#01 - COVID Concerns - Operational Leadership

GBA Podcast

Covid Concerns Episode 1 – GBA Pop-Up Town Hall Meeting for April 3, 2020 – Operational Leadership

Senior leaders of GBA Member firms have been invited to attend Pop-Up Town Hall meetings each of the past three weeks in response to the dynamic events related to the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss issues that impact geoprofessional firms. Panels of experts have discussed operational issues, health and safety, and leadership through these unprecedented times. GBA hopes to address its members questions and concerns by sharing experiences and challenges in the hopes to learn and help each other during this trying time.

Our Panel:

• Joel Carson (host and GBA Executive Director – Link to Profile)
• Mark Kramer (CEO of SME – Link to Profile)
• Martin Laroche (VP of Operations at SNC Lavalin Inc. – Link to Profile)
• Guy Marcozzi (President of Duffield Associates, Inc – Link to Profile)
  

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Future Outlook: backlog, revenue, and profit. [min 3:40]
• What tools are being used to analyze and track business volume and billability during this time? [min 10:49]
• What business opportunities are there during this Covid-19 crisis? [min 20:25]
• How the CARES Act Provision, mostly the SBA payroll protection, can provide aid to GBA member firms. [min 27:25]
• Families First Leave Act discussion [min 32:35]
• Cutting cost: What are you doing to decide between reduced hours vs. pay cuts? [min 38:20]
• Can employee refuse a pay/salary cut? [min 40:58]
• PTO donation and extended leave. [min 46:04]
• Have any of you had employees contract Covid-19 and what are you doing about it? [min 48:46]

Calls-to-action:

• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for more information about Covid-19 resources and/or to become a member
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at [e-mail] with any podcast-related questions or comments

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principle/Geotechnical Engineering Group Manger/PBS Engineering and Environmental
• Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2 – Chief Consultant/SME
• Donald K. Blackburn, MBA – Business Manager/Blackburn Consulting
• Shawn Leyva, PE – Associate Senior Engineer/Crawford & Associates