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Pictured left to right: Dave Baum, Damon Rhodes, and Rachel King
At LDG, our culture encourages our people to make value-driven decisions for themselves, their clients, and their communities. Stewardship Stories share the experiences of our employee owners as they give back to the communities in which they live and work through financial support, volunteer commitments, and more.
Several LDG employees based in our Pittsburgh office – Dave Baum, Sr. Project Manager, and Rachel King, Sr. Engineering Associate, both with our Transportation group; and Damon Rhodes, Director of Business Development – played a significant role in the recent 2nd annual golf outing held by the Pittsburgh chapter of Women in Transportation (WTS), a worldwide organization dedicated to creating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable transportation industry through the support and advancement of women.
The golf outing is geared toward first-time and less experienced women golfers, teaching the basics of the game, and offering practice time – a unique approach to events that are typically dominated by veteran or highly competitive golfers. This fun, low-pressure learning environment was the brainchild of Dave and Damon, who brought it to WTS and helped get the wheels in motion for the inaugural outing in 2022.
This year, Rachel was instrumental in planning the event as a member of the chapter’s Golf Outing Planning Committee. We talked to her about the experience and her involvement with this important organization.
How long have you been involved with WTS? Why this organization?
I’ve been involved with WTS for three years. I joined because I was looking to get involved with a professional organization, and at the time WTS was looking for an event coordinating chair. I decided to join the committee and take the position. When I started working, there weren’t very many women at the company I was with, and I wanted to network with other women who were in the industry for longer than me.
Tell us about this recent event.
Typically, golf outings are tailored to veteran or regular golfers and are a full 18 holes. We wanted to offer an outing for those who are looking to get into golfing or just want to try it out. We decided on nine holes instead and set it during the day, with a later start time, to accommodate those with young families who have to catch a bus or go to daycare. Damon and Dave crafted the idea and WTS seemed like the perfect society to facilitate it since we focus on advancing women in engineering.
What did you enjoy most about it?
I enjoy being around a group of men and women who respect women and lift them up as a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to transportation, especially when it comes to the outing – I had never golfed before last years’ outing, but I didn’t feel intimidated attending this and learning the basics of golf.
ABOUT LDG
Founded in 1986, LDG is an award-winning, 100 percent employee-owned national architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with 18 offices in seven states and a vision to elevate client relationships, enrich the careers and lives of its employee-owners, and enhance the communities in which it operates.
For more than 30 years, we have been teaming with clients nationwide to provide responsive, innovative solutions by offering an extraordinary depth and breadth of capabilities and embracing sustainable business practices. For more information, visit About – Larson Design Group.