Three Questions with Board Member Daniel Rukakoski
In this series, we’re talking with members of our Board of Directors (BOD) to get their insight on corporate governance at Tighe & Bond. Today, we spoke with board member and Tighe & Bond Senior Vice President Daniel Rukakoski, who has more than 25 years of experience in the wetland delineation, sediment evaluations, environmental and energy permitting, regulatory negotiations, site assessment and environmental construction observation. He also regularly leads the environmental permitting efforts for municipal, commercial, and public utility projects throughout the Northeast. Dan is the Leader of the Environmental Business Line, overseeing our expansive team of experts and the environmentally focused services we provide clients.
Q: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A: I am currently in the second year of my first three-year term. It’s been an interesting start, as the beginning of my term was one month into the COVID-19 pandemic. Like everyone else, we had to learn to do everything remotely, and the pandemic weighed heavily on governance activities. There was a lot of uncertainty in the early days of the pandemic, but the Board worked collectively in the best interests of the shareholders and company as a whole. I am proud that in 2020 we were able to find ways to maintain our personnel, offer compensation increases, and grow the firm. This was not the case for some other firms in our industry.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR TERM?
A: Being a member of the Board has allowed me to gain insight and contribute to the company in a much broader manner than I do from a business line or technical role. Each member brings a different skill set to the Board from their respective backgrounds. I’ve particularly enjoyed working with our external directors, with the experience, wisdom, and outside perspective they bring to the company. In 2021 we initiated a number of workshops which allowed us to take deeper dives into timely topics such as growth and acquisitions, employee engagement, and risk management. This has allowed us to gain more knowledge in these areas and collectively share our opinions, which will influence our decision-making process moving forward.
Q: GIVEN YOUR INDUSTRY INSIGHT, TELL ME WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE TIGHE & BOND’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION.
A: We are an employee-owned regional firm with a long history of operating in the Northeast. We also provide a diversity of services to a broad range of markets. This allows us to compete with national firms who may not have local resources. The majority of the projects that we work on are necessary, whether it’s maintaining existing infrastructure or making improvements for the wellbeing and livelihood of our population. We live in the communities where we work and develop long-standing relationships with our clients. At Tighe & Bond, it’s more than just winning a job; it’s winning a client who we hope to keep for years.