company news
CURRENT BORTON-LAWSON NEWSLETTER
Topics covered in this edition include:
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December 2009
Employee to Gain LEED Certification!
David Weaver, P.E., has recently achieved a LEED AP designation as outlined by the United States Green Building Council. The LEED Professional Credentials indicate professional excellence and a strong depth of knowledge and practical understanding of the LEED Rating Systems.
Dave is the fifth person at Borton-Lawson to achieve a LEED designation. Under the blanket of sustainable design, the firm has completed many “green” projects, the newest of which is the Geisinger Buckhorn Office Building.
LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. |
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June 2009
Congratulations to Sean Callahan on his Graduation from Leadership Wilkes-Barre!
Leadership Wilkes–Barre is a nine–month community program designed to develop well-informed, motivated leaders who have the skills and commitment to work together to strengthen Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Sean Callahan, PE, Civil Project Manager for Borton-Lawson, was asked to represent his 50 + classmates and speak at Leadership Wilkes-Barre’s Annual Awards Dinner
Sean had several hundred attendees laughing with his clever wit, and he humbly expressed his sincere appreciation for what the program meant to him and challenged the entire room to step up and give back. Sean did an incredible job representing Borton-Lawson, and we are proud of him.
As part of the program, Sean also helped to organize “The Wilkes-Barre Urban Adventure” group project. This successful event involved an exciting race through the streets of downtown Wilkes-Barre designed to bring the community together as participants in a giant Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style event.
For more information about Leadership Wilkes-Barre, go to www.leadershipwilkes-barre.org.
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May 2009
Transportation Engineers receive their DBIA designation
Joseph Gillott, PE, Vice President Transportation Division and Mark Boris, PE, Transportation Division Manager have received the following designation:
“On behalf of the Designation Board, it is my pleasure to inform you that having successfully completed the requirements of the designation program; you have earned the right to display “DBIA” after your name. This acronym identifies you to design-build end-users and the community at-large as a professional in the design-build field.
The Designated Design-Build Professional™ is an accepted and recognized educational standard for experienced, professional and knowledgeable practitioners who possess a qualified and quantified level of expertise in design-build.”
Congratulations! This designation will give Borton-Lawson an added advantage when pursuing design-build opportunities. |
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April 2009
Ron Sturgeon, PE joins Borton-Lawson
Ronald A. Sturgeon, P.E., is the Manager of the Environmental and Water/Wastewater groups in Borton-Lawson's Civil Division. Ron is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Water Resources Technology and an Associate Degree in Highway/Civil Engineering Technology. With over 32 years of consulting experience, he has provided consulting, designs, engineering and environmental protection leadership for numerous publicly owned water and wastewater operations, commercial and industrial treatment facilities, transportation projects, and on-site management and design support to several municipal solid waste landfills and other post collection facilities, for projects in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Virginia. |
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March 2009
McFarland becomes Senior Member of the IEEE
William McFarland, PE, LEED AP, RPA, FMA, our Director of Electrical Engineering Services, has been elevated to the grade of Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics among others.
Senior Member is the highest professional grade of the IEEE for which an application may be made and requires experience reflecting professional accomplishment and maturity.
Mr. McFarland holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Manhattan College, as well as a MBA from Marist College. Mr. McFarland and his family reside in Mountaintop.
For more information on IEEE, visit www.ieee.org. |
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February 2009
Northwest Area High School students participate in job shadow at Borton-Lawson
As part of a work shadowing program, three Northwest Area High School students interested in pursuing an Architecture or Engineering career visited our Wilkes-Barre Office on February 19, 2009. Our staff considers it a privilege to share their experiences in the field of professional design, and we believe that their story should be told to other students within our community.
With an opportunity to view our take on the Architecture and Engineering business, the students met with representatives from our Marketing, Human Resources, Civil, Transportation, and Architecture departments and enjoyed a series micro-presentations. Our Northwest Area guests began their journey with Marketing’s spin on the industry, followed by a visit from our Human Resources Director with a focus on hiring, higher education, and employer expectations. The students also shadowed the daily work of a Civil Engineer, learned about technology in highway and bridge design from our Transportation Designers, and talked with one of our Architects about college, internships, and the day-to-day dealings of a typical professional. Chris Borton, our President and founder, spent some time answering questions and sharing with them his unique perspective as both an entry level employee and the owner of his own business. They also enjoyed lunch with representatives from several of our disciplines including a Mechanical Engineer, an Environmental Scientist, Transportation Designers, an Architect, a GIS Specialist, a Surveyor, and a Civil Designer. The goal was to expose the students to the wide variety of exciting careers that professional design offers so that they will be able to proactively prepare themselves for their future in the career of their choice.
The Northwest students who participated in this day-long excursion were Tim Cross, a Junior interested in Architecture; Jason Hilley, a Junior interested in Engineering; and Jacalyn Prasnikar, a Senior interested in Architecture. |
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February 2009
Spencer promoted to Survey Manager
Borton-Lawson is pleased to announce that Donald R. Spencer, P.L.S. has been promoted to the role of Surveying Manager. With this promotion Spencer will be responsible for all survey-related projects including crew supervision and scheduling, proposal preparation, cost estimating, and project coordination with clients and in-house project managers.
Spencer is a 12 year industry veteran and has been with Borton-Lawson since October of 2002. Since his hire, Spencer has worked on over 130 projects, leading 45 of them as the head project manager. He is a graduate of Penn State University and holds a professional license as a land surveyor. |
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December 2008
Head Start for the Holidays
In lieu of our traditional holiday gifts, Borton-Lawson has decided to give a generous donation to a community organization, Luzerne County Head Start. Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. Nearly 25 million pre-school aged children have benefitted from Head Start.
In addition to a financial contribution, Borton-Lawson has adopted a class at the Luzerne County Head Start center where our team members will regularly visit the classroom and invest in the lives of these children to help them be ready for school and ready to succeed. |
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December 2008
Three Borton-Lawson employees earn their PE designation
Three of our dedicated employees recently passed their examinations to become a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Pennsylvania. Congratulations to them on their many hours of hard work in preparation for this exam. Borton-Lawson currently has 34 registered professionals.
Todd Baldwin, PE, Civil Engineer
Todd Baldwin is a Civil Engineer in our Land Development Group. His experience includes design and facilitation of land development projects including site design, storm water management, and regulatory approvals.
Todd earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College.
Mark Boris, PE, Highway Group Director
Mark Boris is the Highway Group Director in the Transportation Division. His responsibilities encompass overall project management including scheduling and management of Design Field View and PS&E package preparation for all projects in the Transportation Division. This includes preparation of plans, specifications, pay items, ECMS compatibility, profiles, sections, traffic control plans, signal designs, and quantity tabulations. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University in Structural Design and Construction Engineering.
Patrick Walko, PE, Project Manager
Patrick Walko is a Project Manager in the Facilities Engineering Division. Pat's strengths lie in the proposal management process, efficiency optimization, budget administration, and relationship management. His experience as a Mechanical Engineer includes designing mechanical, combustion, HVAC and plumbing systems. He has also managed many multi-million dollar projects for all branches of the U.S. military, as well as in Canada, Germany, Italy, and Israel. Pat earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wilkes University.
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August 2008
Client Appreciation Event at the Yankee's Game
Thursday, August 21, 2008 - Borton-Lawson's Project Growth Group planned a Client Appreciation Event at the Yankee's Game at PNC Field in Moosic.
Members of Project Growth were responsible to choose the venue, plan a menu, and invite some of their contacts to the outing. The team did an excellent job planning and making the night special for all. As a special surprise, the team had special t-shirts made with the caricatures of Chris Borton and Tom Lawson to commemorate their 20th year in business. The artwork was completed by a local artist, Joe Turowski.
People are at the core of Borton-Lawson. We rely on our talented professionals to accomplish our mission: "To make our client's vision a reality". In our tireless pursuit to fulfill our mission, we have developed a program, Project Growth, to develop our staff both personally and professionally with a focus on marketing and business development.
Project Growth is a "homegrown" program designed to further develop our technical staff to be leaders and make a positive impact in the field and in the community. The program consists of monthly sessions that touch on leadership, fear, networking, communication, and customer service combined with practical activities and opportunities to exercise the skills they have learned.
This is our second "crop" to go through Project Growth. Participants are nominated by management as well as alumni of the program, and we select a small group who demonstrates a willingness to grow and be challenged. We have received positive feedback from those who have gone through the program, and some great ideas and endeavors have been "cultivated" by the group including our Client Appreciation Golf Outing at Fox Hill Country Club and a Client Appreciation Baseball Event at PNC field.
Mission of Project Growth:
To grow and promote Borton-Lawson through the personal and professional enrichment of our employees
1. To develop self awareness
2. To strengthen your personal and professional relationships
3. To strengthen skills for developing rapport with others
4. To appreciate and understand the power of networking and how it can extend your sphere of influence
5. To understand how fear effects your growth and how you can deal with it
6. To improve your customer service skills
7. To grow and develop strong relationships with your teammates
8. To have fun
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July 2008
Three Borton-Lawson employees earn their EIT
Mark Zara, EIT, Transportation Designer; David Murosky, EIT, Transportation Designer; and Jason Boruta, EIT, Transportation Designer recently passed their examination to become an Engineer-In-Training (EIT).
These employees have completed an important step to achieving Professional Engineer status. Congratulations to them on their hard work and knowledge in the field. |
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July 2008
Borton-Lawson Golf Outing at Fox Hill Country Club
Sunny skies set the stage for this year's Borton-Lawson Golf Outing at Fox Hill Country Club. Employees, clients, friends, and contacts of Borton-Lawson had a great time out on the course. Below are some highlights captured of the day. You will notice some traditional golf knickers gracing the greens.
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May 2008
Brandon Shadle earns Microsoft Certified Professional Certification
Brandon Shadle is our IT Support Specialist in the Information Technology Division. He has earned his Microsoft Certified Professional Certification. |
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October 2007
Borton-Lawson’s Business Development Manager Earns CPSM Certification
Wilkes-Barre, PA- October 22, 2007 – Borton-Lawson, a professional consulting architecture/engineering group, is pleased to announce the certification of Geoffrey S. Fix, as Certified Professional Services Marketer. Mr. Fix was recently notified by the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) that he had passed his certification examination, placing him in an elite group of professionals that are dedicated to “raising the bar” in marketing and promoting professional services.
A resident of Dallastown, PA, Mr. Fix has a BSEE from Penn State and has over 12 years Sales Engineering experience as well as Project and Systems Engineering expertise. He has served as Borton-Lawson’s Business Development Manager with responsibilities including business development and relationship management of new and existing clients in the Central, Eastern, and Southeastern regions of Pennsylvania. |
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June 2007
Borton-Lawson Hires New Transportation Division Manager
Borton-Lawson, a professional consulting architecture/engineering group, is pleased to welcome Mr. Ken McClain, Transportation Division Manager. Borton-Lawson is expanding their Transportation Division to the Lehigh Valley to better serve that region. The new addition of a Transportation Design Team in the Lehigh Valley adds to their established office which opened 10 years ago.
Mr. McClain has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Bucknell University with emphasis on Highway and Transportation Design and Management. He comes to Borton-Lawson with 14 years of Penn DOT experience, and has served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Allentown, PA since 1990. |
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May 2007
Borton-Lawson welcomes two new employees
Samantha Albert, E.I.T., Project Manager in the Civil Division, is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Bucknell University with a B.A. in Chemistry. She possesses 10 years experience as a Project Engineer in water, wastewater, and site development-type civil/environmental projects. Ms. Albert and her family reside in Pittston, PA.
Jonathan R. Loiselle, RA, NCARB, joins Borton-Lawson as Senior Architect. He is a graduate of Drexel University with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Mr. Loiselle has 18 years experience as an Architectural Project Manager. He and his family reside in Taylor, PA.
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January 2006
Borton-Lawson Welcomes a New Senior Project Manager
Borton-Lawson is pleased to announce the hiring of Christine Himler, RLA, ASLA, as Senior Project Manager, Land Development. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture, and has 19 years experience in all aspects of residential and commercial land development and subdivision project preparation. Mrs. Himler will be working out of Borton-Lawson’s Lehigh Valley Office. She and her husband currently reside in Sciota, PA. |
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