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Feature

The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan (1964), Bill Grabe (2013)

The Times They Are A-Changin'. The great philosopher of the 1960's, Bob Dylan, had it right - at least partially. While Dylan was talking about social change, the axiom is valid for most aspects of life including business. I have had the priviledge to be part of a time of significant change at CGA.

One change I have enjoyed experiencing is the exponential growth in the technology used in our business. I remember traveling with a contingent of CGA employees to Des Moines to learn about and to purchase our first computer. With this machine we would be able to edit and print our specifications without having to re-type the entire document. Just look at where we are now with instant communications between field and office staff using iPads and cloud based data services; survey equipment that will scan and record millions of data points in three dimensions; and design software capable of analyzing and calculating in seconds what sometimes took days. CGA's philosophy has always been to be in the forefront of technology without being right on the cutting edge. As a result we have been able to continuously provide accurate, state-of-the-art services at an economical cost.

Another aspect of change is the need for organizations to continuously refresh themselves. Over the 50 plus years that CGA has been in business, the firm has seen several generations of leadership. I have seen most of those changes in my 38 years here, with the last 17 years being President and CEO. Last Fall, the firm developed a plan to transition leadership to yet another generation over the next couple of years. I am happy to announce that, as of the first of the year, I have turned over the position of President and CEO to Matt Garber. I will maintain the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mike Bearden is now the Firm's Executive Vice President and will be the Aviation Group Leader. Mindy Bryngelson has been appointed to the Board of Directors and Travis Stewart will be our Survey Group Leader. In addition to these management changes, the Firm's ownership group expanded to include Adam Daters and Mark Crawford.

The one area where Dylan may have missed the mark on change is in personal relationships. Much of CGA's success can be attributed to the relationships we build with our clients. Taking the time to get to know our clients, to understand their needs before designing a solution has been a CGA hallmark. I don't expect that to ever change.

William R. Grabe, P.E.

Chairman of the Board