Looking Back: A Year of Impact, Partnership, and Problem-Solving

Abbey Ness, AICP, PMP, CCF
9 minutes ago
5 min read

As The Schreifer Group closes out another year, we find ourselves reflecting on what makes this work so rewarding. It's not just the complex challenges we tackle or the diverse projects that cross our desks – it's the people. The partnerships we've built with fellow professionals across the architecture and engineering community, the dedicated federal clients who trust us with their toughest problems, and the talented team that brings creativity and expertise to every project.

This past year took us from military installations to civilian federal agencies, from urban planning challenges that required reimagining entire landscapes to explosives safety projects where precision and expertise were essential. We facilitated difficult conversations, delivered training that equipped teams with new capabilities, and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with partners who share our commitment to excellence.

What stands out most were the moments when a collaborative approach unlocked a solution no one saw coming, delivering outcomes that truly serve the mission. And we’re proud of the fact that we always figure out how to have fun along the way!

As a woman-owned, veteran-owned small business, we know we bring a unique perspective to federal consulting—one shaped by service, attention to detail, and an unwavering focus on putting people at the center of all that we do. This year proved once again that size doesn't limit impact, and that the best solutions come from partnerships built on trust, expertise, and a shared commitment to getting it right.

Below are a few of our employees’ highlights from the year –

Facilitating Bilaterial Planning Workshops in the Baltics

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Two groups of people dining in cozy, rustic restaurants with wooden tables. Warm lighting, brick and wood interiors, candles, and drinks. Smiling faces.

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“This year, I had the pleasure of supporting Black & Veatch with facilitating a series of bilaterial planning workshops between the US Army and the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian militaries. We used creative facilitation strategies that enabled relationship building and engaged a variety of learning styles, helping participants from both nations share perspectives, explore planning scenarios, and co-develop actionable real property planning strategies for the bilateral Area Development Plans. We enjoyed many memorable meals with representatives from various host nation Ministries of Defense and were so excited to share pieces of our culture with each other." - Jill

Training Polish Partners in Explosives Safety

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“Tyler and I went to train in Poland for a subcontract for LM called Mesko.  It was an amazing trip! We went to train the company there (all Polish employees) on the application of the 4145 DCMA DoD Contractors Safety Manual. We trained all sections over the course of four days.  We had wonderful interactions and an amazing translator that assisted in making sure all information was well received!”  - Kristin

Mary Winning Outstanding Emerging Planner of the Year

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“One of our proudest moments in 2025 was celebrating Mary Finnegan’s incredible achievement! Mary, a valued member of The Schreifer Group, was honored with the prestigious Federal Planning Division’s Outstanding Emerging Planner of the Year award for her leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing federal planning. Her work strengthening the Emerging Federal Planners community and delivering award-winning projects reflects the excellence and impact our team strives for every day. This recognition is a testament to Mary’s talent and the culture of success we foster at The Schreifer Group.” - Jen

Reaching CMMC Level 2 Accreditation

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“The Operations Team, consisting of Kim Garrett and Angie Strand, wears many hats at TSG. We keep invoices moving, websites updated, and processes organized. One of our biggest endeavors for this year has been getting our CMMC Level 2 accreditation. We are excited to announce that we are just months away from being fully accredited! We are starting our third-party assessment in January 2026 with a completion date in March. This has been a long time coming and we are excited about the ability it will give us to continue to work with our trusted clients in a secure way.” - Kim and Angie

Explosives Safety Planning in the Arctic

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"In June, I had the cool opportunity to participate in planning north of the Arctic Circle for my first time. We worked in Rovaniemi Finland supporting the US Army. It was great to be in a place where it never got dark. Then sun went under the horizon for about 30 minutes, but it was still light." - Tyler

Surviving Surveying at Fort Magsaysay

Soldiers stand on a dirt road in a forest clearing, near stacked metal rods and a motorcycle. A vehicle’s front is visible. Sky is overcast.

Smiling man in a gray suit stands in a blurred indoor setting with warm lights, exuding a friendly and professional demeanor.

“We are on a site survey at Fort Magsaysay. The roads are so muddy and steep that only this Philippine Army vehicle could go where we needed to go. As you can see, I was hanging on for dear life. I said to Tyler, ‘you know I’m retired Air Force, right?’” - Paul

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Presenting at the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference (NPC) and at the US Air Force Academy

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“In April, we presented on facilitation tips and tricks at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference in Denver, CO. We loved sharing our experiences and crowd sourcing best practices with attendees from across America via thought-provoking activities and case study discussions.

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Then, in May, Jill, James Hodges of RS&H, and I presented to an urban planning class in the Civil Engineering Department at the US Air Force Academy. I always love sharing about my work with students, but this opportunity was particularly special because one of the cadets that I ‘sponsor’ (serve as a local support) was in the class.” - Abbey

Explosives Safety Site Planning at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Increasing Munitions Storage and EOLs at Creech AFB

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“During the past year I had the pleasure of visiting the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) three times! Each visit was unique, as I was helping LANL explosives site seven locations in the lab. Every visit I offered my experience with explosives, hazard class divisions, and risk mitigation techniques, that they could use to create new locations that could be used to help the lab with their daily operations and research for the Department of Energy (DOE). The LANL team is very friendly and very knowledgeable. I even had the opportunity to sit in Dr. Oppenheimer’s chair from his office!

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In August, TSG had the opportunity to create a District Plan at Creech AFB, NV. During this district plan we developed multiple COAs that showed how they could increase their munitions storage and explosives operating locations (EOLs) within their current layout. The Creech team was very knowledgeable and helpful during our visit.” - John

Sightseeing in Chicago and Learning Graphic Recording and Visual Facilitation Skills

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“In March, our team facilitated a planning workshop at North Riverside, an Illinois National Guard site. We took the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Chicago before the workshop!

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Another highlight of my year was attending an ‘Art of the Flipchart’ course with Jacob Eastham to learn new strategies for graphic recording and visual facilitation.” - Leah

Witnessing Hypersonic Testing

Man in a blue shirt stands in front of a giant pistachio sculpture at PistachioLand, under a clear blue sky.

“While supporting Woolpert in planning a new, longer, and more capable high-speed test track at Holloman Air Force Base, I had the rare opportunity to witness hypersonic testing firsthand; a test article screaming down the rails at Mach 6 to study laminar flow at extreme speeds.

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No amount of safety briefings or anticipation can prepare you for the surreal experience of watching a manmade object move that fast just yards away, there and gone before your mind fully registers what happened. What lingers with me most is the eerie aftermath: the track itself ringing like a struck tuning fork, the desert falling silent again, and the slow realization that I'd just witnessed something most people will only ever read about.” - Matt

Looking Ahead

As we turn the page on this year, we're energized by what's ahead. The challenges facing federal agencies aren't getting simpler, and that's exactly why this work matters. We're grateful to the clients who trusted us with their most pressing needs, to the partners who collaborated with us to find better solutions, and to our team who brought their best to every project. Here's to another year of tackling complex problems, building meaningful partnerships, and proving that great outcomes are possible when expertise meets dedication. Thank you for being part of our journey—we're looking forward to what we'll accomplish together in the year to come.