November 1, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Company awards $50,000 during first-ever Investment grants reception
SIMCO employee committee chooses eight non-profits from Eddy, Lea counties
CARLSBAD, N.M. ̶ Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC (SIMCO) announced it has awarded $50,000 in grants to eight community non-profit organizations as part of the company’s first-ever Employee Investment Advisory Committee grants program.
The award recipients were selected by the new SIMCO Employee Investment Advisory Committee composed of 12 employees, who chose Eddy and Lea counties’ education, health and human services, and economic sustainability as focus areas for the year.
Launching the committee fulfilled a pledge made by SIMCO in its 2023 Community Commitment Plan, which was developed collaboratively with SIMCO’s member Bechtel National Inc., and community leaders and organizations. Committee members were nominated by SIMCO managers and were selected for exemplifying the company’s core values, delivery of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) mission and commitment to community. Members are non-managerial SIMCO employees and will serve on the Committee for two-year terms.
SIMCO President and Program Manager Ken Harrawood praised the tremendous and very difficult job the committee did in making its selections from among 27 proposals submitted to Eddy-and-Lea-county non-profit agencies.
“I firmly believe our employees have always been — and will continue to be — our most important asset, not only to fulfill WIPP’s national cleanup mission, but also in sharing their time, talents and expertise to improve our local communities,” Harrawood told an audience that had packed the Carlsbad Museum’s Hall of Fame Exhibit room for an Oct. 24 awards reception.
“Likewise, our local and regional nonprofit agencies provide some of the most critical services to meet perhaps the most pressing challenges facing our communities and families today. For those reasons, SIMCO is proud to have our employees and local nonprofits partner in a meaningful way that is making a positive impact in our communities.”
The eight grant recipients were: Affirming Hearts Victim Services, Carlsbad Downtown Lion’s Club, Carlsbad Literacy Program, Packs for Hunger, MyPower Inc., Sheri’s House of Hope, Southeast New Mexico Community Action Corporation, and Weekend Hunger Initiative (WHI) Hobbs.
About SIMCO
Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, LLC (SIMCO) was formed to support the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. SIMCO’s member is Bechtel National Inc. and its WIPP team includes Los Alamos Technical Associates as a teaming subcontractor.
SIMCO President and Program Manager Ken Harrawood presents a $5,000 check to Southeast New Mexico Community Action Corporation during the company’s first-ever Employee Investment Advisory Committee grants program awards reception. In total, SIMCO awarded $50,000 to eight local non-profit organizations selected by its Employee Investment Advisory Committee.
Members of the SIMCO Employee Investment Advisory Committee gathered for a photo during an Oct. 24 grant awards ceremony at the Carlsbad Museum’s Hall of Fame Exhibit room. Launching the committee fulfilled a pledge made by SIMCO in its 2023 Community Commitment Plan, which was developed collaboratively between Eddy and Lea counties’ community leaders and organizations.