Engineering Inc - November/December 2017 - 40

Flaxbeard sits on the board of directors for the Omaha Street
School, a faith-based alternative high school for at-risk youth, and
also recently joined the board for Skutt Catholic High School, his
alma mater. These commitments sometimes take Flaxbeard out of
the office during the workday, but he says that Lamp Rynearson
management has been supportive of his efforts, even making financial contributions and sponsoring pro bono work for the schools.
"There's not a direct correlation to our business, but Lamp really
sees the importance of getting our employees out in the community and serving," he says. "One of the things I really enjoy about
[working for] Lamp Rynearson is they're willing to support their
employees top to bottom in pursuing community involvement and
engagement."
Zadina volunteers with TeamMates Mentoring, working with a
teenager at an area high school. "We'll shoot hoops, we'll talk about
life," Zadina says. "I usually bring him lunch." Because the program
takes place during school hours, Zadina
says, he is only able to participate because
he has the firm's support.
The company goes even further in its
support for employee volunteerism-
Zadina doesn't have to make up those two
hours he spends out of the office, he says.
"Anything you want to pursue, it's not like
a vetting process. If it's something that's
beneficial to our community, and people
"I think what are passionate about it, the company will
support it," Zadina says.
sets Lamp
McMeekin is active with a number of
community
organizations. He chairs the
Rynearson
local board for the ACE Mentor Program
apart is our
of America and spends Saturday mornings
volunteering at a local high school with
dedication
his wife to help immigrant students with
scholarship applications.
to the
"Generally, the time you step away
communities [from the office to volunteer], that
we work in." time is really enjoyable and satisfying,"
McMeekin says. "That doesn't mean you
JOE FLAXBEARD don't have to get your work done. But if
LAMP RYNEARSON an employee comes to us with something
40

ENGINEERING INC.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017

they'd like to be involved in, we're not saying, 'limit it to a certain
number of hours.' We're talking to them about how can we do
both-get our work done and allow the opportunity to be involved.
It's a positive approach."
CROSSING BOUNDARIES

Lamp Rynearson's charitable endeavors stretch far beyond Omaha.
The firm has donated professional services to help Aqua Africa, a
local nonprofit that works in South Sudan, to design drinking water
systems for villages in the developing country.
Previously, the organization installed hand-pump wells, but Lamp
Rynearson designed larger systems with solar pumps, elevated storage tanks and a gravity-flow distribution system. "Now, instead of
reaching 500 people with a hand-pump well, they can reach 5,000
people with this bigger system," McMeekin says.
"Without Lamp Rynearson, we never would have gotten to this
point," says Buey Tut, founder of Aqua Africa, of the water systems
that helps alleviate health problems and loss of productivity for villagers who spend hours every week to get water. "They're able to see
a real need for their type of skill set, and they're willing to apply it

SPREADING THE LOVE
Over the past decade, Lamp Rynearson has expanded its
operations into Missouri and to two sites in Colorado. Here's
a sampling of charitable and volunteer efforts at the firm's
branch offices.
Kansas City, Missouri - Lamp Rynearson staffers chair
committees of the state chapter of the American Water
Works Association, provide volunteer and financial support to
the Engineers Club of Kansas City and serve on the board of
a local elementary school.
Fort Collins and Lakewood, Colorado - Staffers at Lamp
Rynearson's two Centennial State sites collect donations for
the Food Bank for Larimer County, raise funds for Catholic
Charities through the Denver Post's Ride the Rockies bicycle
ride, participate in blood drives and coordinate toy drives for
children.

LAMP RYNEARSON

Lamp Rynearson employees show design plans to students
during a "Career Rockit" visit to Russell Middle School.

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