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The Foundation's signature project with Bridges to Prosperity. Community members crossing the completed bridge for the first time.
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 5HISTORY AND MISSION 6FY2018 AT A GLANCE 8SUPPORT TO EDUCATION 12COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 18FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP 26
CONTENTS
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Philanthropy has long been part of Louis Berger’s history. The establishment of the Berger Charitable Foundation enables Louis Berger to continue the combined legacies of our company founder, Dr. Louis Berger, and his son, Fred Berger, by supporting charitable causes around the globe that align with our mission and company values.
We partnered with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) and American Bridge Company on our signature project for the Foundation’s inaugural year. A team of ten volunteers from Louis Berger and American Bridge Company worked with B2P to build a pedestrian footbridge in the Veraguas province of Panama.
This project is a perfect example of delivering on our promise to provide Solutions for a better world, and a great way to commemorate the combined legacies of Dr. Louis Berger, the company’s founder and Fred Berger, who helped fund the Foundation through a bequest.
Dr. Louis Berger stated in an interview over 50 years ago, “The new role of the engineer is to help solve the big social problems that confront society. I am not interested in building a bridge just because someone says one is needed. I want to know if it is needed, and why, and where is the best place to put it. I want to know how the building of that bridge will change the lives of the people who use it.”Participating in this project enabled our volunteers to see first-hand how the bridge will change the lives of the people who use it.
We are proud of our accomplishments in fiscal year 2018, and look forward to supporting many worthy causes in the future.
Robert J. NardiPresidentThe Berger Charitable Foundation, Inc.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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The Berger Charitable Foundation is a non-profit private corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The Foundation is committed to managing, supporting and expanding the educational, scientific and other charitable endeavors of the company’s managers and employees. Foundation activities are funded by a bequest from Fred Berger, annual corporate donations from Louis Berger, as well as private donations.
The Berger Charitable Foundation was launched in celebration of the company’s 60th anniversary and to commemorate the combined legacies of Dr. Louis Berger (left), the company’s founder, and his son Fred Berger, who carried forward a family and corporate tradition of charitable giving until his passing in April 2015.
In addition to being a talented and successful engineer, Dr. Louis Berger was a lifelong academic, a dedicated teacher and an avid supporter of education. He maintained a long-standing commitment to charitable contributions supporting educational advances in science and technology.
Fred Berger served as the company’s ambassador to the world, and worked tirelessly to advance globalization within the engineering and development fields. Throughout his career, Fred Berger supported numerous scholarships while serving as board chairman of the American University of Afghanistan, where he was a founding trustee; as an advisory board member of the University of California, San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies; and as an overseer of Tufts University.
HISTORY AND MISSION
HISTORY
Students working on their solar boatPhoto courtesy of West Basin Municipal Water District
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Berger Charitable Foundation has a dual mandate of education and community development that is consistent with both Dr. Berger and Fred Berger’s legacy and the company’s values. Its mission is to:
• Education: Support the development of the next generation of engineers, scientists, economists, planners, and other infrastructure-focused professionals through student mentoring, scholarship, fellowship and internship opportunities, with an emphasis on programs that promote sustainability, cultural diversity, economic development, global experiences and innovation.
• Community Development: Give back to the communities where Louis Berger employees live, work, and play through charitable donations, volunteering, committee participation and sponsorships, with special attention to programs that support disaster and homeless relief, natural resource conservation, and community resilience.
MISSION
Louis Berger volunteers building a pedestrian bridge in rural Panama
Red Cross providing lunch to residents following Hurricane Harvey.Photo by Chuck Haupt for the American Red Cross
Students working on their solar boatPhoto courtesy of West Basin Municipal Water District
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Sustainable Development GoalsThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.
The 17 SDGs, also known as the Global Goals
The Berger Charitable Foundation is committed to engaging in collaborative initiatives which advance the SDGs. The Foundation’s mission was developed to align with SDGs 4, 9 and 11.
FY2018 AT A GLANCE
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
The Foundation contributed to the following SDGs during fiscal year 2018
8high school students viewed Dream Big: Engineering Our World
students sponsored through fellowships, internships, or capstone projects
200
community members provided safe access to educational and economic opportunities500
students sponsored for attendance at IPCC Climate Change Conference24
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high school students taught about water conservation and renewable energy5
funds donated to support victims of the 2017 hurricanes60k
Related SDGs
Related SDGs
Community Development
Education
tons of trash and recycling removed
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NEW YORKRiverkeeper, Girls Day in Engineering
VIRGINIAVirginia Tech VeteransNavigator
WASHINGTON, D.C.IRF Scholarship, NJIT Program
NEW JERSEYNJIT & Stevens Institute Programs, Girls Day in Engineering
PUERTO RICORed Cross
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDSRed Cross
FLORIDARed Cross
TEXASRed Cross
PANAMABridges to Prosperity
CALIFORNIASolar Cup
EDMONTON, CANADAC40 Conference
INDIANJIT Fellowship
grants awarded in FY2018 totaling
$143,873
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
NEW YORKRiverkeeper, Girls Day in Engineering
VIRGINIAVirginia Tech VeteransNavigator
WASHINGTON, D.C.IRF Scholarship, NJIT Program
NEW JERSEYNJIT & Stevens Institute Programs, Girls Day in Engineering
PUERTO RICORed Cross
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDSRed Cross
FLORIDARed Cross
TEXASRed Cross
PANAMABridges to Prosperity
CALIFORNIASolar Cup
EDMONTON, CANADAC40 Conference
INDIANJIT Fellowship
employees donated (to Red Cross/Red
Crescent)
volunteer hours employee volunteers
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SUPPORT TO EDUCATIONNew Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Fellowship Program
Louis Berger has a long history of supporting NJIT. Many current and former Louis Berger employees, including Louis Berger CEO Jim Stamatis, are NJIT alumni. In 2018, the Foundation established a graduate internship and fellowship program for students pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering, architecture, engineering management, mechanical engineering or industrial engineering at NJIT. This program supports second-year NJIT graduate students through tuition funding and professional experience. Fellows have the
opportunity to conduct professional work with Louis Berger during summer internships in the U.S. or abroad.
The 2018 fellows are Catherine Brito and Abhishek Singh Banyal. Catherine, studying architecture and infrastructure planning, worked as part of a team during the Louis Berger Global Innovation Challenge project and supported Louis Berger’s landscape architecture group based in the Washington, D.C. office. Abhishek, a civil engineering student, spent the summer months working as part of a team on the Mumbai Metro Line 3 project in Mumbai, India.
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Stevens Institute of TechnologyThe Foundation partnered with the Stevens Institute of Technology to support their Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering senior design class. This partnership gave students the opportunity to analyze and design engineering projects using real-world examples. Louis Berger civil engineers, Rebecca Mazzolla and Matt Freeman, offered expertise and guidance.
Four talented seniors recently completed a project on demolition of existing structures followed by design and construction of a new elementary school. The students showcased their work at the Stevens Innovation Expo, an annual event highlighting student design, innovation and entrepreneurship held May 2, 2018. The expo is the capstone of the Stevens undergraduate experience and the culmination of an education focused on problem-solving, multi-disciplinary thinking and teamwork.
Sofia Berger, Senior Vice President and Foundation director and Bob Nardi, Vice President and Foundation President, with Helen Karla Ramalho Farias Pinto, 2018 IRF Fellow and Emmanuel Adanu, 2017 IRF Fellow.
Three students showcasing their work at the Stevens Innovation Expo.
Virginia Tech ScholarshipThe Foundation established a scholarship with Virginia Tech in honor of Ben Wenger, a promising young engineer who passed away in September 2017. Ben Wenger joined Louis Berger in 2015 soon after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Virginia Tech. He was the third in the Wenger family to work at Louis Berger, following his brother and his father, Fred Wenger III. The Foundation’s contribution will support students studying engineering through the Beyond Boundaries Scholars Program, which provides financial aid support to high-achieving, under-represented, under-served, and first-generation college students attending Virginia Tech.
International Road Federation (IRF) Fellowship ProgramBuilding on the legacy of Dr. Louis Berger, who supported the IRF for over 25 years, the Foundation contributed to the International Road Education Foundation Fellowship Program, supporting international undergraduate and graduate students attending U.S. universities. Helen Karla Ramalho Farias Pinto, currently pursuing a Master of Science and doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University, is the recipient of the 2018 scholarship.
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Students from Mount Olive High School participating in an urban planning activity (top). Bob Nardi, Foundation President and Executive Director and Sofia Berger, Foundation Board member, lead students from Girls Prep High School in a discussion about Dream Big: Engineering Our World.
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Girls Day in EngineeringThe Foundation lent its support to efforts of the Women @ Louis Berger Committee to generate interest in STEM among middle and high school girls. The committee organized two screenings of DREAM BIG: Engineering Our World, a documentary that explores the human ingenuity behind engineering. The first screening was part of a Girls’ Engineering Workshop held at Girls Prep Lower East Side Middle Charter School in New York City. The second was held at Mount Olive, N.J., High School, where 180 girls from eight middle and high schools followed their screening with an hour-long panel discussion featuring five of Louis Berger’s top female engineers and scientists. To cap off each event, Foundation representatives worked with students to solve an urban planning problem simulation.
Cities Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change/ C40Thanks to funding support from the Berger Charitable Foundation, a group of student delegates were able to attend and participate in the 2018 IPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference in Edmonton, Canada, and a pre-conference workshop. The workshop, called the World Cafe, was held February 25 through March 5 and encouraged student collaboration and active dialogue around climate change issues. Following an intensive three-month exchange, an international delegation of youth from participating cities produced a "White Paper on Climate Change" for presentation at the conference.
Student delegates and teachers join with Tom Lewis, Louis Berger U.S. division president and Foundation Board member, and Niek Veraart, vice president of environmental planning and expert on resilience and sustainability, at the 2018 Cities IPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference in Edmonton, Canada.
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Select photos courtesy of Metropolitan Water District of Southern CA and West Basin Municipal Water District.Brittany Wilson-Guillermo and Alex Nadolishny pose with the team
Racing the solar boat
2018 Solar Cup
“It was heart-warming to see the joy the students experienced, especially since some had never been on a boat before, or gone camping. It was a profound opportunity to expose kids to something they may not have otherwise had access to.”
– Brittany Wilson-Guillermo, Louis Berger U.S.
The Foundation sponsored a team from Waterfront Education in the 2018 Metropolitan Water District of Southern CA Solar Cup. Waterfront Education is a non-profit organization based in Redondo Beach, CA dedicated to providing unique STEM and STEAM educational experiences in marine environment, conservation, and sustainability. The Solar Cup is a seven-month-long educational program in which high school teams learn about water conservation and renewable energy by building and racing a solar powered boat during a 3-day challenge. Louis Berger engineers, Alex Nadolishny and Brittany Wilson-Guillermo served as team mentors throughout the course of the program. The team won 1st place in the rookie division for the sprint race and 5th overall.
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Getting the solar boat ready for competition
Another day of racing
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Community members and B2P employees join with Louis Berger and American Bridge Company volunteers to celebrate the opening of the Los Cruces bridge.
Bridges to Prosperity A team of ten volunteers from Louis Berger and American Bridge Company partnered with Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) to build a pedestrian footbridge in the Veraguas province of Panama. The bridge will serve the residents of Los Cruces, El Palmarito, La Gorda, and other surrounding communities.
Each year, three to four residents lose their lives attempting to cross the Santa Maria River, which is impassable approximately 90 days out of the year. The new 88-meter (290 foot) suspension bridge will provide the community with year-round safe access to markets, schools, and medical facilities.
“This project was a life-changing experience for all involved. Louis Berger’s five-person team arrived with very diverse backgrounds which don’t typically involve construction projects. Yet each person fully contributed to the bridge’s construction by performing such diverse tasks ranging from erecting scaffolding to bending rebar to installing the decking. It was also amazing to work alongside the community that will directly benefit from this bridge,” said Stuart Rankin, Senior Associate with Louis Berger’s long-span bridge practice and Team Project Manager.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Photos showing the team installing bridge decking
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Photos showing the B2P team hard at work bending rebar and installing bridge decking
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
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Celebrating a job well done
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Ribbon cutting ceremony and community celebration following bridge opening.
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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT VeteransNavigatorBeginning with Dr. Berger himself, veterans are and have long been important in the makeup, culture and leadership of Louis Berger. In recognition of that importance, the Foundation supported VeteransNavigator, an organization that provides a one-stop hub for Virginia veterans and their families, providing support, answers and vital links to the community. The Foundation sponsored the production of a video to encourage people to participate in Mindful Memorial Day events at Arlington National Cemetery, and to promote VeteransNavigator as a resource for veterans.
Jim Stamatis, Louis Berger CEO and Jiri Maly, President, Louis Berger Services, along with Tom Lewis, Foundation Board member, present a check for $60,000 to the Red Cross/International Federal of Red Cross and Red Cres-cent Societies.
Give Back to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesThe Foundation matched Louis Berger employee donations dollar-for-dollar for the annual Give Back campaign. The combined $60,000 contribution to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies supported communities affected by the hurricanes that devastated parts of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017.
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Louis Berger employees from the Purchase, New York office helped repair a stone wall along the Old Croton Aqueduct Park Trail.
Riverkeeper RiversweepLouis Berger has a long history of working on water quality and restoration projects within the Hudson River watershed, including over 20 years working to clean up the Hudson River. The Berger Charitable Foundation was among the sponsors of the 7th annual Riverkeeper Sweep. Louis Berger employees and their families joined more than 2,000 volunteers to help clean up the Hudson River and its surrounding shores. Louis Berger volunteers worked at four different project sites picking up trash, removing invasive species, and repairing a stone wall. Sweep volunteers collectively planted or maintained about 100 trees, removed hundreds of pounds of invasive species, and removed over 32 tons of trash, 6,000 pounds of recyclable materials, and 156 tires.
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Robert J. Nardi | Director, President and Executive Director
Andrew V. Bailey | Director
Sofia Berger | Director
Nick Ivanoff, PE | Director
Robert J. Nardi is a vice president with Louis Berger’s U.S. division. He has been instrumental in the division’s growth from fewer than 50 U.S. employees when he joined the company in 1980 to over 1,000 today. During his long career at Louis Berger, Mr. Nardi has been involved in projects throughout the U.S. as well as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. He also oversees scholarships and fellowships with Rutgers University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and other institutions of higher learning. Mr. Nardi received a Bachelor of Arts degree in community development/planning from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in city and regional planning from Rutgers University. In 2015, he was the recipient of the inaugural Dean’s Medal of Merit from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University.
Andrew V. Bailey serves as the chief executive officer for SH-130 Concession Co. in Texas, a concession partnership with Louis Berger. In this role, Mr. Bailey is responsible for strategic planning and day-to-day management to achieve the tollway’s short and long-term goals. He previously led Louis Berger’s operations and maintenance services division serving government and commercial institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Before joining Louis Berger’s leadership team, he served in a variety of roles, including as the company’s in-country manager for the U.S. government’s Iraq Reconstruction Program. Mr. Bailey began his career at the Virginia Department of Transportation, where he spent 25 years before retiring in 2002. Mr. Bailey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech and a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Sofia Berger is senior vice president for U.S. transportation at Louis Berger, focused on the company’s transportation market and supporting public and private sector client development goals. Previously, she served as managing director for the company’s Latin American/Caribbean operations and before that, managed the development of the company’s private sector activities in Africa. Ms. Berger has over 15 years of infrastructure experience ranging from management of construction projects to consulting for governmental transportation agencies around the world. She has degrees in civil engineering and economics-operations research from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Ms. Berger is a third-generation executive of the company, following in the footsteps of her father Fred Berger and grandfather Dr. Louis Berger.
Nick Ivanoff, PE, is president of Louis Berger’s U.S. Transportation market segment, where he is responsible for expanding the company’s multi-modal transportation portfolio supporting public and private sector clients. Mr. Ivanoff previously served as president and chief executive officer of Ammann & Whitney, a 70-year-old engineering and architecture firm, which merged with Louis Berger in 2016. He is the a past chairman of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and currently serves as executive committee member on the ARTBA Board of Directors and as chairman of its International Affairs Advisory Council. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning, both from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now the NYU Tandon School of Engineering).
FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP
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THE BERGER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Heather Unger, LEED AP, ENV SP | Vice President
Meg Lassarat, CPA | Secretary/Treasurer
Jeff D’Agosta, Esq. | Counsel
Thomas G. Lewis, PE, JD, is the president of Louis Berger’s U.S. division serving U.S. clients domestically and worldwide. With more than 30 years of professional experience, Mr. Lewis provides strategic direction for operations, client delivery and company growth. Mr. Lewis previously served as Louis Berger’s U.S. segment group vice president and before that, he led Louis Berger’s environmental and disaster management/recovery practice. He is active in numerous industry organizations, including as a national committee member for the Transportation Research Board and ACEC, SAME and ASCE local/regional programs. Mr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from the University of Connecticut, and a Juris Doctorate specializing in environmental and administrative law from Rutgers University.
Heather Unger, LEED AP, ENV SP, is a senior planner and manager of corporate sustainability at Louis Berger, responsible for incorporating sustainability into Louis Berger projects and operations and managing Louis Berger’s philanthropic activities. Ms. Unger has 12 years of environmental and planning experience. . She serves on the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) technical advisory committee, the Harvard University Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure advisory board, and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) sustainability committee. She has degrees in environmental resource management from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Liberal Arts in sustainability and environmental management from Harvard University Extension School.
Meg Lassarat, CPA, is chief financial officer (CFO) and executive vice president at Louis Berger, responsible for corporate-wide financial performance and overseeing the finance and accounting, IT, communications, and human resources teams. Ms. Lassarat has over 30 years of financial management experience, including more than 15 years of experience serving as CFO for a range of publicly-traded, privately-held and private equity-backed professional services firms. She also serves on the boards of several charitable foundations, such as ARC of Katy (Texas), Texas A&M University facility councils, and her church and neighborhood associations. Ms. Lassarat earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas A&M University.
Jeff D’Agosta, Esq., serves as general counsel and executive vice president at Louis Berger. In this role, Mr. D’Agosta is responsible for managing the legal aspects of a wide range of business activities, including governance, labor law, intellectual property, crisis management, compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. D’Agosta previously served as general counsel at MWH, a multi-national engineering firm. Among other activities at MWH, he served on its charitable foundation board. Mr. D’Agosta earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska.
Thomas G. Lewis, PE, JD | Director
