January 22, 2015
McLean, VA — For Jeffrey Cadman, a Booz Allen Senior Lead Technologist, it was the young woman he mentored who went on to study engineering at MIT. For Norman Galer, a Lead Associate, the memory of helping renovate a National Guard Armory that serves a halfway house for homeless veterans is a moment that has stayed with him. For Karen McKechie, an Associate, it was the happy-ending story of “Lucky,” the cat.
The stories go on and on, from office to office: reading to children, helping women veterans find employment, building a competitive robot with young students, cleaning a waterway, saving an animal, growing vegetables for hungry families, fighting disease. All of these stories add up to 152,713 hours of community service performed by Booz Allen employees in 2014, benefitting almost 1,500 non-profits as part of the firm’s 100thanniversary “Centennial Community Challenge.”
The goal had been to achieve 100,000 hours for the year, and Booz Allen volunteers easily surpassed that high target by October.
In addition, the firm in its centennial year sponsored Degas/Cassatt, a free exhibition of some 70 works by Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. A milestone exhibit, Degas/Cassatt explored how these two Impressionist masters inspired, drove, and learned from each other.
In San Diego, Booz Allen was a key partner and Presenting Sponsor of the USS Midway Museum in its own 10th anniversary year, supporting Legacy Week in May, a July 4thFamily Celebration, and a Veterans Day celebration, as well as sponsorship of the USS Midway Museum’s “No Child Left Ashore” Scholarship Fund for San Diego County schools.
“It’s impressive that our people have far exceeded the high bar we set for our Centennial Community Challenge, but what’s so humbling are the individual stories of commitment and caring among our staff, said Booz Allen CEO Horacio Rozanski. “When Ed Booz built our company, he listed character as the most important quality in a consultant, and 100 years later our employees have proven his vision was lasting.”
Booz Allen’s centennial celebration touched communities in a variety of ways through several community programs and sponsorships. Highlights include participation in the Discover Engineering Family Day at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.; mentoring programs for wounded warriors, women veterans, military spouses and caregivers; and national efforts to support Rebuilding Together, FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, and the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.
Sixteen employees, including Karen McKechie, volunteered more than 1,000 hours each, and the top volunteer, Joshua Guenther, volunteered almost 3,700 hours for the Great Falls (Va.) Volunteer Fire Department and the Homeless Animal Rescue Team. The firm awarded a total of $25,000 in special, one-time grants to the non-profits of choice for each of the three employees with the most volunteer hours. In addition, Booz Allen pledged an additional $25,000 for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, to spur volunteerism beyond 100,000 hours, on top of its regular matching campaign benefitting Toys for Tots.
Jeffrey Cadman was not aware of the organization FIRST® until he joined Booz Allen, which last year sponsored nearly 60 employee-mentored FIRST® robotics teams. During five years of volunteering for FIRST®, “I mentored one girl who was a really well rounded student, involved in basketball, and dance, but ended up going to MIT for an engineering degree. That she asked for my input and advice on her career direction was personally rewarding, and a testament to the relationships that can form when you put yourself out there in a volunteering capacity,” he said.
Norman Galer recalls proudly his volunteer work helping renovate the Joseph Center in East St Louis, Ill. “The facility is an old National Guard Armory which has been converted into a halfway house for homeless veterans. The project involved multiple days, one which fell on National Service and Remembrance Day in recognition of September 11th. We had earmarked one of our fundraising efforts specifically for the center and I was able to present it to the director that day. The residents and staff were extremely appreciative,” he said.
“I think all volunteer work has an impact on the community. Anything that encourages and enables a higher level of participation is of value. I think it says something about an individual when they invest of their time for a cause. Likewise I think it says something about a company that encourages and supports the volunteer efforts of its employees,” Galer said.
McKechie, who volunteers for the Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART) Cat Team in northern Virginia, remembers Lucky the cat, who had been horribly abused and needed a long-term foster home where his medical needs could be met. “I stepped up to take him. Lucky spent three months at the HART vet having multiple surgeries and procedures. He got regular visits from HART volunteers and one fell madly in love with him, along with almost 2,000 Facebook followers who helped raise the funds for his medical care,” she said. “My volunteer work has had a huge impact on me as a person and on my work at Booz Allen.”
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*The total number of volunteer hours changed slightly after the original announcement, due to a recalculation.
About Booz Allen Hamilton
For more than 100 years, military, government, and business leaders have turned to Booz Allen Hamilton to solve their most complex problems. As a consulting firm with experts in analytics, digital solutions, engineering, and cyber, we help organizations transform. We are a key partner on some of the most innovative programs for governments worldwide and trusted by its most sensitive agencies. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with clients, using a mission-first approach to choose the right strategy and technology to help them realize their vision.
With global headquarters in McLean, Virginia, our firm employs approximately 29,500 people globally as of December 31, 2021 and had revenue of $7.9 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2021. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)
