From the CEO:

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the phrase we hear consistently throughout November. However, with all the business of Fall along with the Christmas decorations blanketing our stores, I often wonder if Thanksgiving doesn’t get brushed over. 

Thanksgiving is a special time for me for a couple of reasons. First, I am a big believer in one’s perspective shaping their trajectory. I often say, “If you wake up in a free country like the USA and, you have access to clean drinking water, that 70% of the world does not have…it’s a good day.” I honestly believe this, and I think if folks remember something like this, it can truly change the perspective from an “I have so many problems” mindset to a thankful mindset. Once we take just a few minutes to start naming things we are thankful for, it changes the lens with which we see the world. 

Secondly, Thanksgiving is a meaningful time for me and my family as that is the day my father passed away. The family was everything to him and so not surprisingly, this was one of his favorite holidays. Now, each year, I take some time to just remember my father and I list all the things I am thankful that he taught me. At his funeral, I shared what I know he would’ve wanted me to convey in that thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. So, next time something happens that maybe you didn’t choose, or things don’t go your way, stop for a second and try to remember all the blessings you have. It may not fix the issue but it sure will help you keep it in perspective! 

So, as you join around the table with friends and family, take a few minutes to stop and ask, “What are we truly thankful for?” What are those things or people that maybe we take for granted that we need to just shift our perspective and celebrate?  

From my family to yours, I wish you a truly Happy Thanksgiving. 

Misty Mayes, CEO
December 5th is International Volunteer Day

Every December 5th, we officially celebrate International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development. Mandated by a United Nations resolution in 1985, International Volunteer Day was established to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteering, and celebrate volunteer efforts from individuals, organizations, and governments around the world.  

The day offers a unique opportunity for volunteers and their organizations to share their work over the past year and to raise awareness about their efforts. The day is celebrated globally with volunteer fairs, community cleanup efforts, fundraising drives, volunteer recognition events, and even parades and rallies.  

This International Volunteer Day we look forward to celebrating the great work our volunteers do and reflecting on the impact that volunteerism has on both our local and global communities.  

The Long History of Volunteerism  

Volunteering has been a central part of cultures, communities, and religions for centuries. The official history of volunteering dates back to 12th-century Britain, when hundreds of hospitals were run by volunteers. Yet, it’s likely that the practice of volunteering dates back much further.  

Modern volunteer efforts largely developed around war times when community members - often young women - would volunteer their time to care for wounded soldiers and collect supplies. More official and organized volunteer efforts formally emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries with the rise of organizations like the Red Cross, YMCA, Peace Corps, and Rotary Clubs.  

Interestingly, the internet had one of the greatest impacts on volunteerism and its development, as online resources gave individuals and organizations a way to globally recruit and organize. As a result, the age of the internet has ushered in a new phase of volunteerism, where it’s much easier to access and mobilize volunteers worldwide to meet specific needs as they arise.  

Documenting the Impacts of Volunteers  

While we’ve all seen anecdotal evidence of the benefits of volunteering, research done on the topic shows that it has a number of tangible benefits on both the global community and on the individuals that volunteer. Specifically, volunteerism:  

  • Makes a significant contribution to the global economy 
  • Leads to increased civic engagement 
  • Allows for increased public services, especially in the areas of youth education and environmental support 
  • Promotes improved social connections among governments, organizations and individuals 

Beyond the community impacts, there is evidence showing that volunteering has positive effects on the volunteers themselves. Not surprisingly, volunteering leads to increased confidence; serves as a way to form meaningful social connections; lets people take on new challenges; offers opportunities for learning; and is fun. Further, it’s a good way to combat depression and to stay healthy and active.  

Committed to Our Community 

At Management Solutions, we appreciate the impact that volunteerism has on our community and on our team. That’s why we’ve made volunteering and giving back to our community a part of our team’s DNA. We value sharing our time, energy, thought leadership, and passions with our communities, both close to home and around the globe.  

And, we couldn’t be more proud of the diverse talents that our team has and shares. Whether it’s starting a lavender farm and letting community members come and pick bundles; making contributions to STEM accessibility in secondary and post-secondary spaces; developing a holistic project controls training program to help create jobs in disadvantaged communities; or offering their time to present at global conferences, our team is working hard to serve those around them and to help make their communities better.  

This December 5th, we’ll be celebrating our volunteers and looking for more volunteer opportunities in the year ahead. We hope you’ll join us in serving this December 5th, and, if you need help finding a volunteer opportunity near you, check out one of the many online matching tools - like VolunteerMatch, Engage or Just Serve - that make it easy to get started. 
Year One of Project Controls Solutions

Project Controls Solutions is celebrating its first year! Like any good business, we created a website to showcase our offerings and important information for visitors to gain insight into who we are. The importance of expanding our reach led to opening an office in the U.K. From there we created the first-ever Project Controls Maturity Assessment© (PCMA), with validation from University Ph.D.'s in assessments, along with a comprehensive project controls training program. We are the only certified academic certificate program in the U.S. and are also certified with the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) certification in the U.K. 

As we expanded our portfolio of offerings, the subsidiary enabled the Management Solutions family of businesses to highlight our message of being to be a data-driven company with an engineering foundation to deliver: 
  • Assessments (corporately and at the individual level)
  • Training and Advisory
  • Consulting services
  • Staff Augmentation

Furthermore, we created a proprietary 225-hour training program that covers 25 competencies in 9 modules and expanded to include training customized for Project Managers, Control Account Managers, and Construction Managers.

During our first year, we have partnered with a number of Department of Energy sites as well as many private sector firms to utilize our learning management system to deploy our assessments and training modules/programs.

Additionally, by the end of 2021, we will have delivered six presentations at four global conferences and graduated multiple cohorts from the Academic Certificate in Project Controls.

There are so many things we have accomplished but the best is yet to come! We are so thankful for what's happened in our first year and look forward to the future of Project Controls Solutions.
Management Solutions' and Project Controls Solutions' Newest Awards

Management Solutions & Project Controls Solutions have been busy the past few months and it's paying off with a new award for Project Controls Solutions, as well as awards for two team members at Management Solutions!

Scott Major, a Sr. Project Controls Specialist and Sydney Hogston, a Project Manager at Management Solutions, were awarded the CNS General Groves Award and were nominated by the site integration organization at Y-12.

This award is given to those who exemplify the spirit of Y-12's historic Manhattan Project's pioneers and provide an innovative spirit by welcoming monumental engineering tasks, planning, managing, showing good work ethic and delivering excellence that supports Y-12's mission.

“With 2020 being a year of challenges for so many, MSLLC focused on having a “can-do attitude” to implement the people, processes and tools needed to successfully complete the site outage program and scheduling process improvement goals at Y-12. It was an honor to work with this team and look forward to continuing our support to CNS in the future," said Sydney Hogston.

Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project, a top-secret research project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II. Groves was known for his intelligence and drive to achieve his goals at all costs.

Along with the General Groves Awards within Management Solutions, Project Controls Solutions is thrilled to announce that they won the 2021 Global Project Controls Transformation Project of the Year for our Academic Certificate program at the 2021 Project Controls Expo.

"I am so proud that in the first year of Project Controls Solutions we have won this award. All the hard work we put into creating our assessments and training modules, to transform the future of the project controls industry, has been validated. It just shows what is possible with a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who want to share their wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure the next generation of professionals are holistically trained and set on the road to successful careers." - Christine McLean, Global Managing Director and Director of Project Controls Training

We are so proud to have team members that strive to achieve excellence in any and all commitments and look forward to the bright future ahead!
Along with the General Groves Awards within Management Solutions, Project Controls Solutions is thrilled to announce that they won the 2021 Global Project Controls Transformation Project of the Year for our Academic Certificate program at the 2021 Project Controls Expo.

"I am so proud that in the first year of Project Controls Solutions we have won this award. All the hard work we put into creating our assessments and training modules, to transform the future of the project controls industry, has been validated. It just shows what is possible with a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who want to share their wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure the next generation of professionals are holistically trained and set on the road to successful careers." - Christine McLean, Global Managing Director and Director of Project Controls Training

We are so proud to have team members that strive to achieve excellence in any and all commitments and look forward to the bright future ahead!
It was originally called Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I. While the United States now refers to it as Veterans Day, other countries still use the original term.

World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, the fighting ended about seven months before that when the Allies and Germany put into effect an armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
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