Welcome to our 2024 Impact Report

For nearly 30 years, Brendle Group has been building a strong national reputation as a leader in building decarbonization, local climate resilience, transportation electrification, and sustainable water management. We accelerate equitable solutions to the climate crisis using an interdisciplinary approach across our team of engineers, planners, analysts, change management, and communication specialists.

Our commitment to sustainability is integrated into everything we do – from our consulting services and community engagement efforts to putting people first and our commitment to operational excellence. Our B Corp certification serves as a helpful, holistic framework for evaluating and refining our business practices.

With that in mind, the following 2024 Impact Report is framed around these three pillars:

1. Impact-Driven
1.1. Customers
1.2. Community

2. People-Centered
2.1. Staff

3. Operational Excellence
3.1. Environment
3.2. Governance

1. Impact-Driven

As a consulting firm that doesn’t work directly with consumers, Brendle Group drives positive societal impacts through our customers and their interactions with stakeholders and the public as well as our own direct community involvement.

1.1. Customers

Below are highlights from two of our 39 customers served in 2024. Click the title to read more about the project.

1.2. Community

Served on Non-Profit Boards

• Peaks to People Water Fund
• National Ski Areas Association
• Sustainable Neighborhoods Network
• Colorado WaterWise
• Sustainable Living Association

Served on Community Advisory Boards

• County Environmental and Science Advisory Board
• Colorado State University Energy Institute – Industry Advisory Board
• Colorado Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) National Ambassador
• City of Fort Collins Climate Equity Committee Member

Shared Our Expertise with Our Professional Networks and Community Through Professional Presentations and Conferences

• Wilkes Climate Summit
• Rocky Mountain Utility Exchange
• Colorado WaterWise Symposium
• Mountain Towns 2030
• Forth Roadmap Conference
• Copper Mountain Ski Conservation Summit Mountain Utilities Exchange
• American Planning Association – Colorado

Supported Our Local Community Through Donations

• A Little Help
• The Action Center
• Animal Friends Alliance
• Bike Fort Collins
• Boulder County Library Foundation
• Denver Cat Rescue
• Durango Trails
• The Family Center / La Familia
• Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies
• I Support the Girls
• Northern Colorado Humane Society
• Salida Mountain Trails
• Society of Women Engineers
• Sustainable Living Association
• Trees, Water & People
• United Way of Larimer County
• Vindeket Foods

“Brendle Group has been a trusted partner of Peaks to People Water Fund since 2014, providing invaluable expertise in market analysis and strategic engagement with local businesses. Their commitment to innovative sustainability solutions has helped shape our role in advancing watershed resilience and climate adaptation in Northern Colorado. We deeply appreciate Brendle Group’s long-standing support and shared dedication to creating lasting, equitable solutions for our communities. ”

Julie Dubin, Director
Peaks to People Water Fund

2. People-Centered

2.1. Staff

Welcomed 6 new employees.

Expanded capacity to provide bilingual services with the addition of two more Spanish speaking employees.

96% of employees would recommend Brendle Group as a great place to work to a friend or colleague.

Provided Full Team Trainings

• Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion
• Change management
• Growth mindset

Continued Providing Women Leadership Opportunities 

• Woman-owned for more than 29 years
• 60% of the management team identifies as female
• 80% of Board of Directors identify as female
• 10% of team members are bilingual

Maintained Strong Staff Benefits that Support Individuals and their Families

• Competitive living wages
• 100% company bonus participation
• Health benefits covering 100% of employee and 50% of dependent premiums
• Professional development opportunities and support
• Time off – both generous paid time off and summer Fridays
• Time flexibility to fulfill other passions and commitments

Holiday Party December 2024

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have found Brendle Group and to become part of a team where I get to collaborate on such a diverse range of projects. No matter what topic, the work is always rooted in a strong commitment to equity, something I truly value. Since joining, I have felt incredibly supported, both in my career development and in my personal life.”

Paulina Somosa, Associate Planner
Joined Brendle Group in April 2024

“Brendle Group’s mission aligns with my career goals to address the climate crisis, and it fills me with hope to work with like-minded coworkers and clients. I’ve also enjoyed the flexible work environment that allows me to balance time with my family, especially while we’ve been raising and training a puppy!”

Zach Owens, Transportation Electrification Manager
Joined Brendle Group in April 2024

3. Operational Excellence

3.1. Environment

Brendle Group is a carbon-neutral company

Most importantly, we reduce our emissions and resource usage as much as we can. What we can’t eliminate, we offset by purchasing carbon offsets through Trees, Water & People. These offsets support the health and economic empowerment of Central American communities and Trees, Water & People is a collaborative partner on climate justice and climate migration.

Brendle Group’s total 2024 greenhouse gas emissions were 29.41 MTCO₂e. This was 31% less than 2023’s emissions. The decrease was driven by more local work which led to a reduction in airline emissions and business miles, more BG employees switched to EVs and e-bikes for personal commuting to the office, and a milder heating season reduced natural gas use.

29.41 MTCO₂e Greenhouse Gas Emissions

3.2. Governance

Board of Directors

In 2024, we expanded our Board of Directors to include three internal and two external independent directors. The expansion of our Board was driven by a desire to have a more diverse and strategic sounding board, align with best practices for governance, and to support continued company growth in both size and impact. Adding additional independent board members allows us to gain outside perspective on larger industry trends and increase the diversity of viewpoints and experiences. As a bonus, B Lab also recognizes and supports board diversity through its certification system.

Employee Engagement Survey

In 2024, we completed our first Employee Engagement Survey. This survey was to establish a baseline of how Brendle Group is performing currently on themes such as living our values, employee experience, perks and benefits our employees enjoy, and areas where we can improve. Overall, the results were extremely positive, and we gained valuable feedback from our team. Some of the team’s favorite perks included:

• Flexibility – in both location and work hours. Employees felt like they can create work/life balance.
• Strong Culture – fun things like our “Traveling Yoda” that recognize team members that go above and beyond. Employees also appreciate things like transparency, authenticity, and trust.
• Ability to Shape Career – small nimble teams allow individuals to select where they want to grow and experience professional development opportunities to support it.

Traveling Yoda

One area identified for improvement was related to language justice. As a result, we issued our first language justice statement, confirming our commitment to providing language justice for our employees and our customers.

“We believe in the power of language to connect and empower. We work to foster an inclusive environment where language barriers are dismantled so that everyone’s voice can be heard. We are dedicated to providing resources and support for multilingual communication, promoting equity and understanding across our Brendle Group team and in the work we do.”

Mission

Our mission serves as a guide for all activities – including project delivery, business development, team member recruitment, and operations.

“Accelerate equitable solutions to the climate crisis.”

Vision

Launched a new organizational structure that empowers career growth and transitioned from a leadership team to a management team to align with our new organizational design and business strategy.

Core Values

We also updated our core values to elevate equity and align with our growing team’s priorities.

Thrive: We provide flexibility and support to thrive in work and life.

Impact: We do work that makes a difference.

Inspire: We inspire passions by innovating new paths for the future.

Relationship: We respect and support each other and collaborate to build strong, equitable teams.

Equity: We embrace diversity, inclusion, and justice to expand our perspectives and authentically pursue equitable outcomes.

“Brendle Group’s strong communication and accountability validate their transparency and commitment to all stakeholders. In 2024, the firm continued with strategic hires to strengthen community relationships, expand leadership, and deepen subject matter excellence to effectively lead in climate change mitigation and resilience. The firm’s growth and broadening market engagement underscore the need for integrated human, environmental, and economically viable solutions that Brendle Group provides.”

Ellen Burnes, Ph. D., Independent Director

Brendle Group employees participate in a Holiday Fun Run 2024

All-staff end of the year retreat 2024