We took the roads less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

Spring flooding made for some interesting detours to Nebraska City, NE, but the trip was well worth it for the record number of team members and guests at the all-company Annual Meeting on April 25-27. The Lied Lodge and adjacent Arbor Day Farm combined to create the perfect backdrop for our theme, “A Time for Growth.”

From the welcome reception on Thursday evening to the Saturday breakfast and stockholder session, the 2019 meeting was a chance for team members to connect. And to rap (sort of) as a team-building exercise on Friday morning. We found gnomes along trails, sampled local wines made with fruit grown in the Arbor Day Farm’s orchards, toured a historic mansion, and played backyard games at a bonfire with all the right makings for s’mores. (Reese’s peanut-butter cups? Genius.)

Here are just a few highlights from our time spent Navigating Together. Click on any of the thumbnails in the gallery below to see a larger image.

Schulze presented with Cornerstone Medal

Friday night’s program at the Lied Lodge included a very special thank you to principal and senior architect Dave Schulze. CEO Jared Nesje presented Dave with the Cornerstone Medal in recognition of Dave’s contributions to TSP and the Marshalltown, IA, community over the past 35 years with TSP and its legacy firms. Several team members shared their personal stories of Dave’s mentorship and the influence he’s had on their own approach to design, problem-solving, and client relationships. Dave had a little fun of his own with the topic earlier in the day, when he ended his group’s rap with one word—“retirement”—as he dropped the mic (actually a pencil) and walked off stage. Dave and Architect Justin Sorensen will continue to work on projects and transition client contacts over the next several weeks as operations wind down at the Marshalltown office.

Colleagues celebrate White’s impact

With so many team members gathered in one place, the Annual Meeting was the perfect time for the Administration group to honor Marshalltown office manager Carol White. Carol, who will leave our company after helping close down the Marshalltown office, marked 40 years with TSP and its local legacy companies last July. Project Management Assistants (PMAs) from across our footprint made certain she’ll know she’s always a part of the TSP family. They presented Carol with a basket of Prairie Berry wines and a gift card to her favorite restaurant. Donna Pesicka, office manager in Rapid City, organized and assembled a “spec book scrapbook” of cards, photos, stories, and memorabilia as a nod to Carol’s heroic efforts to help establish a master specification-book format for TSP projects.

Nothing grows in the comfort zone

It’s a nice place to be, but your comfort zone doesn’t encourage you to challenge yourself. It can, however, serve as a lift-off point for some pretty great accomplishments. Lead to Inspire offered this tip during the duo’s featured presentation at the Annual Meeting: Create a vision board to keep your goals in front of you. (Even a Post-It note on your mirror or computer monitor frame can help make sure your No. 1 priority stays top-of-mind.) Here are three other resources that provide actionable ways you can start moving out of the zone and into “where the magic happens”—all by embracing a growth mindset:

Unofficial superlatives recorded for posterity’s sake
  • Longest drive: Rapid City team members logged a full shift’s worth of windshield time to travel the roughly 560 miles each way. The crew loaded into several identical pool cars, forming a caravan. Curious travelers at one stop asked if our TSP team members were transporting vehicles for a dealership.
  • Shortest drive: By contrast, Omaha team members were on the road for less than an hour.
  • Youngest: Bennett Nord, then-eight-week-old son of Electrical Engineer Carly Nord and her husband, Jeff.
  • Longest Tenure: Ron Mielke earned an impromptu standing ovation for his 50 years at the firm.
  • Best Rap: Numero Uno lived up to its name, bringing the moves along with the lyrics to claim top prize in the rap battle. The group included Von Petersen, Scott Lardy, Tim Jensen, Sidney Smith, and several powerhouse couples —Mark Averett and his wife, Kristen; Penny Harrison and her husband, Bill; Tony Dwire and his wife, Donna; and Brenda Moore and her husband, Gary.