Generator Group - Talent Management and Recruiting

Big City Mountaineers and Big Brothers Big Sisters Team Up to Help Troubled Teens

By Roy Notowitz, Partner - Generator Group

Through our involvement in non-profit boards, we were able to facilitate a partnership between Big City Mountaineers (BCM) and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Pacific Northwest (BBBS).

BCM is a runs a special youth development program to bring the great outdoors to kids that might not otherwise have the chance. They specialize in "pairing urban kids with adult mentors".

Big Brother Big Sisters, founded in 1904, is the nation's oldest and largest youth mentoring organization.

We recently received the following note from Patricia Edge, the VP of Programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters. These stories are always heartwarming and it is interesting to read about how the trip was so empowering for the at risk youth participants.

If you feel moved after reading these stories, you can participate in helping to raise funds to offset the transportation costs associated with the BCM trips. Contact Patricia Edge at Big Brothers Big Sisters at (503) 249-4859 or by email, patricia.edge@bbbs.org.

"Dear Roy and Enrique,

Thank you again for helping us develop our new partnership with Big City Mountaineers, the organization that guides urban youth through wilderness experiences.  Our first trip took place in July at which time we took three of our teenage girls up to the Alpine Lakes / Wenatchee National Forests for an intensive week long backpacking adventure.  As agreed, I personally participated in this first trip - to effectively launch this partnership, and to insure the safety of our girls. It is difficult to express the significant impact this trip had on our girls; in the words of one mother I checked in with recently, her daughter "had still not stopped talking about it daily"!  This shy young woman began the trip with basically no confidence in her ability to handle the trip.  Each day I watched her grow into a leadership position with the other girls and by the end of the trip she was awarded the "Future Mountaineer" award for leadership.  The boost to her self esteem and confidence level was evident daily as she mastered her wilderness skills.

The second young woman on the trip has unfortunately spent years in the foster care system.  She presented as the classic kid who believes she "is not wanted by anyone".  Her family has struggled with serious issues that include methamphetamine addiction and subsequent incarceration as well as the domestic violence.  These difficulties resulted in her eventual placement in the foster care system.   This young woman expressed such surprise that we would even invite her and believe in her ability to manage the intensiveness of the trip.  She met the physical demands of the backpacking experience, as well as the emotional demands placed on her throughout the week - fear (2 bears!),  frustration, and learning to trust new friends to support and protect her.  She was so attached to the team by week's end, we had a hard time convincing her she had to go back to her foster home.

The third teen also has a parent struggling with methamphetamine addiction who is currently incarcerated in Eastern Oregon. She does not get to see her dad too often but reported that she prays for his successful recovery.   This girl participates in therapy due to the many stressors this family experiences and her inability to get along with her mom.  She also has a history of self medicating to manage her emotions and brought along many over the counter drugs she felt she might need daily.  The first thing she said to her mom was "I only had to take one Benadryl the whole time I was gone, Mom, and I REALLY missed you!!"  They were last seen crying and hugging in our parking lot.  I have just sent her pictures of the trip so she can share them with her family.

These are just a few of the stories about our week together.  Just imagine what their experience was in the wilderness, relying only on the skills they learned and the relationships they built along the way with one another, our Big Sister who generously gave of her time, and with our fearless, expert leader from Big City Mountaineers.  The skills she was able to teach these girls will last a lifetime, many of which can be applied to their day to day living.

We will be having a "reunion hike" in September this year with our full team.  Our second trip left this morning - this time with four girls attending.  If I had the time at work, I would have gladly attended the second trip to witness the power this trip has on the individual participants.  We look forward to future trips with Big City Mountaineers in the years to come.  We found their staff to be professional, flexible, and mission driven - guided by your colleague, Mark Godley, Executive Director Big City Mountaineers."

Thank you again.

Patricia Edge, LCSW
VP of Programs

Enrique Elected to Big City Mountaineers Board of Directors

November 3, 2006 - Enrique Washington of Generator Group has been elected to the board of directors for Big City Mountaineers. Big City Mountaineers, located in Golden, CO, is the leading volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing the experiences of under resourced youth. The program works with existing youth development programs to bring the great outdoors to kids that might not otherwise have the chance. The unique program matches one teen with one adult or “role model” providing some much needed one-on-one mentoring and guidance.

           Enrique currently serves as an active board member for Answer to Cancer; a non-profit formed to educate others about the growing problem of liver cancer and was the founder of the Major Taylor Foundation, an organization formed to promote the legacy of the first African-American to establish world records in any sport. He recently was award the “40 under 40” award from the Portland Business Journal and was featured in US Black Engineer Magazine as one of America’s top recruiters.

            Big City Mountaineers was founded by Jim Kern and receives 80% of it’s funding from the Outdoor Industry. The non-profit really started to take flight after Jim met up with Skip Yowell from JanSport. Skip’s involvement helped BCM gain support from many other Outdoor Industry associations fueling years of exponential growth. More information about Big City Mountaineers including how to volunteer or make donations can be found at www.bigcitymountaineers.org.

            Generator Group actively works with several volunteer organizations including Answer to Cancer, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Northwest, Friends of the Children and BCM. The company is strongly committed to community involvement and donates 1% of profits from executive searches to non-profit organizations. To find out more about Generator Group and its vast talent network log-on to www.generatorgroup.net.

Enrique honored as keynote speaker for Northwest Minority & Women Business Excellence

Enrique Washington, partner, at Generator Group is one of two keynote speakers at the 2006 Northwest Minority & Women Business Excellence Conference to be held on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click on the link to register or contact Enrique for more information about the conference.

Roy will be giving a presentation to AEA

Roy will be giving a presentation on hiring trends and moderating a panel discussion for the American Electronics Association (AEA) on Tuesday June 6, 2006.  The event will be held at the Oregon Zoo and starts at 7:30am. The discussion will be focused on what companies like Intel, Tektronics, and Enuclia are doing to gain a competitive advantage in recruiting key talent.

Topics Covered Will Include:
- Current workforce trends
- Key components of a strategic staffing plan
- Implementing an effective recruiting and selection process
- Best sources and recruiting methods
- Creating a positive candidate experience

To register: http://www.aeanet.org/Events/orkn_Hrevent_OR060602.asp

Portland named cleanest city in America

Readers Digest has named Portland the cleanest city in America

It is the first time the magazine has done such a ranking.  Based on five measures of cleanliness -- air pollution, water pollution, toxic emissions, hazardous waste and the number of sanitation workers per capita -- the 50 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the country were scored. The areas include cities and surrounding suburbs and counties.
According to Reader's Digest, the five cleanest cities are: 1) Portland, 2)
San Jose, Calif., 3) Buffalo, N.Y., 4) Columbus, Ohio and 5) San Francisco.

Portland was named No. 1 by addressing its ancient sewage system by investing over $1 billion in the "Big Pipe Project" and establishing a growth boundary around its urban center to balance development with open space and farmland.

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.