Colorado Real Estate Journal - October 21, 2015
It isn’t the work Karla Nugent is most proud of but what the work allows her to give back. Nugent, alongside her partners Seth Anderson, James Selecky and Pete Farreny, founded Weifield Group Contracting in 2001 – and key to the foundation of the full-service, privately held electrical company was the commitment to give back. “We wanted to focus on the people, the culture of the company and incorporating philanthropy,” said Nugent, chief business development officer for Weifield Group, who is responsible for business development, marketing, sales and the charitable efforts of the firm. “From day one, we thought we had a responsibility to give back. It really is who we are as a company.” As Weifield Group has grown from four partners planning a business in a basement to nearly 250 employees today, so has the company’s philanthropic efforts, which focus on four categories the firm defines as head of household, women and children, the U.S. military, and the disabled and less fortunate. And it is one category in particular that under Nugent’s direction has reached heights even she didn’t think possible. “It started as a way to connect the head-of-household group, a challenged group that had faced homelessness, substance abuse or a criminal past and get them into an internship with the company,” Nugent said of the apprentice program that supports individuals from the Stout Street Foundation, Peer 1 Residential Program, Denver Rescue Mission and other organizations. “We felt it was the right thing to do and it really has made an impact,” added Nugent. She had expected that the program, which matched individuals with Weifield Group to work in prefabrication and, if they showed initiative and success, place them into its four-year apprenticeship program, would lead to the addition of a few individuals to the firm and not the 40-some employees working for Weifield Group today. “It has been tremendous,” Nugent said of the response. “Individuals who couldn’t find a job at Taco Bell now have a job with good pay and benefits, where we pay for night school and show them that we believe in them and will invest in them. “In turn, we get employees who have found their place and are very loyal,” she added. The firm also is actively involved with other charities, including The Gathering Place, Hope House of Colorado, Boys and Girls Club, Mile High Youth Corps, A Precious Child, Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, Alliance for Choice in Education Scholarships, Colorado State University, USO, Wounded Warrior Project; American Military Family.org, National Sports Center for the Disabled, The Spark of Life Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Avista Hospital Foundation, Bike MS Colorado chapter, American Diabetes Association, Goodwill Industries International, and Thirst Living Waters Fund, among others. Not surprisingly, Nugent said her biggest hobby is fundraising for charities. “It sounds sad but it’s hardly unexpected,” laughed Nugent, who, admittedly chairs “a lot” of boards and fundraisers, including serving on the executive council of the Emily Griffith Technical College, serving as chair of the Avista Hospital Foundation Board for Centura Health, serving as one of the founding members of Skills2Compete and serving as a board member of Rocky Mountain Christian Academy. She also keeps busy with her husband, Jack, and their children, ages 10 and 7. Born in Illinois, Nugent grew up in Woodland Park and attended Colorado State University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. After graduation, she worked with CareerTrack, a training and seminar company, then a distribution company and also a data center company, where she gained leadership experience in distribution, data center construction, business expansion, operation automation and ISO certification – all of which fostered her interest in co-founding the electrical contracting firm. “When we came together to found Weifield Group, we all wore different hats and brought something unique but agreed to foster a strong culture, where we emphasize and invest in our employees. It took time to develop the company culture we had envisioned,” said Nugent. It is this culture, the people – both employees and clients alike – that Nugent relishes most. “I really enjoy the people we work with. I love our philanthropy work and our clients,” said Nugent. Nugent also delights in the projects that Weifield Group has been a part of, including becoming the first electrical contractor in the region to complete a net-zero energy project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, and the first LEED Platinum office building in Colorado, Signature Centre at Denver West. Additional notable projects by Weifield Group include 17 Wewatta, Emily Griffith Campus, Liberty Global Headquarters, Union Station Block A and Country Club Towers. The success Nugent – and the firm – has achieved she attributes to being very driven and goal oriented, and working with her partners to plan the future of Weifield Group. However, she added, “We would be nowhere without our people, who have made us who we are today.”