A BrightView team member in Sarasota, Fla. is being hailed as a hero after helping to save a women who was found lifeless in her car.

Located on Lido Key Beach, L’Elegance is a gated community of 100 units that boasts expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, and the City of Sarasota’s downtown skyline. BrightView proudly maintains this resort style facility.

While picking up fallen areca palm fronds from the community’s Har-tru tennis courts, BrightView’s John Pfolsgrof, noticed a car running with a woman slumped over the center console. Pfolsgrof attempted to wake the unconscious resident by loudly knocking on the car window. Getting no response, Pfolsgrof knew that he only had minutes to get help. He alerted a nearby security guard and asked him to call for assistance. After a few agonizing moments, the property manager was able to wake the woman, who slowly became stable.

“John’s act of bravery is extremely commendable and I am proud to have this hero on our team,” said Brad Perez, BrightView Senior Account Manager. “The community at L’Elegance on Lido Beach has personally reached out to us to extend their deepest gratitude for stepping up in this scary situation.”

The woman is now on the mend and Pfolsgrof is being praised by L’Elegance on Lido Key for saving her life.

“Not everyone would get involved in a situation like this, but John took the time to care for someone in need,” said Kathi S. Jones, Argus Property Management, L’Elegance on Lido Beach Manager. “We value John and all our BrightView team members.”

Women continue to prove that the construction industry isn’t just for men. This untraditional career choice for women was evident at the Second-Annual Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) Virtual Conference hosted by trade publication ENR. GWIC took place May 4-6, 2021 with more than 1,100 virtual attendees. The event served as a catalyst to help women expand their presence, influence, and career success in the construction industry.

The group of trailblazing women from around the country enjoyed a multi-day virtual event packed with educational sessions and networking opportunities.

“During this event, it was inspiring to hear how the market is empowering women from different backgrounds to grow in the construction industry,” said Nadine Letourneau, Project Engineer, BrightView Landscape Development. “The discussions around the importance of mentorships hit home especially for BrightView and our industry-leading GROW team member resource group.”

BrightView is committed to diversity and is investing in initiatives that provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. BrightView founded GROW with the mission to attract, retain, and promote women at BrightView. GROW is an employee-led resource group that provides professional development, mentorship, networking and community service programs for the women of BrightView. Since its inception, more than 800 women have participated in GROW programs, from regional events and webinars, to networking opportunities.

Over three days, GWIC conference attendees participated in sessions that discussed how women industry leaders are managing for growth and success, building an inclusive workplace, changing work dynamics, and young women of color in construction.   The theme of the event was “Reboot · Reconnect · Reimagine.”

Although the construction and landscaping industries are historically dominated by men, the number of opportunities for women are increasing. With the growing importance of an inclusive working environment, many companies within the industry are making an effort to better support diversity and women in this field.

“The pandemic has particularly hit women hard, and now, more than ever, we need to support and nurture women in the industry,” said Patricia Justice, BrightView Human Resources Vice President.  “BrightView and GROW often align with the construction industry, so we hope to see inclusive events like this take place more often in the future.”

When the Blue Bell Elementary School, located just outside of Philadelphia, put out a call for soil to fill their nine new garden boxes, BrightView was happy to help. The BrightView Maintenance Services team from Exton, Pa. donated their services and material help move this community project forward.

Set along the school’s main pathway, this impressive garden is a focal point welcoming visitors and children to the school. The fenced in garden is home to nine framed garden boxes. The beds will generate healthy food and a lifelong lesson in caring for plants. Just outside the garden is a composter, shed, and a flower bed – all maintained by the Blue Bell Elementary Garden Club.

“We value giving back to the community and so when we learned that this local school was in need of soil for their garden project, we were happy to donate to fill the new beds,” said Dante DeMaria, BrightView Branch Manager. “Much like our involvement with the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia, being able to provide to the children of our local community means so much to me and the entire Exton branch.”

The BrightView team filled  two trucks with nutrient-rich soil and filled the boxes as grateful parents, teachers and students looked on.

The Blue Bell Elementary Garden is a volunteer organization run by parents of Blue Bell Elementary students. Established in 2016, the group’s mission is to educate children about growing fruits and vegetables in support of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. More than 60 students  from kindergarten to fifth grade will get their hands dirty in the gardens. Plant care lessons range from composting to planting, growing, and harvesting seasonal vegetables, herbs, and fruits. The lessons are also focused on the benefits of eating healthy foods and teaching Blue Bell students to be environmentally friendly, encouraging them to reuse, recycle, and reduce waste. 

“Our students enjoy the Garden Club and learn about gardening, healthy eating, and our environment and we are grateful for BrightView’s help in contributing to these valuable lessons,” said Amy Jones, PA-C, dipACLM, Blue Bell Elementary School Garden Club Volunteer. “Thanks to Dante and his amazing team from Brightview, our students are now able to learn the value of gardens hopefully will aspire to join BrightView as future gardeners.”

Like the rest of the U.S., Southern California continues to see lingering effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. To comfort families of those lost to

coronavirus, the Rose Hills Memorial Park (Whittier, Calif.) worked together with BrightView to build a COVID-19 memorial. With more than 1,600 Rose Hills families directly affected by the illness, organizers felt a need to create space for the community to take comfort in knowing they are not alone.

On March 22 members of the Southern California community, the Mayor of Whittier, the Rose Hills team, along with BrightView Landscapes, came together to memorialize lives lost due to the coronavirus, unveiling the Rose Hills COVID-19 Tree Memorial.

The memorial offers a space for reflection and for the community to feel a connection to those who lost their lives to COVID.  The memorial is lined with white flags that serve as a symbolic purpose of representing a COVID 19 victim laid to rest at Rose Hills and the practical purpose of marking a path for visitors. Ten Crepe Myrtle trees, which were donated by Everde Nursery and BrightView, are set along the flag-lined pathway and represent the social distancing that has been one of the defining feature of worldwide response to the illness. Trees also symbolize new beginnings and growth.

“Having BrightView as a partner for many years at Rose Hills, we knew they would be the best fit to create an appropriate space for this memorial,” said Antoinette Lou, Director of Community Relations & Communications, Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuaries. “Remembrance trees at the memorial were discussed and BrightView helped to amplify the project with the idea of socially distancing the trees to represent the past year.”

The trees are a spot for families and visitors to hang weatherproof cards with messages to those lost. BrightView Landscapes donated their design, procurement, and landscaping services for the memorial.

“This tree memorial at Rose Hills is a powerful, living tribute to those we have lost and BrightView is honored to donate our expertise in partnership with SCI to this moving tribute,” said Po Chen, BrightView Vice President and General Manager. “We designed the landscape to represent growth, chose trees representing strength, and distanced them to provide visitors with the space for private reflection.”

Rose Hill Memorial in Whittier is the largest cemetery in North America, encompassing more than 14,000 acres. In addition to the new COVID-19 memorial, there are more than a dozen dedicated lawns for religious, ethnic, and fraternal organizations, including more than three acres memorializing U.S. military veterans. The cemetery also is home to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Columbarium, the largest Buddhist pagoda in the United States, as well as lush Japanese gardens.

“The unveiling event was made even more memorable with Rose Hills dedicating a card to one of our fallen team members who tragically passed away due to COVID-19,” Chen said. “While this loss is unimaginable, our team is grateful for this wonderful partnership solidified with this memorial.”

Since its inception in 2017, GROW has worked to celebrate and advocate for women in the landscaping industry. With landscaping an historically male male-dominated industry, GROW provides a model for other efforts to assist women across the service sector.  

Amanda Orders, BrightView’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and GROW Executive Sponsor, and Caroline Weilert, BrightView’s Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management and co-leader of GROW, were recently interviewed in a National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) article highlighting the importance of company-led support programs.

“We started GROW to bring more professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities to the women of BrightView,” Weilert said.

“That has included a variety of programming and efforts — all, of course, made a little more challenging since the COVID-19 pandemic when we’ve had to switch from in-person events to virtual.”

With its mission to attract, promote, and retain women within BrightView, GROW is largely made possible through the inspiring stories shared with one another.

The importance of inclusion doesn’t stop at GROW as it also expands to other areas within BrightView and with a large focus on diversity training.

“We want our people to understand that there is strength in diversity—not just in gender diversity, but across the board,” Orders said.

To read the full article, visit NALP.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV) (“BrightView”), the nation’s leading commercial landscaping services company, and Dress for Success, an

international nonprofit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence, have teamed up in celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day and the “Your Hour, Her Power ®” campaign.

Dress for Success and the BrightView Employee Resource Group: GROW (Growth in Relationships + Opportunities for Women), have joined forces for the organization’s annual Women’s History Monthan and International Women’s Day campaign Your Hour, Her Power®, which calls on individuals to give the equivalent of one hour of their pay to help empower women that turn to the organization for help.

In recognition, BrightView donated $10,000 to Dress for Success to help ensure the organization can continue to offer their wide range of virtual employment programs and services to women that have been impacted and displaced by the current global crisis.

”Women may be in the minority in the landscape industry, but their contributions  are not overshadowed, certainly not at BrightView,” said Andrew Masterman, BrightView President, Chief Executive Officer, and executive sponsor of GROW. “Our partnership with Dress for Success not only helps empower women, but also strengthens our continuing commitment to valuable community organizations like Dress for Success throughout the nation.” 

Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to almost 150 cities in 25 countries and has helped more than 1.2 million women work towards financial independence.

“We are proud to have Brightview as a pledge partner for our 2021 Your Hour, Her Power campaign,” said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. “As the only global employment resource for women, we have seen first-hand how the past year has negatively impacted women’s economic wellbeing and progression. With Brightview’s support, we will be able to continue to help our clients navigate the uncertainties of this crisis.”  

GROW’s mission is to attract, promote, and retain women within BrightView. Led by a group of women committed to the mission – and who volunteer their time to ensure its success – GROW offers networking, professional development, and leadership opportunities for the women of BrightView. 

BrightView is focused on generating value for the communities in which we operate, as well as for our customers, business partners, suppliers, team members and stockholders. BrightView’s commitment to the core principles of ESG – Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance – is a source of pride for every member of our team.

About Dress for Success:
Dress for Success is an international nonprofit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help them thrive in work and life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to nearly 150 cities in 25 countries. To date, the organization has helped more than 1.2 million women work towards financial independence. Visit www.dressforsuccess.org to learn more.

While millions of Texans continue thawing out from historically severe and damaging winter storms, BrightView proudly lead the charge with statewide snow clean-up. Much of what Mother Nature threw at Texas included unprecedented snow, ice, and sustained subzero temperatures. This record-breaking storm caused statewide property damage and the need for massive emergency snow removal efforts from BrightView.  

Amid deadly and frigid temperatures, much of Texas has been declared a major disaster as winter storms hit the state mid-February, impacting more than 15.1 million people. These storms left many homes and properties severely damaged. Many communities were hit with unseasonably low temperatures and often remained without power and palatable water for several days.

“While this weather is not common to Texas, BrightView is equipped to easily and quickly respond to Mother Nature,” said Jeff Herold, President, Evergreen West and Chief Operating Officer (Maintenance Services). “As the largest national snow removal company, BrightView proudly ensures availability in any impacted area.”

The storm damage in Texas shows one of the company’s unique attributes: its ability to send help from team members across the country. BrightView team members from the Rocky Mountain region volunteered their services to the Lone Star State as part of a company-wide winter storm response.

“BrightView’s J.D. Gillen, Colorado VPGM, put out a call for volunteers to help with our efforts in Texas and received numerous eager volunteers who dropped everything to help with our emergency response efforts,” said Ty Trent, BrightView Vice President of Operations, Evergreen West. “The first wave of support came thanks to the outstanding logistical efforts from Matt Donberger, BrightView’s Director of Field Fleet Operations for the Rocky Mountains, which included equipment that helped our local crew kick the snow removal into high-gear.”

The remarkable effort was only part of the BrightView contribution. While the severe conditions crippled much of the state, the team tirelessly handed out bottled water and other essential supplies to the local communities.

“This storm turned its dial to 10, so we went to an 11 with the delivery of much-needed bottled water and non-perishable food items supplied from Colorado,” Trent said. “I am proud of this inspiring display by BrightView and the team-wide effort to help our communities, customers, and each other during this crisis.”

While weather like this is often unusual for these southern states, BrightView is no stranger to these conditions and will continue to help keep communities safe with our dedicated teams standing by 24/7 when there's a possibility of bad weather. BrightView's Certified Snow Professionals know their equipment, the response plan, and your location. As the No. 1 ranked company in Snow Magazine’s annual list, there's no other company that has access to the right fleet and equipment. Learn more here.

BrightView Maintenance has been selected by Colorado’s Town of Superior to maintain its park and recreation landscapes starting Jan. 1, 2020. The contract covers more than 630 acres of parks, green space, and open space, the Town of Superior, and its 35 miles of public trails.

The agreement includes sustainable landscaping maintenance and snow removal for the public grounds, parks, and walkways throughout the town.

BrightView is one of the nation’s largest users of zero-emission commercial landscaping equipment and also a leader in the use of state-of-the-art water conservation technology and innovative landscaping practices, such as green roof installations, LEED-certified landscape consulting, waste reduction programs, and xeriscaping.

“Being able to partner with the Town of Superior and provide sustainable landscaping is a point of pride for Brightview,” said Bradley Hill, BrightView Senior Branch Manager. “Our team is thrilled to not only provide green landscaping to some of the most stunning trails in Colorado, but to also make a lasting connection with this close-knit community.”

The Town of Superior was founded in 1896 and is believed named after the "superior" quality of coal found in the area. The stunning mountain-filled backdrop is enhanced by the vast public spaces and parks throughout the town.

“The Town of Superior is looking forward to working together with BrightView to serve all who live, work, and play in our community,” said Leslie Clark, Parks, Recreation and Open Space Director, Town of Superior.“ We believe BrightView and their people will provide us with the excellence we have become accustomed to, as well as propel us into the future of renewable energy and sustainability.”

Learn more about the parks, trails, open space, and recreation within the Town of Superior here.

About The Town of Superior:
The Town of Superior is a municipality of approximately 15,000 people located 22 miles northwest of Denver and 8 miles southwest of Boulder, Colorado. Incorporated in 1904 and named for the “superior” quality of the coal it produced in the local mine, the Town boasts a rich history. The Town now consists of four-square miles that include hundreds of acres of quality parks, open space and trails produced and maintained for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

On Oct. 26, 2020, members of BrightView’s Mid-Atlantic team participated in the Annual Camaraderie Classic, an annual event that raises awareness and funds for Homes For Our Troops (HFOT). 

The tournament took place at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Representing BrightView were Ryan Smith, Regional Sales Leader, Mid-Atlantic, and Paolo Verrone, Regional Equipment Manager, Mid-Atlantic. They were teamed up with retired Marine Sergeant Adam Kisielewski, a double amputee and a board member of Homes For Our Troops. “The experience provided by the Camaraderie Classic was very humbling and one that I will never forget,” Smith said. “For BrightView to be able to build a relationship with Homes For Our Troops, an organization that provides a new life for injured Veterans, is something I take great pride in.”

HFOT is a non-profit founded in 2004 that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, enabling them to rebuild their lives.

“It was an honor that touches home to be playing alongside a combat-injured Veteran. His injuries didn’t prove too great a barrier on the course, though. On one hole, he drove the ball 240 yards and hit his second shot within 18 inches of the hole,” Verrone said.

BrightView was a “Hero Level” sponsor of the event, now in its third year. 

“BrightView is a wonderful organization that is doing great work to support the Veteran community. I look forward to working with them in the future to further advance our mission of Building Homes and Rebuilding Lives,” said Tom Landwermeyer, HFOT President and CEO.

The event is one of many ways BrightView gives back to the military community under the company’s Veteran support program. BRAVO, or BrightView Recognizing and Acknowledging Veteran Opportunities, was founded to invest in the mentorship and advancement of Veterans and foster their growth in the company. BRAVO is an employee-led internal advocacy program for Veterans or those closely tied to Veterans.

For the past two years, BrightView has proudly served the campus of Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, keeping the grounds and landscaping a focal point for the employees and visitors. BrightView recognizes that no matter the weather, our job is to deliver safe and navigable walkways, parking areas, and entrances that help reduce liability and minimize safety risks.

As COVID-19 began impacting our entire country, BrightView recognized that while landscapes continued to grow and need maintaining, facilities had bigger issues to worry about. Nowhere was this truer than for those in the healthcare industry. BrightView continues to work closely with the team at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital to keep them informed of the service schedule, handle any requests they may have, and make their experience during these trying times as pleasant as possible. While we recognize nothing can ease what the brave healthcare professionals are going through, BrightView was happy to donate cupcakes and flowers to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital staff to help brighten their day.

BrightView looks forward to continuing to serve this valued client.