At BlueWave, our core values set the tone for how employees show up to work every day. The values to do it “right, together, boldly, and with purpose” are central to our mission to transform access to renewable energy by pushing the BlueWave team to be transparent, collaborative, and innovative. BlueWave is proud of the hard work that goes into bringing these values to life and each year asks employees to nominate their peers who go above and beyond to embody each value, as well as recognize an individual who has truly transformed the way we work. This year we celebrated the beginning of a new year with a team paint lesson where each winner was announced, and we are thrilled to share the 2020 award winners below.

We do it right: we pursue everything we do with transparency and integrity

Walter Edstrom, Client Services Manager

Often referred to as the moral compass of BlueWave, Walter continuously makes sure we do things right by each other, our customers, and our clients. He is always willing to lend a hand and treats transparency as king when working on the client invoicing process. Walter makes sure we stay true to who we are as individuals and as an organization, and his passion for clean energy shines through in all his work. In a company full of mission driven individuals, Walt stands out, thinking of ways we can do better and do right by the people we work with and by the land we develop.

We do it together: we solve problems within a collaborative work environment

Albert Louis-Jean, Senior Accountant

Albert went above and beyond to keep this company together and cohesively functioning in such a tumultuous year. He put the company before himself by going into the office, getting the mail and working to improve tools and processes for people across all teams. When you have a question, or need help with anything, you can rely on Al, from rushing a purchase order, to helping with the office move, to helping smooth over company transitions. He does everything with a smile on his face-and while we may not be all together, if you step outside and listen closely you can hear his infectious laugh from anywhere.

We do it boldly: we seize opportunities to innovate while holding ourselves to the highest standard of excellence

Tyson Buerkle, Senior Director of Site Acquisition

In 2020, Tyson has done an amazing job leading his team. He encourages honest and open communication and has worked hard to improve our organization’s effectiveness by revamping tools, policies, and procedures so we can spend more time innovating, and less time on work processes. He has played an integral part in setting new site acquisition records and managing key new markets. By building a strong foundation within his team, he has in turn helped BlueWave build trust with landowners. In doing so, he, his team, and BlueWave can boldly pursue new ways to develop solar projects.

We do it with purpose: we are driven to transform the way the world is powered for generations to come

Safiyyah Khan, VP of Marketing

Leading by example, Safiyyah has taught us how to draw purpose into our every thought and action. She has been a core leader at BlueWave, navigating and shaping new teams, pushing our products to be held to the highest energy and environmental standards, and playing a critical role in developing and implementing BlueWave's Anti-Racist Action Plan. She does everything with purpose from making efforts to check in on her coworkers personally and professionally, to leading weekly mediation sessions, to keeping us true to our mission, and more. Her passion, knowledge, resilience, and willingness to take on our social impact work has brought on a new meaning to this Values Award. Thank you for being a role model to us all, Safiyyah.

The Transformer Award: This award was established in 2016 to recognize an employee who has made significant contributions and who has helped revolutionize BlueWave to achieve drastic improvements in the organization's effectiveness

Jackie Firsty, Director of Project Development

With passion and conviction, Jackie, as the winner of the 2020 Transformer Award, has made a colossal impact on BlueWave. Jackie has stepped up as a leader for her team and for the Social Impact Committee during a time of massive change within Project Development, the company, and the world. She has stood tall and confident while paving the path for other women to break into the male-dominated development field. Her relentless attention to detail, organizational skills, and supreme ability to multitask have been vital in transforming initiatives into actions that are bringing BlueWave to the next level. Working closely with team members focused on the dual-use and sustainability front, she is helping to innovate solar while also making sure we are developing projects efficiently and correctly. She is respected among her peers, compassionate and giving of her time, has been a wonderful teacher showing others the ropes. She is a rising leader in our midst.

Thank you to our award winners for the work you do every day to push BlueWave to be better. You truly embody these values both personally and professionally and inspire us to transform in big and small ways alike. Congratulations!