Letter From the President
As I sit down to write this I am looking out my office window at impossibly clear blue Vermont autumn skies. And but for the gold-flecked foliage on the nearby trees I could easily convince myself that we are still in the warm embrace of late June.
But there is no doubt that fall is upon us. Summer activities have wound down. On the waterfront the boats are back “on the hard” and docks are being pulled. Everywhere I look I see people making the transition from summer to fall to winter...some eagerly and some reluctantly. Shorts and flip-flops are going into storage and sweaters are coming out of storage. Skis are being brought out and sharpened, and snow tires are getting mounted. Such is the cycle of life here in the northeast where most of us who live here really do cherish the change of seasons.
Speaking of “change”, I often hear people boldly say “change is good!” And maybe it is. I prefer to think of change as inevitable and it’s up to each of us to make the best of it. So as we start winding down the year here at PCI I find myself reflecting on the changes we’ve seen here in recent months and overall, I have to say they have been remarkably positive. There are the obvious changes brought on by the pandemic, but those still somehow feel temporary to me as we collectively figure out our path to a new normal. But the changes that have had the biggest impact on our business have been much more tangible and exciting.
We have taken on several new clients in the last 12 months and that is always a gratifying metric that reflects the solid reputation that our team has built over the years. And just as exciting to us is the fact that clients who have been with us for years have been engaging us in new assignments. (It reminds me of a round we used to sing as kids about new friends and old, silver and gold.)
We’ve had some internal changes too. We added Audrey (they/them) to the team in February and they were able to make some immediate and lasting contributions with their organization, sharp writing, and amazing spreadsheet skills. But they too are pursuing big changes and have decided to move out of state. We will miss Audrey but are grateful to have had them as part of our team this year.
Senior Project Manager Hunter Gomez has spent much of the last year solidifying PCI’s presence in Franklin County doing stellar work with Maple Run Unified School District (returning client) and the Town of St. Albans (new client). He’s keeping an impressive number of projects moving forward, always with skill and his trademark positive, can-do attitude.
Last but certainly not least, Natty Jamison has steadily been taking on more and more project leadership responsibilities and has recently been promoted to Project Manager. All this while juggling some administrative duties, training team members, and taking on the role of President of the local chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute!
I am grateful for all of this in part because it confirms and supports the vision we had when we founded the company way back in 2003: “...to be a valued resource in the communities we serve.” And that will never change.
Onward!
- Tom
