A Community-Forward Approach 

By Luke Carothers

Jon Kramer joined OHM advisors 30 years ago in 1993. Although he had a background in environmental engineering, Kramer joined the firm as a part of their municipal engineering practice, which he describes as a “collection of road, water, and sewer” work. Since joining OHM as an intern, Kramer has risen through the ranks, becoming CEO of the firm two years ago. In his three decades with the firm, Kramer has seen OHM Advisors grow from an 80-person firm with one office to its current state with 650 employees working out of 18 offices. One of the key factors behind OHM’s growth is their belief and dedication to the idea that diversity drives innovation. Kramer points out that this comes to fruition through their continued efforts to ensure that diversity and inclusion are “intrinsic to the fabric of the company.” 

This approach hinges on the fact that, when DEI is reflected throughout an organization, they benefit from a variety of insights and are better prepared to meet the needs of the populations they serve. For OHM, this includes efforts to address the talent gap by encouraging careers in STEM through things like mentorship and internship programs as well as outreach to various schools. Further, OHM demonstrates this commitment through investments in their annual diversity scholarship program. Kramer has also demonstrated this commitment by signing the CEO Action for Diversity Pledge. 

Kramer points out that this level of commitment has been difficult in some management areas, but the results have far exceeded any difficulties. OHM’s commitment has “empowered [their] employees to be the best versions of themselves.” In turn, Kramer says that this has ultimately led to OHM providing the best solutions for their clients and communities while having employees who value their work. When it comes to discussing climate change resilience and sustainability, Kramer believes that these topics are inherently tied into their commitment to people and communities and describes OHM as the “community advancement firm.” OHM Advisors’ mission of Advancing Communities is a summation of their role of working hand-in-hand with clients to create innovative solutions for building sustainable communities. 

On a project basis, this means making their clients’ challenges into their challenges, and delivering solutions that clients and communities may not know they need. Kramer notes that this requires treating each community individually, which means there are “no cookie cutter solutions” for the challenges they face. This community-forward approach has had a substantial effect on a number of communities in which OHM has completed work. One example of such a community can be found in Newark, Ohio. Stemming from an EPA mandate to separate the sewer systems from stormwater runoff systems, the initial revitalization project began as a $30 million sewer separation project, totaling nearly 10 city blocks. However, the project ran into challenges, as the streets around the downtown square would need to be demolished. 

Demolition of the streets around the square would have potentially affected the historic Licking County Courthouse, which was built in 1878 and designed by architect Henry E. Myer of Cleveland in the Second Empire style. This American vernacular centerpiece eventually became the focus of revitalization efforts and recently completed a $9.2 million Phase I restoration. With forward-thinking leadership, the City of Newark recognized the opportunity to turn a traditional infrastructure project into a placemaking and economic development strategy. They turned to OHM Advisors to lead an extensive community planning initiative to examine how the project could evolve. After a series of stakeholder and public meetings, a community vision emerged that called for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown, focusing on streetscaping, wayfinding, and enhancing the existing transportation network. 

With the goal of improving the image and brand of the city’s downtown while simultaneously improving the transportation network, the resulting solution included expansive sidewalks, sustainable infrastructure, straightforward two-way traffic patterns, and easy-to-navigate mini roundabouts at the four corners of the courthouse. Since the project was completed in 2017, these improvements have calmed traffic and significantly improved pedestrian access to the downtown economic area, which has in turn led to gains in population, jobs, downtown living, and economic generating activities. This community-led project in Newark is a tangible result of OHM’s community-forward way of doing business. 

Elsewhere in Ohio, OHM is currently engaged in a project that contains multiple communities within its scope. The Cuyahoga River, which has a long and complex history with industry and its resulting pollution, is now cleaner than it has been in decades thanks to dedicated efforts to improve the river’s condition for future generations. The Cuyahoga’s cleaner waters are resulting in an increased demand for recreational, entertainment, and residential development along the river. Understanding the river’s history with development, the Vision for the Valley (VFTV) plan was created with the goal of finding healthy, equitable, and environmentally-conscious ways to continue to promote this regional economic development. 

Launched in 2019 on the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River Fire, the VFTV is a joint project between the City of Cleveland Planning Commission, Cleveland Metroparks, the Port of Cleveland, Flats Forward, and the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). These groups and agencies recognized the need for a unified vision to guide growth and decision-making and brought OHM Advisors on as the lead consultant to develop a comprehensive, innovative study that reimagines the Cuyahoga River Valley. Kramer notes that, while crucially important to the future, VFTV is “no small, nor easy, effort.” The Cuyahoga River is a federal shipping channel and a state-designated water trail, meaning commercial shipping and recreational water activities exist together in one river. Furthermore, compared to other commercially-active rivers, the Cuyahoga is narrow, which makes navigation and safety important concerns in developing a plan for its future. 

To develop this plan, the project team again engaged in extensive and purposeful community and stakeholder outreach, which allowed for the plan to be founded on equity and inclusion while also guiding decisions based on protecting the health and safety of the waterway, modernizing its surrounding infrastructure, and building awareness of the river. Since inception, this plan helps the river work for everyone while fostering a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable future. The resulting plan has also been the impetus for remarkable economic development and regional growth since its adoption. 

With this community-forward approach, Jon Kramer and OHM Advisors have become a pertinent example of the impact the AEC industry has on the health and well-being of communities. Whether the scope of the project is a historical downtown in a rural county seat, or a national historic river that impacts hundreds of communities and millions of people, the mindset by which firms approach projects has cascading effects for the people living in those spaces. OHM’s approach to advancing communities is unique in that it begins with building a thriving community internally that can in turn positively impact the communities in which they live and work. Their work provides an example of what community-forward thinking can change for the AEC industry.