In the transportation industry, employee resource groups (ERGs) play a crucial role in fostering inclusion in the workplace. In honor of National ERG Day on November 17th, this newsletter article shines a spotlight on some inspiring people and initiatives at various organizations in Philadelphia, showcasing their dedication, innovative ideas, and the transformative impact they have on their organizations and beyond. 

City of Philadelphia City Resource Groups

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The City of Philadelphia recognizes City Resource Groups (CRGs) as a critical initiative to support the growth and development of a diverse workforce. CRGs are designed to ultimately make the City and Department of Aviation (DOA) more inclusive places to work. Airport Empowerment Groups (AEGs) are intended for the DOA community to promote employee engagement; create networking opportunities to make professional contacts; promote information sharing cross-functionally and organizationally; identify gaps in airport business strategies; support airport initiatives; and strengthen team building and social events.  The DOA currently has 3 AEGs:

Young Professionals in Business Aviation is an AEG for airport employees who are 40 and under and interested in networking and connecting with other young professionals.

GoldPros: The GoldPros is an AEG for women over 40 and allies. 

Women of Color in Aviation and Allies: The mission of this AEG is to provide resources and support women of color who are in the industry and invest in ways to attract more women of color to aviation.

 

C&S Companies Young Professionals ERG

C&S Companies has several excellent employee resource groups including the C&S Women’s Network and the C&S Young Professionals. We would like to highlight C&S Young Professionals leader and Aviation Staff Engineer, Sarah Doan showcasing her dedication, innovative ideas, and the transformative impact she has had on her organizations and within the larger transportation industry. 

A Word From Sarah Doan

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My name is Sarah Doan, and I am an Aviation Staff Engineer at C&S in the Philadelphia Office. I am an active member of WTS Philadelphia and WTS TransportationYOU (TrYOU).  Apart from my day-to-day role working in design, I am part of the Recruitment Committee for our C&S Young Professionals (YP) Group.  This Employee Resource Group supports our C&S employees aged 35 and under. The YP Group engages new and current team members, offering training, licensing, and certification information, as well as networking opportunities. We have organized events such as happy-hour mixers, trivia nights, and presentations to help interns and young engineers learn about different service groups within C&S. Our ‘How Did You Get Here’ series allows experienced teammates to share their career journeys and advice with the new generation.

I began my journey with C&S as an intern in the Cleveland Office. Subsequently, I transitioned to a part-time intern role in the Philadelphia Office during my final semester at Temple University. This experience across different regions helped me build valuable connections, facilitating my transition to a full-time position.

In my role, I work on aviation civil projects, utilizing Civil3D for design, conducting field visits, and using ArcGIS for data analysis and project development. It has been rewarding to see the projects I have been a part of improving day-to-day airport operations and the communities surrounding it. C&S has provided an environment that aligns with my skills and interests in technical design, which was supported by its mentorship program, fostering team collaboration, innovation in technical focus groups, formal company training in grading optimization and design, and within ERGs like the C&S YPs. 

 

Stantec Pride Group

Steven Alvarez, APPE is a Marketing Specialist at Stantec based in Southern New Jersey. Marcus Moura PE is a Project Controls Professional at Stantec based in New York City. Together they co-chair the Pride@Stantec Quad State ERG.

A Word From Steven Alvarez, APPE & Marcus Moura, PE

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Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a fantastic benefit provided to employees as part of our robust Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity efforts at Stantec. Our ERGs are a collection of people united by a common interest or background, and they’re open to everyone. With a global staff of over 31,000 people, Stantec has the ability to serve many individuals with our ERG programs. Currently, the active ERGs at Stantec are Women@Stantec, Indigenous Connections@Stantec, Pride@Stantec, BLK ERG@Stantec, MAVA@Stantec (Military and Veteran Advocates), Asians@Stantec, PWD@Stantec (Persons with Disabilities), Latinos in Stantec (LiS), Neurodiversity@Stantec, and REACH@Stantec.  

Earlier this year, we stepped into the role of co-chairs for our Pride@Stantec Quad State ERG. Originally called the New York Chapter, we thought it was important to expand the footprint to include more people in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This came from reaching back into our personal histories of growing up in rural areas in Maine and Brazil that may not have been welcoming to queer people. While times have been changing, mostly in the positive direction, we thought it was important to include employees in those more remote offices so they too can feel part of a group and help reduce the isolation we experienced.  

Our focus with the Pride@Stantec Quad State group is to share resources, develop camaraderie, and offer support to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) staff by providing a safe and supportive space for our colleagues and allies as we work to build on our culture of acceptance, inclusiveness, and mutual respect. We develop programs based on our members’ wants and needs. This year we’ve hosted a trivia night, a karaoke event, a walking tour and happy hour, a project spotlight on our design for the LGBT Memorial in New York City, a webinar on networking for introverts, and a panel discussion on family planning with a member of HR and our family planning services provider to discuss options our LGBTQ+ staff have when it comes to family planning. Most of these events are held in a hybrid format and are recorded and shared on our intranet to expand the impact and reach.