Roots of Arcadis (ROA) was launched in 2017 by junior level employees. Over 2,400 Arcadians now belong to an ROA chapter. More than 6,000 are eligible worldwide. Throughout ROA’s successful journey, Lovinklaan functioned as an incubator to finance and expedite the program, which now continues to grow and thrive solely under Arcadis.
As part of ROA, a Professional Development Fund is available for all members to use once per year to attend conferences, earn certifications, enroll in coursework, training and more. Recent requests include funding for business cards, WTS membership and an in-person course about Optimatics. The program currently runs in North America, Singapore, the Middle East, India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Going places
ROA Global Leads Baxter Miatke, Amber Vick and Kira Silver recently attended the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) Conference and Young Professional Summit in Boston. Their travel and expenses funded by ROA’s Professional Development Fund, they joined more than a dozen Arcadis presenters at the event and connected with people at all levels of the industry.
It’s just one benefit of being a member of a group that strives to engage and encourage junior level staff through networking, knowledge sharing and mentoring. Activities include monthly calls, guest speakers, lunch & learns, and excursions specific to your location like site visits and outdoor fun.
Baxter Miatke’s story
There are multiple growth opportunities available. Baxter wraps up his role as a Global Lead this month as Amber and Kira continue the great work the group is doing for young professionals.
“ROA really accelerated my career at Arcadis over the past few years,” Baxter says. “It gave me leadership opportunities interacting with colleagues around the globe and making connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise without the program.”
In 2022, ROA paid the registration costs for Baxter to attend the Battelle conference in Palm Springs, CA. He did his first presentation on portable fractionation technology for PFAS treatment and connected with people and clients he’d only ever met virtually. The experience is still paying off.
“If it wasn’t for ROA, I may not have been able to attend the conference, present my work, and have won key project work as a result of being present and talking with clients at that conference,” Baxter says. “ROA clearly has a measurable and immeasurable impact on the company that reaches far and wide.”
“The best part of ROA is that it is still a grass roots effort that is still led by young professionals for young professionals,” Baxter says. “ROA is fortunate enough to have support from the highest levels of Arcadis and we look forward to the continued support of our young professionals at Arcadis.”
Amber agrees.
“Although Roots of Arcadis targets the mentorship and development of junior staff, it is important for us to remember that we are all a part of the Roots of Arcadis and play a part in effecting growth in our organization,” she says.
Interested?
Lovinklaan is proud to witness the success of ROA. If you’re a young professional with less than 10 years of industry experience and wondering how to advance your career, reach out to your local ROA leads or email ROAGlobal@arcadis.com and make some moves today.
