SSFM International

CONGRATULATIONS to the County of Kauaʻi on its Special Achievement in GIS Award for the Sea Level Rise Constraint District project from Esri! We’re proud to have been a part of this far-reaching effort!

𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗣𝗔 𝗛𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶‘𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 SSFM staff volunteered their time at the second annual APA-Hawaii community service event with Aloha Tree Alliance (ATA) as part of the Kuli‘ou‘ou Ridge trail restoration project. Volunteers hiked to several restoration areas along the trail to plant native trees and groundcover like Koa, Alahe‘e, and O‘ahu Sedge. ATA is a Hawai‘i non-profit dedicated to partnering with allied organizations and the community to initiate and support environmental projects and offer internships that advance resilient forest ecosystems in Hawaii, a cause that closely aligns with SSFM’s Resilience Strategy! #ssfminternational #apahawaii #alohatreealliance #ATA

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗦𝗙𝗠 SSFM’s Honolulu office hosted three University of Hawai‘i programs who are fostering the next generation of STEM leaders. Led by Civil Group’s Sara Nakagaki, our staff volunteers hosted “The Game of SSFM” featuring SSFM projects with trivia from all our disciplines, along with action cards that mimic the wins, challenges, and daily activities of a typical SSFM staff member. Through the game, participants were introduced to our culture in a way that let them imagine themselves working at our firm! Mahalo to PAC-STEP, the UH College of Engineering Junior Engineers Summer STEM Experience (JESSE), and the Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering Mentorship Program for visiting! #ssfminternational #community #education

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 SSFM’s Cheryl Soon has published her second book, 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘪, 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘢𝘪, 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘪. Cheryl received valuable input in identifying her subjects from many sources, not the least of which came from her SSFM colleagues. Sonya Koki and Jo-Anna Herkes became living examples that the words in the book’s title, Remembering History, was not just about statues. It also reflects their own stories. 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗮, 𝗞𝗮𝘂𝗮𝗶 – 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝘆𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝗸𝗶 Sonya Koki, SSFM’s Human Resource Manager, has close ties to the World Peace Kannon-sama statue on Kauai. Sonya explained, “I got married in the temple and pretty much grew up at Zenshuji Soto Mission along with Rev. Kouchi Miyoshi, his wife and children. “The idea for the Kannon-sama statue came to Rev. Kouchi Miyoshi after reading an article in a local Hawaii newspaper about a disagreement between Japanese tourists and mainland tourists at the Pearl Harbor Memorial. The statue represents the belief that regardless of where people are from, we are all part of the same human race and should be kind to one another. Rev. Miyoshi emphasized this point by using the analogy of flowers, stating that like flowers of different colors, every person is beautiful. 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗲𝗮’𝗮𝘂, 𝗛𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶𝗶 –𝗝𝗼-𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀 Immigrants from the Philippines were a crucial asset to the Islands at the turn of the century and beyond. Sakadas, as they were known, is a term of Spanish origin meaning lower-paid workers recruited from out of the area. In Hawaii, the word is synonymous with the Filipino pioneers who first arrived in Hawaii in 1906 to work on sugar plantations. The Sakada Statue has particular significance to Jo-Anna Herkes, SSFM’s Business Development Leader - Hawaii Island. Her family history is steeped in the legacy of the Sakadas. Her grandparents immigrated to Hawaii Island in the late 1800’s. Her father and his siblings all worked the sugar fields. Jo-Anna says, helping Cheryl connect with knowledgeable sources about the Sakada story in Hawaiian history was an inspiring and rewarding opportunity.” #hawaiiculture #Kannon #sakada #ssfminternational

In honor of Lei Day in Hawai‘i, SSFM’s Honolulu office staff were treated to a lei making workshop, “Ka Hana Lei.” After a lesson in the dos and don’ts of making, giving, and wearing leis, and an overview of styles and techniques, we followed a live demo to make our very own lei hilo. MAHALO to our lovely kumu, Jena Earle of Strategic Services Group, and Maile LaFave of Civil Group!

SSFM took time to enjoy the firm’s long tradition of honoring the Lunar New Year. Our Honolulu office was visited by the Asian Lion Dance Team who frolicked among the staff in celebration of 2024’s Year of the Dragon! 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! #ssfm #lunarnewyear #asianliondanceteam 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪, 𝘚𝘚𝘍𝘔 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘰, 𝘚𝘚𝘍𝘔 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘌𝘖, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘮.