TUCSON, ARIZ. (July 23, 2019) – The Tucson office of engineering consulting firm Terracon recently presented a $3,500 check from its foundation to Tucson Clean and Beautiful, which will use the money for its youth environmental leadership mentoring program.
The Terracon Foundation Board selected TC&B as its grant recipient. Terracon Senior Associate and Tucson Office Manager Derek Koller submitted the nomination. Koller recently was promoted to Senior Associate based on his exemplary leadership at Terracon and his community involvement.
The funds will be used to support the Youth Environmental Leadership, Learning and Action (YELLA) school mentoring program.
YELLA allows high school students to mentor school-based youth groups to develop and implement action projects that result in environmental improvements on campus and changes in environmental attitudes and behaviors of students.
“It was my honor and privilege to present this wonderful organization with a Terracon Foundation grant,” Koller said. “Our Tucson office has been involved with TC&B for more than 10 years. We have sponsored and maintained a 1-mile stretch of road where our employees help pick up litter.
“I became passionate about TC&B because they are a community-based environmental organization with an educational component. I am especially excited about the YELLA program because it will give high school students the opportunity to mentor younger students and encourage creativity and volunteerism,” Koller said.
Student leaders in YELLA will plan, recruit, execute, celebrate and evaluate projects.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the Terracon Foundation,” said Katie Gannon, Executive Director of Tucson Clean and Beautiful. “This funding will support two high school student mentors who will develop and lead service-learning projects to address real-world environmental challenges. We are grateful to Terracon for helping build 21st century environmental leaders while moving school campuses toward cleaner greener and more sustainable solutions.”
Terracon is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm with more than 4,000 employees providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services from more than 140 offices with services available in all 50 states.
Terracon currently ranks 24th on the Engineering News-Record list of Top 500 Design Firms and is ranked No. 1 in Asbestos and Lead Abatement Design.
To learn more about Terracon visit terracon.com/offices/tucson/