GAI's Corporate Responsibility Committee spearheads a variety of ways for employees to give back to our communities and the environment. In 2010, the Committee encouraged each office to recycle paper for the Iron Mountain Secure Shredding Program. Through this initiative, GAI has already helped to conserve close to 68,000 gallons of water, save 165 trees, and recycle nearly 20,000 pounds of paper! 

For a breakdown of all the environmental benefits, view our Certificate of Achievement from Iron Mountain.

GAI employees made individual contributions to international relief efforts during a company-wide campaign that raised more than $12,000. The largest recipient of contributions was the American Red Cross, followed by Operation Blessing International, Friends of Haiti, and Reach out to Haiti. Though GAI's multi-discipline engineers and specialists do no work in the Caribbean, several GAI employees had personal ties to Haiti, including family and friends.

The fundraiser, organized by GAI's Corporate Responsibility Committee, was celebrated with a $2,500 GAI corporate match. GAI's executives then challenged each other to further increase the company's contribution total.  

During the six-week campaign, employees donated directly to the organization of their choice or designated payroll deductions for the Red Cross. To date, the Red Cross has delivered essential relief supplies to more than 400,000 people and has distributed enough water for 260,000 people per day in Haiti.

The earthquakes and their aftershocks, which repeatedly hit just outside Haiti's capital city Port-au-Prince, killed an estimated 220,000 people and left an estimated 1.3 million people instantly homeless. For a two-month update on the relief efforts, please visit www.redcross.org.{/slide}

GAI Consultants' Orlando office joined other companies to partner with Orlando District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan, and the Orlando Fire and Police Departments at Commissioner Sheehan’s 8th Annual “Wheels for Kids” Program. The program builds and donates bikes to children living in Orlando's Reeves Terrace Apartments. Each of the 95 children, ages 5 to 14, received a bike, helmet, bike lock, and chain.

GAI President and CEO Gary DeJidas, Vice President and Orlando Managing Officer Rick Cima, and Business Development Manager Tina Gonzalez helped distribute bikes as Santa Claus rode in on a fire truck, escorted by the Orlando Mounted Police.

Commissioner Sheehan's “Wheels for Kids” was started to ensure that children have safe, reliable ways to get to school after budget cuts stopped several bus routes that brought kids from Reeves Terrace to school. This annual commitment is growing stronger as the importance of education becomes even more important. GAI is proud to help develop the leaders of tomorrow, one bike at a time. For more pictures from the bike drop off, please visit Commissioner Sheehan’s Web page here.

GAI proudly partnered with City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and other businesses to distribute Thanksgiving turkeys at an Orlando public housing community. President Gary DeJidas (center) and GAI-OrlandoManaging Officer Rick Cima (far left) joined others in helping deliver frozen turkeys to each of the 180 families living in Reeves Terrace.

GAI, Baker Barrios Architects, and Urban Life Management Restaurants have been constant supporters of Commissioner Sheehan’s efforts to help her constituents living in public housing. Through their financial support, these participants are also responsible for ensuring Reeves Terrace’s children receive a new bicycle for Christmas through Commissioner Sheehan’s annual Wheels for Kids event.

GAI-Pittsburgh is proud that the city it was founded in is host to the G20 Summit of global leaders. Employees participated in a city-wide cleanup before their Sept. 24 arrival. Alan Gilman, Media Services Manager and GAI Corporate Responsibility Chairman, and David Mollish, Assistant Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, joined others Sept. 12 in volunteering to pick up trash in the city neighborhood of Mt. Washington.

Staff at GAI-Pittsburgh recently took part in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 21st Annual Run/Walk for Epilepsy to raise awareness of the neurological condition. Epilepsy affects more Americans than Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and muscular dystrophy combined. A dedicated group from GAI raised over $400 to donate to the Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania and got a great workout, too! The 5K run and two-mile walk gave our staff an opportunity to stretch their legs, sweat a little, and give to a great cause. Every step counted towards promoting public knowledge of epilepsy.  

In a display of teamwork, charity, and a little friendly competition, GAI-Orlando partnered with Ustler Development to support the 15th Annual Insurance Office of America (IOA) Corporate 5K Run/Walk. Over 20 GAI employees, including executive vice president Rusty Sievers, and GAI friends and family laced up their running shoes and donned bright green t-shirts to participate in the event.

The IOA Corporate 5K Run/Walk attracted over 11,000 people and more than 540 corporate teams to the downtown Orlando area. This year, proceeds benefitted the Track Shack Foundation, Parramore Kidz Zone, Orlando’s Christian Service Center, and the Orlando Runner’s Club Scholarship fund.

Since 1996, the Geological Society of America has invited professionals from the fields of applied geoscience to help mentor university students interested in geological study through the Roy J. Shlemon Mentor Programs. On March 23, 2009, GAI-Pittsburgh's David Cremeens, Ph.D., CPSSc, Senior Lead Soil Scientist, participated as a mentor in the program, held this year in Portland, Maine. Dr. Cremeens offered his advice and wealth of experience as both a one-time academic and current applied geoscientist. “It was a very informal, comfortable discussion with undergraduate students and recent college graduates,” Dr. Cremeens said.

The Roy J. Shlemon Mentor Programs in Applied Geoscience offers students a real-world glimpse at careers in applied geoscience. Students enjoy insight and information from experienced professionals that they might not otherwise receive in the classroom.

This was Dr. Cremeens' first time participating as a mentor in this program. When asked if he would participate again, he quickly answered, "Yes!"  

GAI-Charleston participated in the annual Canstruction Food Drive, a design/build competition for teams of architects, engineers, and students. GAI's Ultimate Rubik's Cube (pictured) consisted of approximately 1,300 cans and was on display from Feb. 24 to March 1, 2009 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia. At the end of the exhibition, GAI’s design won the People's Choice and Bold Color Awards. After the event, all canned goods in the competition were donated to the Charleston Covenant House.

After a day at work, Geotechnical & Structural Engineering Lead Field Associate Dave Smeltzer can think of nothing more relaxing than hiking on his favorite trail at Tomlinson Run State Park, located near Newell, WV. The park has been a second home for Dave, who has been on a project assignment at Stratton, Ohio-based Sammis Power Station for the past two years. When he’s not writing novels, Dave donates time to the park he treasures by participating in an adopt-a-trail program. “I really love the park and its trails and wanted to give something back,” Dave writes.

Dave has picked up trash and cleared fallen trees from his favorite trail, White Oak. And in true GAI fashion, he’s even built a number of foot bridges over a few wet trail areas. “The building of the bridges wasn’t as bad as carrying the materials almost two miles,” he said. Dave is a terrific representation of the type of people who work at GAI Consultants, Inc., and we commend him on his unmatched sense of philanthropy and willingness to become involved in his community away from home.

Archaeologists and students help renovate local cemetery in West Jefferson Hills, PA. 

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Once a year, engineers nationwide are celebrated during National Engineers Week. The National Society of Professional Engineers established this event in 1951 in recognition of President George Washington, who was a military engineer and land surveyor. In Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Science Center (CSC) has hosted local celebrations for the past few years. In 2005, the CSC presented two days of hands-on engineering activities and displays showcasing over 60 organizations and companies focused on attracting future colleagues. Thanks to the contributions, sponsorships, and individual volunteers from companies such as GAI, the ASCE Pittsburgh section supervised and staffed three activities: soil liquefaction, bridge building (part of the Girl Scouts Make-It-Matter engineering badge), and landslides.

GAI-Fort Wayne recently adopted a two-mile stretch of Indiana Route 14, just west of Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne. During this two-year commitment, GAI staff will keep this stretch of highway clean and free of trash through the Indiana Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway program. This initiative offers citizens the opportunity to show their pride in their state by caring for the environment.