by Bill Huseby
Bill Huseby, President & CEO
Businesses are increasingly shifting how they see their role in the world. Companies are no longer solely motivated by profits, they are also seeking to have a greater impact on their communities. At SIGMADESIGN part of our purpose is giving back to the community. A sense of purpose has come to be seen as a value that not only has a place in business but is essential to long-term success.
Becky, my wife, and I personally put a lot of time and energy into Youth Baseball and the Boy Scouts. Putting our efforts into coordinating and coaching helps our community by teaching boys and young men skills and teamwork that we believe will help them as they move from adolescence to adulthood. At SIGMADESIGN many of our employees also give back by volunteering.
Seeing the value in giving back and working with purpose, we have dedicated part of the SIGMADESIGN 2022 Vision Plan to focus on community. Investing in the local community can take many forms such as volunteering, on the job training programs, internships, mentorship, giving to local organizations that further the causes of education in sciences and technology, creating jobs and supporting civic causes.
With SIGMADESIGN, employees can choose which organizations they want to volunteer with and SIGMADESIGN will pay for a number of those volunteer hours. Our engineers and other professionals volunteer in local classrooms. They take time to read with kids, teach a lesson about rockets, or provide assistance to teachers. Every year during National Engineering Week, Firmware Engineer, Lindsey Dotson volunteers at a local Clark County elementary school to teach kids about programming.
This year we launched our first formal “Take Your Child to Work Day.” SIGMADESIGN employees volunteered their day to organize relevant design and business lessons to expose kids to what happens at work. This year we had 17 kids ranging from 4 -17 for the day. It was a wild success.
We have also hosted numerous tours for kids ranging from 13-year olds competing on robotic teams to high school kids that are part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program to local college students studying Engineering. These tours provide exposure to what the engineering field is all about.
“Speed Networking” through nConnect is another way SIGMADESIGN professionals volunteer at local high schools. These events give students a glimpse at paths and careers in the engineering and design fields.
Not only does our reach into the community touch on the engineering field, we also contibute to government organizations. For instance, this year through a Downtown Vancouver Association initiative, we participated in a beautification project. Around our world headquarters we cleaned up the sidewalk areas and planted new flowers doing our part to make the Vancouver area a little nicer.
“Community” IS IMPORTANT. I personally applaud all the volunteer hours and dedication our employees put into their communities. It also gives me great pleasure to see how SIGMADESIGN has opened up the doors to young kids interested in the engineering and design fields. To the employees and other businesses trying to make the world a better place: Keep up the good work.