Sustainability can feel like a conversation about big numbers, ambitious goals and global challenges. Yet for Melinda Bryant, it starts with something as small as a cup of coffee and how ordinary people can find new life in things often discarded.
When an espresso machine arrived in her office in Jacksonville, Florida, the Black & Veatch project support assistant noticed the growing pile of spent aluminum single-use coffee pods, which are wasteful and not cheap. Rather than toss them out, she did some research and went on to clean, refill and reseal the pods at home before bringing them back for coworkers.
My satisfaction comes from making people happy, but I also enjoy knowing that we're reducing waste," said Bryant, who adds the used coffee grounds to her home compost that helps nourish her garden. “My coworkers appreciate the variety, enjoy it and feel like it makes a difference."
Melinda Bryant with her husband, Bill, and their adopted dog, Jojo.
It's a simple idea but a powerful example of combining individual action with collective impact, a theme woven throughout the Black & Veatch 2026 Sustainability Report. To Black & Veatch Chairman and CEO Mario Azar, “our greatest opportunity to advance sustainability is through the work we deliver every day.”
Across the global human critical infrastructure company, that work takes many forms. More than 5,700 employee-owners completed sustainability training this year, helping embed sustainability into how Black & Veatch operates and delivers for clients. Felise Man is helping evaluate pathways to reduce emissions from the company's vehicle fleet, while Meghann Hoffman is incorporating sustainability into real estate decisions that have helped Black & Veatch maintain 100% renewable electricity coverage for its U.S. offices. Renata Vidovic has led efforts to strengthen the company's sustainability data and reporting, improving how progress is measured and managed.
Employee-owners also are helping clients address some of the world's most pressing infrastructure challenges. Kimberly Miller supports projects that help communities become more resilient to severe weather and other risks. Black & Veatch teams continue delivering renewable energy, water and resilience solutions around the world, including more than 250 water reclamation and reuse projects in 2025 that help improve water security and resource efficiency.
While their contributions may look very different, they share something in common with Bryant's coffee pod project: the belief that meaningful progress is achieved through action and execution. Whether reducing waste, lowering emissions, improving data, informing business decisions or strengthening critical infrastructure, employee-owners across Black & Veatch are helping turn ambition into results.
That same commitment extends into the communities where employee-owners live and work.
For the 17th year in a row, Black & Veatch employee-owners participated in Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup, joining one of the world's largest volunteer pushes to protect waterways and shorelines. More than 700 employee-owners, family members and volunteers removed over 4,200 pounds of trash from beaches, rivers, lakes and greenways in three dozen locations. Others contributed time and expertise to conservation, community improvement and environmental education efforts.
For Mary McQuillen, who leads Black & Veatch's global coastal cleanup efforts, the experience illustrates a shared goal and “a reminder that environmental stewardship is something our people genuinely care about, wherever they call home."
In Thailand, support from the Black & Veatch Foundation helped provide safety and rights education to more than 500 adolescent girls, empowering them with knowledge and confidence. In Indonesia, employee-owners helped restore coral reef ecosystems while supporting a digital-skills program that expanded economic opportunities for people with disabilities.
Closer to home, more than 225 bowlers participated in the annual Junior Achievement Bowl-a-Thon in the Kansas City region, helping support financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship programs for local students. At the same time, volunteers marked 40 years of involvement with “Christmas in October,” rolling up their sleeves to repair and revitalize homes for elderly, disabled and low-income residents. For many of those served, that generosity means more than a repaired roof, new paint or safer living conditions but assurance that someone cares.
Across Black & Veatch, thousands of employee-owners are proving that when people come together around a shared purpose, individual actions can add up to meaningful impact. Whether through the solutions they deliver for clients, the improvements they drive within the business or the support they provide in their communities, roughly 13,000 employee-owners are helping build a more sustainable, resilient future.
2026 Sustainability Report
Black & Veatch's annual sustainability report details the company’s efforts across environmental, social and governance areas which are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). See how our progress aligns with our vision of the future.
