ESOP Advisory Council
ESOP ADVISORY COUNCIL
The GHA Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Advisory Council is not just a committee, but a pivotal component in shaping a robust culture of ownership, engagement, and professional advancement among GHA’s employee-owners. Acting as a key element within GHA’s ownership structure, the council plays an essential role in both sustaining and evolving a shared vision for the future trajectory of the company.
COUNCIL COMPOSITION
Our council is made up of ten diverse representatives, each hailing from a different division within GHA. This structure ensures a broad spectrum of voices are heard, reflecting the company’s unified commitment to its employee-owners.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Liaison to Leadership: The council ensures the interests and perspectives of GHA’s employee-owners are effectively communicated to the Board of Directors.
Onboarding: The council works diligently to integrate new members swiftly, ensuring effective and efficient operations moving forward.
Conference Participation: Council members are expected to attend at least one ESOP Association conference during their term, ensuring a continuous influx of fresh perspectives and best practices.
Educational Programs: Continuously updating and providing ESOP-specific educational materials for new and existing employee-owners.
Event Coordination: Creating and managing a comprehensive annual calendar of events that align with GHA’s core values and ESOP objectives.
OBJECTIVES AND GOALS
Initially established with a focus on communication, culture, and employee engagement, the council has continually evolved its objectives to adapt to GHA’s changing needs.
Core Values and Mission: In alignment with GHA’s foundational beliefs and commitments, the council focuses on transparent communication, comprehensive education, and the coordination of special events.
Adaptive Strategies: Recognizing the dynamic nature of GHA’s operational landscape, the council is committed to evolving its strategies to meet changing organizational needs.
Ownership Mentality: One of the council’s primary objectives is to foster an ownership mindset among employees, aiming for active participation and long-term commitment.
Ongoing Communication: Improving communication and engagement throughout the office.
FUTURE VISION
The ESOP Advisory Council plays a critical role in enhancing the integrity of GHA’s ownership model by faithfully representing the diverse interests of all employee-owners. This representation serves as a fundamental aspect of the council’s role, granting it the authority to voice the interests of each division within the company. The council’s goals for GHA’s future extend beyond short-term achievements but include a shared long-term vision. This vision is geared toward a workspace where new ideas are valued, and originality is encouraged.
Through these efforts, the council seeks to go beyond its function as a liaison between employee-owners and the leadership of GHA, aiming to be a proactive force in advancing the company’s journey toward innovation and shared success.
Employee Owned
GHA is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Company.
In 2018, GHA transitioned to an ESOP organization. This signifies that every member of GHA’s staff possesses an owner’s stake in enhancing our services and the value they deliver to our clients. Beyond the financial benefits for all GHA Co-Owners, we deeply believe in the contributions each one of us can make through our experience, insight, and dedication. This belief drives a variety of employee opportunities, always anchored in the understanding that we, the Co-Owners, possess a distinctive voice that demands recognition.
MOVING FORWARD – TOGETHER
At GHA, each division is represented on the Committee, ensuring an approach where every opportunity is explored and every concern is addressed. We take pride in our inclusive culture, and as a testament to this, all GHA Co-Owners are invited to serve on the ESOP Advisory Council for a term. Those who have taken up this opportunity unanimously agree that it offers a unique platform to actively shape GHA’s future.
Our culture at GHA is deeply rooted in a shared journey toward the future, with each of us as Co-Owners playing a pivotal role. Throughout the year, we have numerous celebrations that underscore this collective spirit. The Annual Stock Reveal is a moment we all eagerly await each year. The dedicated members of the ESOP Advisory Council pour their energy into making this event memorable, ensuring not just insightful discussions but also great food and team-building fun.
ESOP ADVISORY COUNCIL
The GHA Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Advisory Council is not just a committee, but a pivotal component in shaping a robust culture of ownership, engagement, and professional advancement among GHA’s employee-owners. Acting as a key element within GHA’s ownership structure, the council plays an essential role in both sustaining and evolving a shared vision for the future trajectory of the company.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
GHA: Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At GHA, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In 2020, we established the DEI committee with a clear mission: “Our goal is to cultivate partnerships with experts and practitioners in our community to advance diversity and inclusion within our firm.” Our aim is to create an inclusive environment where all voices are heard, valued and celebrated.
As part of our ongoing DEI initiatives, GHA forges community partnerships aligned with our commitment to integrity and positive impact. Since 2004, our Philanthropy Committee has collaborated with Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep through the “Corporate Work Study Program,” supporting education and development for young individuals. We proudly hire full-time employees from this program, investing in our workforce’s future.
“Through our DEI efforts, we strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone’s voices are heard and valued,” says Wadee Rafati, a key member of the DEI committee. “We are dedicated to driving meaningful change and building a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity.”
-Wadee Rafati, Civil Engineer
Education and building for the future are vital aspects of our DEI efforts. GHA donates funds to the College of Lake County, inspiring students through STEM-focused scholarships. Additionally, our contribution to the City Colleges of Chicago’s Black Equity and Excellence program amplifies our commitment to equity and a more diverse industry.
In 2022, GHA partnered with Ethos Talent, implementing their Management Program to cultivate leadership skills and a diverse workforce. This program serves as a foundation for ongoing DEI development, empowering our managers to champion diversity and inclusion.
To ensure fairness and equal opportunities, GHA adheres to EEOC regulations and analyzes our processes to address unintentional bias. We strive for equity across all stages, from recruiting and hiring to compensation and career advancement. Internally, GHA upholds the values of integrity and continuous improvement by enhancing DEI within the company.
“Our employee handbook has been rewritten to incorporate more inclusive language that represents our current culture and creates a welcoming environment for new hires,” says Hannah Domanski, HR Generalist. “We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where every individual feels respected and included.”
-Hannah Domanski, HR Generalist
Through these initiatives, GHA demonstrates its dedication to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. With a deep-rooted passion for celebrating differences, upholding integrity and embracing continuous improvement, we are committed to shaping a more inclusive future for our employees, clients and communities.
What Makes Us GHA?
A spirit of mutual respect, continuous learning, collaboration, and a genuine desire to help our clients reach their goals.
GHA's VISION - NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE
GHA will be the premiere consultant partner in the Midwest, providing high-quality services and designs for our clients and community.
GHA will be forward looking, working toward a common vision that includes diversity and inclusion, a feeling of belonging, and built upon strong internal and external relationships.
GHA will be a world-class place to build a career, focused on staff development and training at all levels, creating challenging and rewarding opportunities for all staff.
GHA will build and maintain a strong culture, one built upon trust and growth, and our common values of Integrity, Dedication, and Passion.
Many of our staff have served with us for decades, so our range of expertise is nearly unmatched. It truly is our people that make the difference and provide our clients with the results they want and need. By the same token, many of our clients have been with us for years, providing us with the most authentic assurance that our work consistently meets expectations – their loyalty. Both public and private agencies have come to rely on the professional, personal and timely service we provide. At Gewalt Hamilton, we treat every project as just one shared experience in what we hope will be a long-term relationship. We work with our clients, not for them, bringing a team approach to every assignment. Our clients trust us to hear their needs, provide honest and thoughtful feedback, and deliver exceptional results.
Our clients are served by registered professional engineers, land surveyors and experienced technical and administrative support staff. GHA is also prequalified by key government agencies to provide professional services.
This collective dedication to leveraging our experience to yield actionable insights drives an overarching firm-wide quest to find efficiencies that protect project budgets, and maximize asset efficacy and useful lifecycle.
Leadership
GHA’s Leadership brings together the right education, the right experience, and proven, consistently high performance as a leader.
It takes something special to be a GHA leader. That something is found in abundance throughout our leadership. With a collective belief that guiding clients’ projects to their best conclusions is a privilege, they help drive the entire GHA team towards consistently delivering at the high level our clients have come to trust.
Our Culture
A Culture of Opportunity and Collaboration
We place consistent emphasis on the opportunities for our staff to grow personally and professionally, for clients to benefit with insights and efficiencies, and for the communities in which we work and live to be enhanced by our involvement. We express our culture in positive ways through:
Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion
GHA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee brings us a strategic roadmap and initiatives that clarify our vision, and enhance strategy, processes and practices around culture and DEI. We partnered with Ethos Talent in November of 2020 to help promote DEI initiatives, education, organizational development and change management.
Community
Involvement
We are committed to providing opportunities for philanthropic activities that align with the company’s mission, vision, and core values, and provide the means to assure the moral health of the company through philanthropy, fund development, and socially responsible efforts.
Scholarships and
Educational Guidance
From the beginning, GHA has considered it an honor to assist young people in moving forward with their educational goals by proving opportunities to ease the financial burden.
GHA Supports Students’ Future Success – City Colleges of Chicago Black Equity and Excellence Scholarships
GHA proudly supports the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation Black Equity and Excellence Scholarship Fund. GHA donated scholarship opportunities to STEM-focused, African American candidates in the technical and engineering field. sevenstrong.ccc.edu/black-excellence.
GHA Supports Students’ Future Success – College of Lake County Foundation Scholarships
GHA proudly supports the College of Lake County Foundation and has donated scholarship opportunities for engineering and CAD drafting students. clcillinois.edu/paying-for-college/financial-aid/types-of-financial-aid/clc-foundation-scholarships
Charitable
Support
GHA makes giving back to our community a high priority, providing many opportunities to support organizations with financial assistance, our time, or both. We regularly participate in several programs, many of which have become annual events, with organizations such as:
GHA Supports – Habitat for Humanity
GHA staff gathered to lend a hand for Habitat for Humanity Lake County, enjoying every minute of it. This organization has been providing opportunities that allow people like us to give our time and energy to help families achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better life.
GHA Supports – Northern Illinois Food Bank
Our first “Grilling for Groceries” event this summer benefitted from the combination of the food donation provided by GHA, the funds collected from our participants, additional GHA employee owner donations, and generous matching donations. This will be able to help provide groceries to our some of our hungry neighbors in need. The Northern Illinois Food Bank serves in thirteen counties with dignity, equity, and convenience, providing approximately 250,000 meals a day. Annually, they helped provide over 100 million meals locally.
GHA Supports – Feed My Starving Children
GHA has been a long term supporter of the Feed My Starving Children organization. Staff groups gather at FMSC to prepare packages of food to be distributed worldwide to those in need. We take great pleasure in both sharing our personal time for this excellent cause and having a great time too.
GHA Supports – Cancer Wellness Center’s Stepping Up to Wellness Run/Walk
For several years, GHA has been a proud sponsor of the Cancer Wellness Center’s Stepping Up to Wellness Run/Walk, and we are excited to support the Cancer Wellness Center (CWC) again in 2021.The CWC provides programs and services designed to educate participants, develop coping strategies, strengthen their support network for free due to the kindness and generosity of program supporters.
www.cancerwellness.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/run-walk/
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION MATCHING
In addition to assistance provided directly by GHA, we also have a tradition in year-end employee donation matching. We hold staff generosity in high regard and are delighted to match their individual efforts.
Community Involvement
Community Involvement: Creating a Positive Impact
Members of the GHA team serve as Board Members or Trustees for various local government agencies. We actively promote leadership within our team, encouraging them to contribute to the communities where we operate. Each year, our employees dedicate numerous hours to community service, exemplifying our commitment to civic responsibility and engagement.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering
GHA has supported and hosted ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day’ events to local students. We hope to inspire girls’ future, so they learn they have a place in engineering. Students participated at GHA’s corporate headquarters in engineering-related activities, shared their knowledge, and were introduced to engineering mentors! For more information, visit discovere.org
Lake County Division of Transportation: Adopt-a-Highway
Twice a year, GHA team members and their families unite for our Adopt-A-Highway initiative, dedicating their time to enhancing the cleanliness and safety of our local highways. We’re grateful to the Lake County Division of Transportation for their ongoing support. Visit LakeCountyIL.gov for more.
Friends of the Chicago River
The GHA team collaborates with the Friends of the Chicago River at North Park in Lincolnshire. Our team members participate in preserving our rivers and deepening our connection with the natural environment. Our efforts aim to ensure this remarkable natural resource stays clean for future generations and the diverse wildlife that inhabits it. For more information, visit ChicagoRiver.org.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
GHA hosts an annual Grilling for St. Jude’s event. Our team members unite to grill a selection of delightful dishes, all with the purpose of supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This esteemed institution is pivotal in combating childhood diseases, and our ongoing efforts resonate with its mission. We take pride in contributing to such a significant cause. For more on the transformative work of St. Jude’s, visit stjude.org
Cancer Wellness Center Annual Walk
GHA consistently supports the Cancer Wellness Center’s Stepping up to Wellness Run/Walk. This event epitomizes our dedication to promoting health and wellness in the community. Our team actively participates, championing the cause and raising awareness for cancer wellness. Through our involvement, we aim to amplify the message of resilience, hope, and collective strength. For more information visit cancerwellness.org
Northern Illinois Food Bank
GHA proudly partners with the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Our dedicated team volunteers to pack and sort food, aiding families across Northern Illinois. This collaboration reflects our dedication to community engagement and our resolve to address food insecurity. We remain focused on contributing to meaningful community initiatives. For more information about the NIFB, visit their site: solvehungertoday.org