Employee Owned
GHA is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company. Every staff member is a Co-Owner and has a personal stake in our growth and success.
In late 2018, GHA became an ESOP organization. This means that each and every member of GHA’s staff have an owner’s interest in developing advancements in our services and the value they bring to our clients. It not only supports financial benefit for all GHA Co-Owners, but we have taken it to heart that we all have contributions to make with our experience, insight, and dedication. We use this as inspiration for a wide variety of employee opportunities, always keeping in mind that we – the Co-Owners – have a unique voice that will be heard.
ESOP Advisory Council
We empower ourselves as Co-Owners through our ESOP Advisory Committee, in which staff are given the opportunity to serve in a hands-on way. The essence of the committee’s work results in fresh and exciting ways to grow as a group, collaborate freely, and make GHA the best company for all of us now and into the future.
We're Moving Forward - Together
Each GHA division provides representatives on the Committee, ensuring that all opportunities are considered and all concerns are addressed. All GHA Co-Owners are encouraged to serve on the ESOP Advisory Council for a term if they desire. All who have served agree that this is an excellent way to help shape our own future here at GHA.
GHA’s culture places strong emphasis on our shared journey into the future together as Co-Owners. We celebrate this is many ways throughout the year, but we always look forward to the Annual Stock Reveal. Members of the ESOP Advisory Council work hard to make this a great event, with great food and lots of team fun.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
GHA’s overall DEI Goal: To learn and value diversity, equity, and inclusion in the firm’s operations, divisions, training, built environment, and culture.
We are committed to a culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We have partnered with Ethos Talent in November of 2020 to help promote DEI initiatives, education, organizational development and change management. GHA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee is developing a strategic roadmap and initiatives to enhance our vision, strategy, processes, and practices around culture and DEI through organizational development and change management.
GHA’s goal is to develop partnerships with experts and practitioners in our community to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at our firm. GHA’s DEI committee’s primary focus will be bringing awareness of systemic and national issues to the GHA community.
What Makes Us GHA?
What makes us GHA? We all share a spirit of mutual respect, learning every day, 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.
Our Culture
GHA's Culture is One 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.
Employee Benefits
In addition to providing employee ownership and a competitive compensation structure, GHA strives to create a balance between work and personal time.
We provide a collaborative work environment and a comprehensive benefits program, including:
Paid Time Off/Floating Holidays/Holidays – Our program provides the flexibility for paid time off, whether vacation or illness, as well as seven holidays.
401(k) Retirement Plan/Profit Sharing Program – The 401(k) plan provides the flexibility to successfully plan for retirement. This program offers a diverse selection of investment options. GHA provides a 50% match up to 6% of earnings.
Medical Insurance – GHA offers a high deductible/HSA medical plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Dental Insurance – A full-coverage dental plan is offered.
Vision Insurance – Vision plan is available.
Flexible Spending Accounts – Through our flexible spending program, employees can set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for unreimbursed medical, dental, vision costs and dependent care.
Short-Term Disability Insurance – In the event of an injury or illness, GHA offers short-term disability plans that provide a portion of the employee’s pre-disability earnings. The company contributes 100% of the premium.
Long-Term Disability Insurance – In the event of a prolonged injury or illness, Gewalt Hamilton offers long-term disability plans that provide a portion of the employee’s pre-disability earnings. The company contributes 100% of the premium.
Life Insurance/Accidental Death and Dismemberment – Our life insurance program includes a $50,000 policy for each full time employee. The company contributes 100% of the premiums.
Flexible Work Schedules – GHA understands that personal and family needs may require you to have flexible hours. We will work with you to establish a work schedule that meets both your needs and the company’s needs.
Maternity and Paternity Leave – GHA offers employees a generous maternity and paternity leave plan.
This listing is a general overview of some of the benefits offered. Detailed plan descriptions will be provided during the hiring process.
GHA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees in accordance with all applicable equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, directives and regulations of Federal, State and Local governing bodies.
Community Involvement
Together, the people of GHA can make a positive difference for our friends and neighbors in the communities that we live, work, and play in.
The people of GHA volunteer their time to act as Board Members or Trustees of various local government agencies. We support and encourage our team to lead by example and make a difference through volunteer services in the communities in which we live, work, and play. Countless hours and commitment are poured into the local community by our employees every year, done so with a full heart. Some examples are:
GHA SUPPORTS
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! More about the program
GHA SUPPORTS
Friends of the Chicago River
Our GHA team assisted the Friends of the Chicago River along the Skokie Branch of the Chicago River at North Park in Lincolnshire on Saturday, May 8th. Today, some of our fellow co-owners helped take part in caring for our rivers and connect with the natural world around us. We helped make his amazing natural resource cleaner for future generations and the wildlife who depend on it for their homes. ChicagoRiver.org
GHA SUPPORTS
Lake County Division of Transportation: Adopt-a-Highway
GHA’s co-owners gathers twice a year to celebrate our long-standing Adopt-A-Highway tradition with lots of GHA staff and their families. Great cause + great people = GREAT FUN! Thank you LCDOT – Lake County, IL Division of Transport… Lake County, IL Division of Transportation for supporting the program! LakeCountyIL.gov