Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award finalist: BRR Architecture

The “Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award” will be presented at the upcoming Champions of Change Awards through a partnership between AZ Big Media and Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Finalists for the award were determined based on how their company’s corporate giving and community volunteer activities are building a brighter future for Arizona nonprofits and making a direct and quantifiable impact on our communities. The Champions of Change Awards will be held Thursday, May 16, 2024. Each day leading up to the event, we will preview one finalist for the Let’s Give Arizona a Hand Up Award. Today, learn about the story of BRR Architecture.

Sponsors of the Champions of Change Awards include BOK Financial (impact sponsor), Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona (spotlight sponsor), Stearns Bank (step-and-repeat sponsor), Maricopa Corporate College at Maricopa Community Colleges (photo booth sponsor), Lerner & Rowe Gives Back (name tag sponsor), REDW Advisors and CPAs (floral sponsor) and Center for the Future of Arizona (dessert sponsor).

To learn more about the Champions of Change Awards, click here.

BRR Architecture

Community service is a pillar of BRR Architecture’s culture. We recognize the work we do outside the office is just as important as the work we do for our clients; we believe in taking care of the communities where we live and work.

Few embody this belief more than BRR Vice President Shad Vermeesch and the team at our Phoenix office. Over the past five years, Shad has been deeply committed to advancing HonorHealth Desert Mission’s goal of enhancing the health and welfare of individuals of all ages within the Phoenix community. HonorHealth Desert Mission provides various resources, including affordable adult day healthcare, food bank initiatives, early childhood education programs, and financial coaching, among others.

As a HonorHealth Desert Mission board member, Shad as helped guide and grow the development of these crucial programs. During the past five years he contributed to the remodel of the on-site school facility and participated in annual Thanksgiving food drives to provide meals to families in need.

When asked to reflect on her relationship with Shad, the former Executive Director of HonorHealth Desert Mission and Community Services expressed her gratitude: “I want to personally thank Shad for the past five years of service and dedication serving the HonorHealth Desert Mission Board of Directors. His contributions of ideas, energy and enthusiasm have been invaluable. Shad’s wise counsel and friendship have been a true asset to me, the Desert Mission Board and to the Desert Mission programs. I am truly grateful for his service. We really appreciate BRR’s volunteerism over the past five years, dedicating their time and service to support the ongoing success of our organization. We would like to express our gratitude for Shad and his leadership which has had an enormous impact on our Desert Mission community.” – Sue Sadecki, M.S. Ed, FABC, Executive Director of Desert Mission and Community Services (2013-2023)

The BRR Phoenix office also had 100 percent participation in BRR’s National Day of Service, a day when we close our offices to volunteer in on our communities across the country. Last year, the Phoenix office volunteered at HonorHealth Desert Mission’s food bank sorting and preparing food for distribution. In previous years, the office participated in various food bank distribution efforts, including St. Mary’s food bank.

BRR’s commitment to community impact, exemplified by Vice President Shad Vermeesch and the Phoenix office’s dedication to HonorHealth Desert Mission, truly deserves recognition through the 2024 AZ Business Let’s Give a Hand Up Award. Shad’s tireless efforts as a board member have significantly contributed to the growth and evolution of HonorHealth Desert Mission’s impact on the Phoenix community. His leadership and volunteerism are reflected by the Phoenix team members who consistently volunteer at various food banks throughout the years. Their combined involvement underscores their genuine commitment to making a positive difference in Phoenix, making them truly deserving of this distinguished award.