Choice Mindsets

21 Aug Lasting Impressions

Camille Puthoff:
“Boss: ‘Who brought donuts?’ Me: ‘Not Jeff Kunk.’”

Clearly, we here at Choice One (or rather Jeff Kunk’s lack of donuts here at Choice One) made a lasting impact on last year’s summer helper Camille. While working for the Midmark Corporation in Versailles this summer, she had the above conversation with her boss. Most amusingly, her boss has no idea who Jeff Kunk is—only that he’s never bought donuts. Seriously, Jeff Kunk, who DOESN’T know at this point?!

Lasting impacts are made frequently at Choice One. Brittany left a lasting impact on Kaye’s head when she smashed it against the wall with a heavy box. Caray and Ryan Francis have both made some temporary “impacts” (as in ruts) while getting vehicles stuck in various muddy locales. And we’d be remiss not to point out the impact Tony endured when he gave himself a concussion playing sand volleyball.

Of course we can’t forget to mention the recent impact our clients and friends made for a local young man and his family through the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association–an impact that is a direct result of everyone’s generosity at the 2015 Charity Cup. Click here to read the amazing, heartwarming thank you letter.

Camille, we’re pleased as punch to know you still think of our impact on you even as you continue your education as an electrical/mechanical engineer. If you want to come over to the dark (i.e. “green”) side and consider civil engineering as a career choice, we’ll show you all the benefits over a cup of coffee. And donuts (not purchased by Jeff Kunk).

07 Aug Emergen-C.O.E.C

Jeff Puthoff:
“Casey wants a siren for her car for her last second submittal deliveries. We will add green LED lights like ODOT trucks have.”

At Choice One, we don’t miss deadlines. And if that means driving a set of site plans to Grove City with 10 minutes to spare, so be it. You didn’t speed, right, Casey? Riiiiiight?

It’s not just project deadlines we’ve met every single time. We’ve managed to achieve other noteworthy goals over the years, often purely for the challenge. For instance, Jeff Puthoff has never stepped foot into a Super Wal-Mart (or a non-Super Wal-Mart, for that matter). And how could we let ANYONE forget: Jeff Kunk has never bought doughnuts. (More fun on that topic next time—look forward to it!)

Casey will probably have to make emergency submittal runs in the future to make sure the proposal/site plan/application/pizza arrives on time—sometimes it’s the nature of the civil engineering business. And as much as Casey would like to meet every deadline with a siren-clad, tricked out, purple and green station wagon a la Ghostbusters, her good old Chevy Cobalt will just have to do.

24 Jul Let Me Take a Selfie

Nick Selhorst:
“Reed, why did you take a selfie on the job site?”

Reed Hemelgarn:
“I’m six feet tall. I was showing you the height of the culvert!”

We’ve covered that we prefer function to fashion. So despite the amusing self-portrait, Loveland-based co-op Reed is just being resourceful, not selfie-ish. We’ll blame Nick Selhorst for not giving him a tape measure; if you send an engineer to investigate a jobsite and he doesn’t have a tape measure, he’ll literally use his head!

In a pinch, Choice One folks are rather creative. If you’ll recall, Caray transformed an inexpensive coffee box into a lush, stylish, easy-to-replace briefcase. And our survey crews have been known to use a hardhat to cover an instrument in the rain, build a staircase out of stakes to get over a fence, and use a cell phone screen to reflect light into a manhole. (Was the cell phone then dropped into said manhole? We won’t say.)

Of course, we should admit our mistake here and learn to better equip those visiting a jobsite with the right tools. Nevertheless, Nick, next time you send Reed out without a tape measure, have him measure the width AND depth of a nice, muddy creek, will you?

10 Jul Present!

Tom Coverstone:
“Geez, I think I’m here more than Tony.”

In case you don’t know him, Tom helped found Choice One aaaaall the way back in 1994, long before Jeff Puthoff’s hair was gray. Tom retired at the end of 2008, but still stops at the Sidney office to catch up and harass us. And each time he stops, Tony is coincidentally not around. (We’re starting to wonder if it’s coincidence: Tony recently relayed a request that Tom should stop in. But suspiciously, when Tom stopped, Tony was absent. Mysterious…)

Tom taught us a lot during his tenure at Choice One. He knows how to hit a hole-in-one on a par three with a driver. He knows how to pick a winner at Eldora. And he knows how to spend thousands of dollars on one plate of cookies at the Shelby County Fair.

Most importantly, Tom showed us how to be hard workers and exceptional leaders-having him around is certainly never a bad thing. Perhaps we should invite him to stop in more, since it clearly keeps Tony out of the office.

P.S. Tom just celebrated his birthday on July 4th. Happy birthday Tom! Oh, and you owe us lunch for not wearing green into the office.

26 Jun Not It!

 “The next person who touches the new drinking fountain has to install it.”
– Tony Schroeder

Clearly Tony does not want a repeat of the coffee machine fiasco. He kept a healthy distance from the new drinking fountain, and who can blame him? The coffee machine plumbing embarrassment gets brought up on a regular basis (as does any chance to pick on Tony). But more significantly, your eyes do not deceive you: pictured above, the person to take Tony’s challenge is Brian Goubeaux, who is feeling well and is back to work after his kidney transplant on April 17.

Thanks to donor Mark, “Goub” is back to his typical Choice One duties like fixing the computer that Kaye accidentally downloaded a virus on (the author of these Mindsets hears Kaye is REALLY sorry) and, well, installing new drinking fountains. If you add in the roadway and utility design he does as his actual job around here, he’s a pretty important guy.

Needless to say, Brian wears many hats here at Choice One, and we are all glad to have him back. Tony is glad that someone stepped up to install the drinking fountain so that he didn’t have to struggle for three weeks with “the easy connection” again. Kaye is glad he fixed her computer. And from the looks of those smiles, Cole, Toby, and Jaci are glad to have their dad back, too.

12 Jun Sayonara

Out of Office Interoffice Email Response: Ryan J. Lefeld:

“I have made the ill-advised decision to take the plunge into the married life. As a result, I will be grieving and out of the office from March 20th to March 30th. In my absence, please forward all condolences and project related questions to Mitch Thobe, mjt@choiceoneengineering.com.”  

Ryan forgot to set his “Out of Office” message before leaving on his honeymoon a few months back… which left a ripe opportunity for us to tell everyone how he REALLY feels about his recent nuptials.

Ryan really is going to be “out of the office” in the very near future—as in out of the Sidney office. Don’t worry, he’s not fired (yet). Choice One Engineering is opening a third office manned by the newlywed himself in Portland, Indiana. Hook up the oxen and stock up the covered wagon—Choice One is expanding westward!

Based on his smile above, Ryan looks pretty happy. Not only does he have a lovely new bride (although her hands DO seem to be closing suspiciously around his neck), he’s encircled by delightful Choice One ladies*. Encircled, entrapped… to-may-toe, to-mah-toe. Best wishes with all that, Ryan.

*In case you’re interested, from left to right meet Becky (Jeff) Puthoff, Amanda (Matt) Hoying, Brittany Clinehens, Megan Bornhorst, Kaye Borchers, the new Mrs. Diana Lefeld, Lauren Fogt (Allan Heitbrink’s fiancé), Andrea Holthaus (Michael Seeger’s fiancé), Kecia Flaute, and Jayme (Wes) Goubeaux.