The Kleingers Group’s own Shelby County Kentucky Surveyor and regionally infamous “sharp-dressed-man,” Christopher Morris, PLS, recently met with Kentucky Speaker of the House David Osborne in his Frankfort office. As part of the “Home Builders Association of Kentucky Day at the Capitol,” Morris found it especially important to support the HBAK Workforce Development policy enabling students to use KEES funds for various educational and training programs in the skilled trades.

KEES Funds are slated for Kentucky Workforce Development. The HBAK policy would allow their application by Kentucky residents toward both registered skilled trade apprenticeship programs and degree-based coursework. These could include land surveying certificate programs, bachelor’s level degrees in civil engineering, and registered apprenticeship programs as an electrician, ironworker, carpenter and more.

Morris says, “No civil engineering or construction project can reach its full potential without the applied knowledge, skill, talent, and wisdom of both college graduates and experienced, skilled tradesmen. With this policy, more Kentucky graduates can get KEES funds to pursue the path they’re passionate about – whether it’s in the skilled trades or in college – it’s up to them. That’s great for every project – in every Kentucky community.”

The Kleingers Group and its talented teams recognize the need for a strong and skilled workforce throughout our AEC sector. It is critical to support both university and skilled trade educational programs. For more information on Kentucky’s KEES Fundin

Program, click here.

The Kleingers Group has seen continued growth for its landscape architecture group. To help support the growing demand for these services, Kleingers recently hired Mike Slagle, PLA, ASLA who will serve as an Assistant Project Manager from our West Chester office.

After receiving his degree in landscape architecture from the University of Kentucky, Mike worked for a local firm nearby in Lexington, KY prior to moving to South Carolina where he worked for an international design firm who employs over 20,000 people. When asked what drew him to Kleingers, he responded “Kleingers is comfortably sized, large enough to take on a variety of large scale high-end projects, yet small enough to gain experience through a gamut of projects.”

Mike is a licensed landscape architect in South Carolina and is looking to add Ohio to his list. He brings a wide variety of experience from prominent design projects, such as a historic Level 1 property renovation, which included renovations of garden space at the governor’s mansion to providing landscape design for a 6,000 acre mixed-use development. The branded requirements for this neighborhood required designed greenspace for anyone within a 5-minute walking distance across the property. He is also skilled in projects that include signage design, roundabouts, roadway improvements, master planning and construction administration.

Mike’s wife is a pediatrician, who recently began her fellowship with Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. As they looked to relocate to the area to be closer to family, Mike found the position at The Kleingers Group to be a good fit in his search for a new job.

“I was drawn to Kleingers’ mantra of ‘doing the right thing,’ where it is important to provide quality work,” Mike said. “All of which seems to be a core value lacking in today’s world,” he continued.

Mike is an avid golfer, enjoys hiking, a self-proclaimed bourbon enthusiast and HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan. Mike grew up a DMB fan as the band got their start near his hometown in Virginia. Mike and his wife are expecting their first child next month.