KJ’s Cornerstone Volunteering Program harnesses the collective passion of our people for volunteering and supporting the communities we serve. This employee-driven program supports employee volunteers and celebrates their efforts. Promoting volunteer opportunities and sharing our community commitments is part of KJ’s work culture. This volunteer spirit is the cornerstone of what we do professionally.
Our Defining Principles
ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups fostering diversity and inclusion within Kennedy Jenks (KJ). These employee groups help employees build stronger internal and external connections; create development opportunities for future leaders; offer social, educational, and outreach activities; and increase engagement among KJ employees at all levels.
Our KJ ERGs provide input and insights to business operations, increase employee contributions and retention, attract diverse talent, advance cultural competency, and more. The activities of KJ ERGs provide group members with the opportunity to identify common interests and determine how they can be shared with others. Below are more details about our KJ ERGs.
Volunteer Spotlight
Celebrating Our Volunteers
KJ’s strong emphasis on giving back to the communities that support us is reflected in our annual celebration of our committed volunteers during National Volunteer Week in April. In alignment with KJ’s Cornerstone program, our volunteers turn challenges into opportunities for good. Take a look at some of our recent volunteer spotlights.
Volunteer Activities
- Habitat for Humanity – building homes with those who need them.
- YMCA – volunteering to support a variety of family and self-development activities.
- Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America – helping awesome young people learn new skills and chase their dreams. Humane
- Societies – supporting the wide range of agencies that protect and rehabilitate animals in need. KJ staff love their pets and companions!
- Job Shadowing for Schools – helping the next generation learn more about engineering, construction, water treatment, and water resource management.
- Professional Organization Partnership Volunteer Activities – KJ staff join and participate in a wide range of professional organizations in their communities.
Past Volunteer Events
Pies For People (Water For People)
Water For People is a global nonprofit working across nine countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa to address the global water crisis and equip communities with lasting access to clean water and sanitation services. KJ supports Water for People through direct donations and fundraising events. KJ’s Annual TechEx Conference, our Pies for People fundraiser enlisted valiant KJ volunteers to take one–or several–pies for the team, ultimately raising over $10,000 for Water For People! KJ’s efforts were featured in ACEC’s Engineering Inc. magazine.
STEM Exploration Night
KJ employees help facilitate STEM Exploration Night for Federal Way, WA public schools. STEM Exploration Night reaches thousands of students, families and community members, and provides an opportunity for students to explore STEM while learning about careers and opportunities in related fields.
Green Kent
KJ staffers headed the the City of Kent “Green Kent” work party at the Green River Natural Resources Area in Washington. Green Kent volunteers planted over 800 native plants along the pedestrian trail.
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) UCLA
KJ staff support ASCE in multiple volunteer professional activities, such as a Resume Bootcamp that enlisted volunteers to help edit students’ resumes and provide guidance on interviewing.
ASCE City of Renton
KJ staff worked with the ASCE, the City of Renton, and various groups in the community to educate neighbors about where stormwater in the area goes. They placed “Only Rain Down the Drain” markers by catch basins and as door tags on homes in a local neighborhood in Renton, WA to raise awareness.
Camp Seymour
KJ staffers helped the YMCA lay paving stones to create paths in the pumpkin patch at Camp Seymour in Gig Harbor, WA.
Engineering Alumni Association (EAA) Governing Board Student Projects Presentations
Jamie Kolkey is the chair of this EAA committee that gets to allocate funds to student projects in the engineering department at UCLA. The students had to prepare a presentation, and funds request, and complete an end-of-the-year report detailing their outcomes and use of EAA funds. The panel of alumni Jamie assembled gives feedback to each group and provides individualized help where they can.
