By Laurie Burstein
What began as a idea for a team-building exercise turned
into that and more when the Boeing Company joined forces with
the Morse Group, Trailnet, Grace Hill and other partners to
make a lasting impression including a 300-foot mural along the
Riverfront Trail in North St. Louis.
About two years ago, Christopher Chadwick, vice president and
general manager, Global Strike Systems at the Boeing Company,
met with his leadership team and decided they needed a project
that would do two important things:
1) bring their employees closer together and
2) give back to the community.
“We really wanted to come up with a project that would foster
teamwork among our employees and at the same time give something
back to the community while putting the Boeing imprint on the
project,” Chadwick explains.
In stepped the Morse Group which specializes in team building
strategies and projects that engage people. The husband/ wife
team of Stacey and Stuart Morse has been implementing their
mission of growing community through the arts for corporations,
non-profits and other organizations for 20 years.
“We wanted to create a unique community engagement project for
Boeing that would have an impact on both employees and the community,”
says Stacey Morse, principal of The Morse Group.
Stuart Morse adds, “It was important that this was more than
a volunteer project, but one where employees had creative ownership.
It really was a whole strategy, not just a one-time event.”
The Morse’s and Chadwick got employee input as to what kind
of project they wanted to undertake. The Boeing team selected
Trailnet as the community recipient and designed the “Trail
of Discovery” project along the North Riverfront Trail.
“We chose to work with Trailnet and Grace Hill on this project
where some improvements were already under way,” Chadwick says.
“We decided to work on a section along the flood wall to make
a lasting impression and show the community what the Boeing
Company could do.”
The project was implemented in two phases—a clean-up phase that
was done last spring and a beautification phase done in the
fall, which included the design and painting of a mural to depict
the “Trail of Discovery” theme. The mural was painted by over
300 employees on the flood wall along the Mississippi River
and measures 300 feet long and 20 feet high.
Not only employees, but their families got involved, with more
than 500 people turning out the day of the event. The creation
of a series of children’s mural panels depicting the vision
of Boeing and the discovery theme were an important part of
the project.
Family members were also engaged by creating 300 rabbit boxes
painted prior to the event. These boxes protect new plants from
the rabbit population and added a colorful component to the
trail. They were used on the event day to cover the 300 new
native plants that were planted by the Boeing team.
After completing the mural, a celebration was held that day
at the trail site which also coincided with an existing annual
historical event celebrating the Mary Meachum Legacy in the
community. The celebration included a picnic, dancers from COCA,
and a speech by Mayor Slay.
Kathy Hale, special assistant to Mayor Slay, says the project
was a success on many levels. “This project was a great collaboration
between the City and a corporation,” Hale says. “It also shows
how good things can happen when the county and city work together
for the good of the entire region.”
Laura Cohen, director of the Confluence Greenway for Trailnet,
which develops hike and bike trails and organizes programs along
the North Riverfront Trail, said this project helps connect
the community to the Riverfront.
“This section of the trail had little development before the
Boeing project,” Cohen says. “Now the trail looks dramatically
different than it did one year ago and we are seeing more activity
on the trail. Boeing’s investment of time and energy by their
employees was the catalyst for other enhancements on the North
Riverfront.”
The project was so successful in accomplishing their goals that
Chadwick says he is looking for another project to take on.
“Every single employee took a leadership role in this project.
It really had a residual effect at work and generated a positive
buzz throughout the entire company.”
Chadwick continues, “This was really a unique project that used
art, built teamwork, got families involved, and created something
that will last. It was our gift to the community and we hope
other companies will follow suit.”
Stacey Morse agrees, “We haven’t found any other cities participating
in this type of a project. We hope it will become a model that
others can follow.”
Stuart Morse adds, “There is still more work to do on the North
Riverfront Trail and we would like to see more companies involved
in any number of projects from team rides to murals. This area
has become a regional asset and is a perfect opportunity for
other groups to build their own team engagement projects.”
For more information on getting involved, contact Laura Cohen
at Trailnet, (314) 436-1324 or Stacey Morse at The Morse Group,
(636) 458-0886.
