This year was an adjustment, but our company is nothing if not full of ambitious, optimistic people who challenge themselves to keep moving. And move they did. From awards, promotions, and office changes, NWESI has kept pushing ourselves to adapt. Read on for an overview of our year highlights!
Team-Building
Our company was able to continue many of our projects with minimal disruptions, but internally we were hit with as many shake-ups as most other businesses. One of the biggest obstacles was adjusting our communication styles from in-person to remote work. Our initiatives included:
Third Thursdays. NWESI put “Third Thursdays” into place which gathered the group once a month to share company updates during paid time, and friendly competition in jeopardy-esque games for anyone who wanted to join afterwards.
We also used this time to celebrate individuals and positive progress. Included were: welcoming more than a few new hires, winning two marketing excellence awards from SMPS Oregon, and team members who earned new certifications (CxA’s, PE licenses) and professional organization recognition!
Welcoming new Employee-Owners
As a company, we’ve had 9 employees become eligible to receive ESOP contributions! With this new crop of eligible folks, 1st year eligible employees are now the second highest group in the company, right behind fully-vested employees.
One special highlight is that our newly eligible team members are from different offices and fields of our company across Oregon and Idaho! They include business development, administration, and technicians.
Holiday Giving
NWESI typically donates to a few charities each year (including KIVA, Portland Homeless Family Solutions, and Smile Train), but wanted to try to help the organizations rebuilding and sustaining our communities a little bit more. We expanded our year-end giving to include: Oregon Food Bank, Boise Rescue Mission, Team Rubicon.
These are organizations working to help families after the many hardships that have occurred this year. Learn more about them at their websites!
This year we wanted to also continue supporting some of our local, seasonal holiday drives. The wreaths come from the Boise-Eliot/Humboldt PTA group whose fundraising efforts go toward STEAM nights, Black History and Literacy months, Holiday Food Drive and more! We were so happy to get these wreaths, and hope they bring cheer to our team winners. Also pictured is the team’s Merry Market donation. Merry Market is held to make sure families can access children’s gifts, food, or other resources that will bring comfort to their homes during the holidays
Our Wishes for 2021
For this portion, we sent out a survey asking our employees what they were looking forward to in the new year (while we supplied some items to consider, just because). Overall, we at NWESI gravitate towards painting and going on a good vacation.
And in true NWESI fashion, we received a lot of other ideas for the new year too!
- Becoming the next Bob Ross combined with a vacation. The Bob Ross Experience opened in Muncie, Indiana and my girlfriend and I are planning a trip. I can’t think of a better way to chill out after this last year.
- Learning to play guitar and craft more. Also volunteer with CASA!
- See people’s lips move during a conversation, you know, the old-fashioned way of communicating before masks.
- [In response to starting a garden] No, in fact I look forward to moving to a townhouse with no yard because I have become a slave to mine.
- A trip without surprise airline changes or Corona risk.
- Not running into as many walls, learning to longboard, and defeating my 20’s!
And last but not least: to remember those we lost this year. Cherish your memories, honor and celebrate life by helping those in need.
Published December 2020.
