Global Engineering and Architectural Firm Greeley and Hansen Receives Corporate Leadership Award

CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Greeley and Hansen was honored to receive the Corporate Leadership Award from Upwardly Global at its 2013 Chicago Passport to Possibilities Awards and Gala. The award recognizes Greeley and Hansen's long-standing commitment to workplace diversity and leadership in creating the innovative Global Engineers in Residence (GEIR) program in partnership with Upwardly Global, a national award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating employment barriers for skilled, work-authorized immigrants in the United States.

GEIR is a unique six-month apprentice-type program designed by Greeley and Hansen to provide skilled immigrants with the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job engineering experience and mentoring to help them integrate into the U.S. professional workforce. Upwardly Global provides direct access to this trained talent through its extensive network of immigrant professionals who are already authorized to work in the U.S., but are often employed well below their educational skill sets.  

"By inviting skilled and experienced global engineering professionals to join their Global Engineers in Residence Program, Greeley and Hansen is demonstrating innovative ways companies can meet their talent needs and helping new Americans regain the dignity and pride that comes from working to their full abilities," said Adolfo Hernandez, Director of the Chicago Mayor's Office of New Americans. "Congratulations to Greeley and Hansen's President, John Robak, for receiving Upwardly Global's 2013 Corporate Leadership Award and for helping to make Chicago a more immigrant friendly city."

"I'm pleased to accept this leadership award on behalf of Greeley and Hansen," said Robak. "Our partnership with Upwardly Global has been built on our shared commitment to providing meaningful employment opportunities for skilled immigrant engineers and other professionals already authorized to work in the U.S. and living here in Chicago. We believe Upwardly Global's pool of trained candidates is a beneficial resource for addressing the ongoing technical talent shortage experienced by many companies in the U.S. The GEIR program can be easily adapted beyond the engineering profession to just about any organization or technical industry facing similar labor shortages."

About Greeley and Hansen

Greeley and Hansen is an international leader in developing innovative engineering, architecture, and management solutions for a wide array of complex water, wastewater, and water-related infrastructure challenges. The firm, headquartered in Chicago, has built upon nearly 100 years of proven civil and environmental engineering experience in all phases of project development and implementation to become a premier global provider of comprehensive services in the water sector. Greeley and Hansen is dedicated to designing better urban environments worldwide. For more information about Greeley and Hansen, please visit http://www.greeley-hansen.com.

About Upwardly Global

Upwardly Global, founded in 2000, is a national, nonprofit organization with offices in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Upwardly Global helps work-authorized, skilled immigrants rebuild their professional careers in the U.S. by providing professional job-search training and access to employers with global talent needs. For more information about the organization, please visit http://www.upwardlyglobal.org

Contact: Nancy Stankus, 312-558-9000, nstankus@greeley-hansen.com

SOURCE Greeley and Hansen

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