Recent contract signings are expanding our presence in Puerto Rico. CH2M HILL was selected by the Bacardi Corporation for operation and maintenance of the wastewater facilities at the Bacardi Rum Factory near San Juan. The factory is the world’s largest rum distillery, processing approximately 100,000 gallons each day. Another new confidential client in Arecibo signed with CH2M HILL to operate and maintain a soil and groundwater remediation system. We also continue a partnership with a confidential client in Guayama, which expressed satisfaction with our work by approving an early one-year contract extension. CH2M HILL has been supporting municipal and industrial clients’ water and wastewater needs in Puerto Rico for more than 21 years.

Our employees around the globe have a long history of devoting their time, talent, money and expertise to a wide range of causes both personal and professional.  In keeping with our corporate philosophy of community investment, CH2M HILL has created Dollars for Doers, a program that recognizes employees’ volunteer efforts with a financial contribution to organizations they support. The program issued $46,000 in grants to 44 nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada on behalf of 72 employees during the first quarter of 2010.

In Rio Rancho, N.M.,where CH2M HILL has operated and maintained the city’s water and wastewater system since 2002, Lynn Kronowit, Neal Klimek, Phil Chavez and Mike Ginan were awarded a $2,500 grant for the New Mexico Water Conservation Alliance in recognition of nearly 120 hours of volunteer service. CH2M HILL also recently launched an Employee Volunteer Tracking Tool, though which employees recorded 5,161 volunteer hours in the first week.

The American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference & Exposition celebrates the talented people who manage U.S. water systems and provides an opportunity for CH2M HILL to give back to the industry that gave us our start. That's why CH2M HILL is particularly proud to have played an active role at ACE10, from speakers who shared their knowledge and expertise with more than 11,600 attendees to sponsoring Top Ops, a college bowl-style competition for water treatment operators, for the seventh straight year. Congratulations to all the Top Ops competitors, especially the winning Team Birmingham (Ala.) and to Patuxent (Md.) and the Palm Coast (Fla.) Water Buoys, who placed second and third respectively. We also tip our hat to Ave Maria Utility Company, recognized for operational excellence as an honorable mention in the “Best of the Best” water taste test competition after having been named Florida’s best-tasting drinking water. CH2M HILL designed, built and operates the company’s water treatment plant.

CH2M HILL employees in Coos Bay, Ore., teamed up with the city and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon Trout Enhancement Program in May to raise and release 300,000 young Chinook salmon. In 1998, CH2M HILL employees established a holding pond adjacent to one of the city’s wastewater lift stations – complete with landscaping and guard rails – to accommodate a temporary rearing area for young salmon. Employees and area elementary students feed the fish for several weeks so they can acclimate to their new environment before being released into the wild. This event has seen almost 2.7 million salmon released since its inception. The annual event has restored Chinook runs to the bay, enhanced local recreational fishing and provided community outreach opportunities. CH2M HILL has managed the city’s two wastewater treatment plants, 25 lift stations, 70 miles of sanitary sewers and 50 miles of stormwater sewer lines since 1996.

Duyen Tran is passionate about sustainability, and her successes at Fayetteville, Ark.’s Paul R. Noland Wastewater Treatment Plant, which CH2M HILL has managed since 1987, would make others “green” with envy. After joining CH2M HILL in 1989, Duyen became active with Fayetteville’s environmental concerns committee. Her team quickly picked up on her example and together they created a household hazardous waste collection center, launched a public education campaign, and introduced innovative initiatives at the plant including a “no-idling” policy for vehicles and adult tricycles for transportation around the facility that reduced gasoline use by 300 gallons a year. Other programs included selling maintenance department scrap metal, which nets nearly $20,000 in annual revenue, and a 46 percent reduction of exterior lighting, decreasing power use by 47,085 kilowatt hours. Duyen partnered with a local food plant to buy waste oil for the wastewater treatment plant’s biosolids management program, recycling nearly 1,000 pounds of waste and saving approximately $5,000. She also established innovative programs for wetlands and wildlife enhancement, as well as a green purchasing program that supports local and minority suppliers. Her passion and commitment to sustainability have helped Fayetteville win numerous awards and other CH2M HILL projects are replicating her programs, proving that sustainability is both good business and a good way of life.

I grew up in a family that valued community service, a value that
CH2M HILL also embraces. It’s one of the reasons I work here and not somewhere else. It’s a way that I can give back, help improve my community and contribute to making the world a better place. CH2M HILL makes it possible to share that commitment with our company and with our employees around the globe.

Many of our people have personal passions to which they devote their time, talent, money and expertise. Many of you know my personal passion is for helping people in developing countries improve their quality of life through safe water and sanitation projects Water For People facilitates. Now, through CH2M HILL’s “Dollars for Doers” program, we can put our corporate values into action and honor our company’s legacy of community service by giving a financial contribution to support the causes and organizations that inspire our employees or touch them personally. Whether it’s volunteering as a scout troop leader, coaching youth sports, helping the elderly or mentoring future business leaders, we all have an opportunity to be good global citizens and to make a meaningful and lasting impact on people and communities around the world.

I’m also inspired by colleagues like Duyen Tran who personify a spirit of service and giving, and who put their creative talents to work improving sustainability at our projects. Duyen reminds us of the importance of both service and leadership. By thinking outside of the box and being willing to try new ideas, she has found new ways of doing things that can be implemented at our client projects across the country, improving the “triple bottom line” of environmental, economic and civic success.

What is your passion? Who inspires you? How do you share your talents? It has often been said that, to whom much is given, much is expected. That’s why CH2M HILL’s employee-owners are always looking for ways we can have a personal impact on our communities and the lives of others. The payback is priceless.

Respectfully,

Elisa M. Speranza
President

Conferences are a great way for us to connect with clients, share our technical expertise and support our industry. When your plans call for you to attend a conference, make sure to look us up.

July 16-20
National Association of Counties Annual Conference and Exhibition
Reno

August 15-18
American Public Works Association Annual Conference
Boston
Booth 1105

August 19-21
Florida League of Cities Annual Conference
Hollywood
Booth 32

August 24-27
League of Arizona Cities and Towns Annual Conference
Glendale

September 1-3
New Mexico Municipal League Annual Conference
Taos

September 15-18
League of California Cities Annual Conference
San Diego

September 23-25
League of Oregon Cities Annual Conference
Eugene