WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
HGA
ELEVATING WOMEN IN DESIGN
HGA , an interdisciplinary design firm with offices nationwide , welcomes Beth Young as their Sacramento Office Director . Appointed in July 2021 , she now directs administrative and operational functions in the office on top of her responsibilities as principal for the Public Market Sector .
“ In my 10 years with HGA , I ’ ve seen a growing representation of women in leadership roles ,” Young says . “ One of HGA ’ s core strategies is to create an equitable culture that embraces diverse perspectives . We ’ ve really put gender and racial equity at the forefront — both in the spirit of continuous improvement and so we can do the best work for our clients and communities . I started as a project manager and have been able to work my way up to principal and office director .”
HGA offers many opportunities for women to lead . Several women at the Sacramento office have leadership roles in the firm ’ s major initiatives on equity and inclusion , hybrid work , WELL Health & Safety Rating certification , sustainability , community action and a formal mentorship program .
“ Of our nine board directors , six are women , which has been a conscious decision at HGA to address gender equity , something the architecture industry has historically struggled with ,” Young says .
Remote working during the COVID pandemic helped usher in great flexibility for employees to balance personal and professional life . “ People are our most important asset and we recognize how critical that flexibility is ,” Young says . “ We ’ re also making office improvements for better collaboration and are pursuing WELL Health & Safety Rating certification with a focus on healthy buildings to make people more comfortable returning to the office .”
HGA is also working to create a more inclusive and diverse culture . “ We design environments for diverse clients and project types and want our design talent to mirror that diversity ,” Young says . “ Our staff is what makes our company great , so we ’ re creating a culture where we ’ re all part of the team and everyone has a voice .”
“ One of HGA ’ s core strategies is to create an equitable culture that embraces diverse perspectives . We ’ ve really put gender and racial equity at the forefront — both in the spirit of continuous improvement and so we can do the best work for our clients and communities .”
— Beth Young , Principal , Office Director
1200 R Street Sacramento , CA 95811 916.787.5100 hga . com
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