Learning and resiliency have always been key to our culture at Mead & Hunt. Our 121-year history is a testament to that. Today we continue to support our shared goals, work to grow professionally, and forge ahead to build an even stronger future. Mead & Hunt recently held our first virtual TechCONNECT conference. It was a great experience that reflects these values.
TechCONNECT is a quarterly internal conference for Mead & Hunt’s technical specialists. Architects, engineers, planners, surveyors, technicians, designers, and cultural resource specialists across all disciplines come together to connect while learning new technology and honing their professional skills. In addition to Mead & Hunt’s own industry-recognized subject matter experts, the three-day February TechCONNECT featured several outstanding keynote speakers.
Keynote Speakers
Tuesday opened with Connor Butler discussing “Lean, an Introduction to a powerful method of continuous improvement.” The presentation explained that, at its core, Lean is about inspiration and empowerment. People are empowered to make decisions and find better ways to get work done, which not only delivers better projects, but improves satisfaction for all. This aligns with and supports our Mead & Hunt culture of putting people first. Our goal in applying Lean is to engage in ongoing reflection, making changes and continuously improving as a team. Connor is the managing principal and co-founder of Relevate. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the WP Carey School Business at Arizona State University.
Cyndi Wentland was the featured keynote Wednesday, with the timely topic, “Working in Sync: Remote Collaboration as a Team.” Her session explored what collaboration is, and what it isn’t—and why it is so difficult to motivate others to truly engage in collaboration. Cyndi’s presentation outlined the pitfalls to avoid and the best practices to implement immediately for results. Her real-world experience stems from the fact that she has spent the last three decades working in large corporations across a variety of industries, teaching college-level business courses, providing executive coaching, and working as a solo entrepreneur. Cyndi is a Leadership Expert, Certified Coach, and founder of Intentionaleaders, LLC. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and an MBA from Edgewood College.
Jacy Imilkowski wrapped up the last day of TechCONNECT with the personal growth session, “The Brilliance of Resilience: Growing Through Challenge with Positive Intelligence.” We all know that the burnout crisis is real, and the stresses of our personal and professional lives often overlap one other, causing the pressure to multiply. So how do you keep yourself healthy and moving forward when times are tough? Jacy’s session answered that by outlining principles on how to better navigate the stress, frustration, and unhappiness that we all experience as part of life. Jacy Imilkowski has spent 20+ years as a team leader, speaker, trainer, and coach, including 10 years with a Fortune 50 healthcare account. Jacy is also an adjunct instructor on communication, coaching, and leadership for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Thanks to all the February TechCONNECT keynote presenters. Your contributions help us grow both personally and professionally, supporting Mead & Hunt’s core values: we are empowered to take care of people, do the right thing, and do what makes sense. We look forward to working with you again soon!