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Happy National Volunteer Week! To celebrate the occasion, CSI would like to give a resounding round of applause to all our current and past volunteers. All week, we are putting the spotlight on CSI members who go the extra mile for their colleagues and the built community at large.
Today’s spotlight is on Holly Gotfredson, CSI, CDT®, and president of American Metalcraft, Inc., whose volunteerism includes educating youths on career opportunities in the industry.
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How did you first decide to volunteer, and what is your area of expertise?
I think volunteering creates an opportunity to grow, learn, and serve together toward achieving a common goal. It’s not only giving back to the community but also receiving new knowledge, experience, and joy in return. I decided to volunteer and spread the word to the next generation about all the exciting and future-forward careers in the AECO space.
As a young girl who grew up on the outskirts of Birmingham, AL, I didn’t know that career paths like this even existed. It was the early 1970s and there weren’t that many women in the trades, manufacturing, architecture, or construction. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized these were in fact viable options for women.
I volunteer with the nonprofit She Built This City as part of their advisory board. SBTC’s mission is to provide young women programming and pathways to successful careers in the skilled trades. As a member of the Architectural Foundation of Georgia Board, I’m grateful to be part of a foundation that provides scholarships and funds for those interested in pursuing architecture. I volunteer as a guest speaker every summer as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Virtual Internship, which educates 10th through 12th graders about the various careers in manufacturing. I also offer K-12 presentations on modern day manufacturing, opportunities in construction and design, and the trades. I really enjoy being a part of the classroom and giving students a real-world picture of the opportunities that are out there within the built environment.
I joined the CSI Atlanta Chapter in 2018 and began learning about the needs of the chapter as I attended monthly meetings. I really enjoyed meeting the membership and decided to get involved. The board is such an integral part of planning for the upcoming year and I wanted to be a part of that process. I’ve been secretary for our chapter for almost two years and recently started serving as secretary for the Southeast Region. I have marketing and advertising experience, so in addition to serving as secretary, I volunteered to create a new Atlanta Chapter website, CSI Atlanta social media channels, as well as assist with creating the Southeast Region website.
Why is the work you do as a volunteer important to you?
Volunteering reminds me to think beyond myself and leave this world better than I found it. I think about my own experience in childhood not understanding or being exposed to career paths that were available in the built environment and want to share that with the next generation. Especially today with the labor shortage, it’s imperative that we keep the alive and in front of the next generation as needed to provide exciting, viable, and successful career paths.
CSI has given me such a great opportunity to forge new business relationships, learn more about the overall AECO environment, and network with like-minded professionals, that I really wanted to give something back. I think volunteering has given me new appreciation for how much of a team effort it is to offer our monthly presentations, tech sessions, Innovation nights (where product reps showcase their companies), and our annual award ceremony. Planning and developing this year’s Southeast Region conference was a big undertaking, and there’s no way it would have happened without a team of people who truly care and are dedicated to the future of CSI. I love being a part of something greater than myself—an organization that makes a positive impact on so many industry professionals.
What impact have other volunteers had on your career?
Other volunteers have inspired and taught me on so many levels. In brainstorming planning sessions for upcoming meetings, we’ve had ideas and discussions that have prompted other topics as well as some creative thinking I’ve been able to take to my own companies. During COVID especially, volunteers had to get creative on how to keep their efforts moving, engage with participants, and continue to plan events and achieve goals. That was really inspiring to see. Other volunteers have connected me with even more professionals in the industry. I’ve been able to be considered for projects that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
How might other AECO professionals volunteer in their community, and why might you encourage them to do so?
There are so many ways to give back. I would say find something that you’re passionate about. Maybe there’s something you see in the world that you want to change but aren’t sure how to start. Make an impact where your feet are planted. Ask questions and take the initiative. In my case I reached out to several schools to get started in being a part of the classroom. Part of what I had to do in some instances was “educate the educators,” who had a very old vision of what manufacturing entails. Through volunteering you can truly make a difference—even if it’s just in one person’s life, it can leave such a positive impact that ripples outward.
Favorite book?
I have several but I would say Timeline by Michael Crichton (fiction), The Success Principals by Jack Canfield (leadership), and Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer (spiritual).
Hobbies?
Writing music, playing piano, singing, running, volunteering, reading, and traveling.
You’re invited to learn how to become a CSI Volunteer or opt in to the CSI Volunteer Pool to easily apply for opportunities that are a match for your interests and availability.
https://www.csiresources.org/communities/volunteer