Practice Leader

Melissa May, AICP
Manager
Senior Planner | Associate
Resilience Practice Leader
Manager, Strategic Services Group

Wendy McLain
Senior Civil Engineer

SSFM Rooted in Resilience

As a local company with more than 60 years of experience and expertise in planning, engineering, and other services that impact the built environment, SSFM is in a unique position to contribute to Hawai‘i’s ability to mitigate, adapt, and become more resilient to the effects of climate change. Demand for professional services around policy development, planning, and engineering of solutions around climate change is growing, and metrics for resilience and sustainability are increasingly required to be incorporated into planning and design projects. Thus, we are committing to resilience, because it matters to us, our people, and our clients.

SSFM POSITION STATEMENT ON RESILIENCE

   

SSFM IS COMMITTED TO BEING A MODEL OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND A LEADER IN PLANNING AND ENGINEERING FOR SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE, PREPARE FOR, AND ADAPT TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT MATTERS TO OUR PEOPLE

Our people live here and are invested in Hawai‘i’s future. We are all connected, and what we do as individuals matters and affects our islands, as its health affects us. We support our people in making healthy, sustainable choices, being prepared for disasters, and being part of a strong and resilient community so that no one gets left behind.

IT SUPPORTS OUR CORE VALUES

SSFM’s core values of Integrity, Nurturing, and Progressiveness support a commitment to modeling corporate responsibility, developing innovative solutions, and contributing to projects and programs that support the resilience of the islands. There are many difficult choices ahead, and we commit our professional expertise to developing long-term, sustainable solutions for Hawai‘i’s land and people.

IT MATTERS TO OUR CLIENTS

The agencies and private clients we work with alike are grappling with the new realities of climate change, while also navigating an evolving landscape of policies and regulations. As professional planners, project managers, construction managers, engineers, we take responsibility for staying informed on current policy, best practices and regulations, and providing information and guidance to our clients to help them move forward with confidence toward the best possible outcome for Hawai‘i.

IT MATTERS TO OUR INDUSTRY

Sustainability and resilience are no longer just buzzwords. They have become integrated, and in some cases regulated, into our industry practices. It is part of our professional ethics and kuleana as planners and design professionals to utilize industry best practices in our projects and to apply the best available science to solutions.

IT MATTERS TO HAWAI‘I

There is a lot at stake in determining how Hawai‘i moves forward. Too often, action is deferred until a disaster strikes. The resulting solutions are often costly, piecemeal, and continue to defer or avoid the long-term problem. Our state cannot afford to approach the massive issue of climate change in an incomplete, reactive way. We need to be proactive and intentional in order to make the best choices for our people, land, and resources. We commit to helping our clients be proactive through explaining risks, providing options that consider long-term costs and benefits, and prioritizing health, safety and welfare in solutions.

“The code of ethics for engineers, as established by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and adopted by many states, requires engineers to give top priority to health, safety and welfare. This may go beyond both their contractual obligations to a client and what is currently required by laws or codes.”

J. Kent Holland

Design Professionals’ Duty to Design to Mitigate against Damages from Extreme Weather Events, Construction & Design Risk Briefing (Summer 2018)

SSFM Rooted in Resilience

As a local company with more than 60 years of experience and expertise in planning, engineering, and other services that impact the built environment, SSFM is in a unique position to contribute to Hawai‘i’s ability to mitigate, adapt, and become more resilient to the effects of climate change. Demand for professional services around policy development, planning, and engineering of solutions around climate change is growing, and metrics for resilience and sustainability are increasingly required to be incorporated into planning and design projects. Thus, we are committing to resilience, because it matters to us, our people, and our clients.

SSFM’s Position Statement On Resilience

 

SSFM IS COMMITTED TO BEING A MODEL OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND A LEADER IN PLANNING AND ENGINEERING FOR SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE, PREPARE FOR, AND ADAPT TO THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

IT MATTERS TO OUR PEOPLE

Our people live here and are invested in Hawai‘i’s future. We are all connected, and what we do as individuals matters and affects our islands, as its health affects us. We support our people in making healthy, sustainable choices, being prepared for disasters, and being part of a strong and resilient community so that no one gets left behind.

IT SUPPORTS OUR CORE VALUES

Our people live here and are invested in Hawai‘i’s future. We are all connected, and what we do as individuals matters and affects our islands, as its health affects us. We support our people in making healthy, sustainable choices, being prepared for disasters, and being part of a strong and resilient community so that no one gets left behind.

IT MATTERS TO OUR CLIENTS

The agencies and private clients we work with alike are grappling with the new realities of climate change, while also navigating an evolving landscape of policies and regulations. As professional planners, project managers, construction managers, engineers, we take responsibility for staying informed on current policy, best practices and regulations, and providing information and guidance to our clients to help them move forward with confidence toward the best possible outcome for Hawai‘i.

IT MATTERS TO OUR INDUSTRY

Sustainability and resilience are no longer just buzzwords. They have become integrated, and in some cases regulated, into our industry practices. It is part of our professional ethics and kuleana as planners and design professionals to utilize industry best practices in our projects and to apply the best available science to solutions.

IT MATTERS TO HAWAI‘I

There is a lot at stake in determining how Hawai‘i moves forward. Too often, action is deferred until a disaster strikes. The resulting solutions are often costly, piecemeal, and continue to defer or avoid the long-term problem. Our state cannot afford to approach the massive issue of climate change in an incomplete, reactive way. We need to be proactive and intentional in order to make the best choices for our people, land, and resources. We commit to helping our clients be proactive through explaining risks, providing options that consider long-term costs and benefits, and prioritizing health, safety and welfare in solutions.ulated, into our industry practices. It is part of our professional ethics and kuleana as planners and design professionals to utilize industry best practices in our projects and to apply the best available science to solutions.

“The code of ethics for engineers, as established by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and adopted by many states, requires engineers to give top priority to health, safety and welfare. This may go beyond both their contractual obligations to a client and what is currently required by laws or codes.”

J. Kent Holland

Design Professionals’ Duty to Design to Mitigate against Damages from Extreme Weather Events, Construction & Design Risk Briefing (Summer 2018)