Committee Lead Spotlights

FMP is home to a multitude of employee-led groups, including committees, shared services, communities of practice, and centers of excellence. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on FMP’s committees. We sat down with the leads of 4 FMP committees (Social, Charity, Sustainability, and Work-Life) to learn more about what committee leadership has meant to each of them.

What inspired you to start or get involved with your committee?

Bryanne Cordeiro Reynolds (Work-Life): I studied work-life balance in grad school. When I started working at FMP, I was amazed at the number of things FMP did to ensure that people could balance their work and personal lives. Flexibility and balance were part of FMP, but not written down or promoted. I started this committee along with a few colleagues to highlight all of the available ways employees could balance work and life. As new members joined, the focus expanded to all areas of wellbeing (e.g., physical, mental, social, financial).

Sam Deschenes (Sustainability): I joined the FMP Sustainability Committee because I have been consistently interested in sustainability-related initiatives since college, when I was in a “Live Green, Save Green” learning community. However, I was simultaneously never the best at following the myriad of recommendations and suggestions to be more sustainable. I always want to be more sustainable and more knowledgeable, and this committee seemed like a good place to jump back into it.

Jacob Flinck (Social): I joined the Social Committee because I believe in fostering a strong sense of community and collaboration within the workplace. It’s inspiring to help create opportunities for colleagues to connect and engage in meaningful ways outside of our daily tasks.

Amanda Palla (Charity): I joined the Charity Committee shortly after I joined FMP because I believe that small acts of kindness or support can have big impacts. I enjoy collaborating with others who share that view and want to do what they can to positively impact others’ lives.

How does your committee represent FMP’s values and culture?

Jacob: The Social Committee embodies our culture of teamwork and collaboration by organizing events and activities that encourage interaction and connection across FMP. These initiatives create a space where colleagues can collaborate in a more informal setting, fostering stronger relationships and enhancing our collective sense of community.

Bryanne: Ingrained in FMP’s culture and organizational structure is an emphasis on catering to employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Our culture of employee wellbeing begins with our leadership team. FMP’s leaders communicate openly and honestly, model key wellbeing behaviors, and empower staff to make decisions and take action to improve their personal wellbeing and mental health.

Amanda: At FMP, we are committed to making our clients’ lives easier and to make them feel supported, valued, important, and understood. Our Charity Committee has that exact same commitment to the people and causes that we support. FMP team members are also creative people who enjoy re-imagining ways to solve tough problems. The Charity Committee members enjoy collaborating with one another to design events and fundraisers that energize our employees and allow participation by both our local office and remote employees.

Sam: I feel that the Sustainability Committee touches on many areas of FMP’s culture and values. FMP’s value of accountability is the most clearly related because, as a committee, we are advocating for our company, employees, and industry to be accountable for reducing our carbon footprint. That goal can be lofty, but when we combine that with our other values of partnership, creativity, and authenticity, we are able to do some meaningful work as a committee.

What do you find most rewarding about serving on your committee?

Amanda: I find it most rewarding to see the passion that our committee members bring to identifying charities that have personal meaning to our FMP employees, whether they are organizations that support their hometowns, or charities that fund a cause near and dear to their hearts. It’s also fun to apply our consulting skills (e.g., project management, developing communications plans) for an entirely different purpose.

Sam: Personally, I find the growth in myself and others as the most rewarding. Recently, I attended my first clean-up event in Arlington, and admittedly, I was a little anxious about the process and what we would be cleaning. However, it was a well-organized event with good support and materials! I ended up really enjoying the event and felt rewarded with helping clean up a local park. Finding and sharing those opportunities for growth in trying something new is what I enjoy and like to discover and encourage for others. Whether it’s using reusable grocery bags or taking a more sustainable commute, there are many different ways we can all grow in our sustainable practices.

Jacob: It is the opportunity to bring people together and create an environment where everyone feels included and valued. It’s rewarding to see colleagues connect, have fun, and build stronger relationships within the organization. Plus, I love to throw a great party.

Bryanne: I love working with FMP employees who I wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to interact with and hearing about their new ideas for the committee and FMP.

Zoe Nerantzis joined FMP as a Consultant in May 2021 and works with the National Science Foundation team by supporting NSF’s learning and development branch. Zoe is from Rockville, Maryland and can generally be found reading fantasy novels, working out in her basement, or rooting for the Washington Football team.