You may only know her by one of her many HOK “personas”: tireless champion of diversity in the workplace; seasoned marketer (in experience, not years!); Life at HOK blogger; social event planner extraordinaire. But, if you know Jaki Jefferson at all, you know she’s a force of nature, ready to embrace any opportunity or tackle any challenge that comes her way, all while remaining perfectly coiffed in a super-sassy ensemble. Ever the fashionista, if Jaki were a superhero, her signature weapon would no doubt be her scarves!
I’ve had the privilege to work alongside Ms. Jefferson for a number of years now, and am always amazed by her ability to enthusiastically corral the …
Lately we’ve all been reading about the state of working women in the 21st century. The Shriver Report was recently released, validating the fact that, for the first time in our history, half of all US workers are women. Time Magazine also broached the topic, revisiting their story from 1972 in which they studied the state of the women in “the throes of women’s lib.” These, and many other confirming reports, are bringing the issues of the modern-day working woman to the forefront.
We’ve decided to add to this cultural discussion by introducing several of the Inspiring Women of HOK. We hope to bring forth some dialog as to these women’s …
Last week, HOK participated in the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA) 37th annual international conference and exhibition. As a part of the firm’s diversity initiative, HOK is partnering with organizations like NOMA to break through barriers by expanding the academic and professional horizons to a more diverse pool of individuals pursuing the field of architecture.
Attendees experienced an exciting and energizing line-up of speakers, including keynote presenter Gyo Obata, who recounted his personal journey confronting discrimination as a Japanese-American during World War II.
HOK hosted a special interactive planning and design charette benefiting South Side Day Nursery (SSDN). The exercise included visioning for a new, modern and “green” facility to …
HOK’s future generation of architects, engineers and designers jumped in hands-first to help a worthy cause. The HOK St. Louis Diversity Task Force is sponsoring a back-to-school supply drive (August 17-21), collecting school supplies for two St. Louis community schools: Lyon-Blow Middle School and Wilkinson @ Roe Early Childhood Education Center.
To kick-off the event, the team hosted a special “KIDZ” art event where employees’ children helped decorate the supply drive boxes with some good old-fashioned hand painting.
“Thank you so much for making this a super fun event,” said Laura Zimmerman, of the HOK St. Louis accounting group. ”My son Robert had a great time, and I think my mom (Robert’s grandma) had just …
The crowds have left, the sponsor vans are hitting the road, and hotdog wrappers are about all that’s left behind. Allstar Game week is sadly over here in St. Louis, but we surely savored every moment of it. I had the opportunity to attend Monday night’s Homerun Derby with my stylish colleague Jaki thanks to our friends at Fleishman Hillard. We sat about 8 rows off the field and got to see the NL players up close and personal, like our very own – Albert Pujols.
We really enjoyed performances by former American Idol contestant Nikko Smith (Ozzie Smith’s son) and of course my …
