lean Construction Institute's Board of Directors. In LCI’s inaugural “5 Questions With…” spotlight, Cathy illuminates our firm's Lean journey, offering insights and real-world experiences that serve as a beacon for those embarking on their own paths. She unveils a sneak peek into the remarkable success achieved by applying these principles at SSOE—a true game changer in project management, achieving stakeholder alignment, and maintaining focus amid scope changes.
Pride (and baseball) is for everyone. Members of our PRIDE Employee Resource Group stood together at the Great American Ballpark embodying the spirit of the Ohio Diversity Council's LGBTQ+ Unity Summit held last Friday in Cincinnati, conveniently coinciding with the Cincy Reds Pride Night. SSOE’s Garrett Ross, Senior HR Generalist / Onboarding Lead and PRIDE Chair, Deanna Grady, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist, and José Carlos Arnal de la Peña, Structural Engineer, returned from the summit with actionable insights focused on workplace allyship, authentic and inclusive leadership, and enhancing our support and development of LGBTQIA+ talent within SSOE—all driven by the active preservation and promotion of good and correction of harm. #EvolutionofPride #PrideMonth #chooseSSOE
A Bearcat in our midst! Last week, we were able to open the professional gateway with a job shadow opportunity for an aspiring architecture student from the University of Cincinnati. Andrew Seddon—pictured here with SSOE's Chris Baker—immersed himself in our team in Toledo, gaining valuable practical experience. Whether you’re an intern, a co-op, or part of our broader community, you’re part of something greater at SSOE. Our seasoned professionals ignite your potential, global collaboration widens your horizons, and hands-on learning opportunities are as boundless as the trajectory of our company. #chooseSSOE
SSOE's Candice Harrison, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), will be a featured speaker at The Employers' Association Leadership Luncheon and Annual Meeting on June 18th in Toledo, Ohio where our firm is headquartered (this week you'll find her at our Atlanta office facilitating DEI training with our Southeast staff). Leveraging her expertise at SSOE, Candice will delve into the benefits of organizational training as a cornerstone for not only creating inclusive and equitable communities but setting new benchmarks for company growth. Her approach to embedding these principles at SSOE has elevated us to new heights of success, influencing everything from talent acquisition to market innovation and employee retention.
Bobby Lyles, Master Architect at SSOE, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto—South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, bestowed by Governor Henry McMaster for his extraordinary lifetime achievement and service. Bobby’s illustrious 56-year legacy is distinguished by a $5 billion portfolio that has shaped the skylines of government, education, and housing sectors in the Southeast U.S. His dedication to excellence and community service, exemplified by The Heritage, a project intertwined with his family’s legacy and upheld as Columbia’s finest under Bobby’s stewardship, has earned him recognition from the Senate for his half-century commitment to South Carolina's growth and prosperity. #SSOEsoutheast
