Our Commitment to Our Clients

By Greg Chung, Vice President at West Yost

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At West Yost, our commitment to clients is that we strive to be their long-term partner in supporting their important jobs as stewards of public infrastructure. Not all clients are seeking a long-term partner with their consultants, but for those who are, these clients understand that having access to a team with strong technical expertise and a deep understanding of their situation translates into value for the public. This value comes from solutions that are well conceived from having a deeper understanding of the information and issues that impact the long-term life and service of water infrastructure.

“I have been the Planning and Building Services Director for 15 years and with the department for 25 years. I have never felt compelled to acknowledge and thank a consultant – until now. Your team was a pleasure to work with. Professional and skilled, are two words that come to mind “

Our commitment is built on core values that guide every project we undertake. We take pride in delivering high-value solutions that are both technically sound and effectively communicated. A recent project with a long-standing client exemplifies this. Tasked with a complex treatment plant retrofit valued at over $100 million, we led the design, demonstrating our technical expertise and dedication to collaboration. The trust our team has built with the client over decades speaks to the long-term partnerships we value. As the client recently said, “I know that both Kathryn and Walt, above anything else, have our backs. And that, to me, is the most important factor in this decision [to continue to work with the City on this project].”

One aspect of delivering high value solutions is being innovative and West Yost also embraces new approaches, such as contributing to the development of industry standards for cybersecurity, piloting innovative technologies like nano-bubble injection and advanced water treatment techniques, and working with new software providers that can offer more affordable solutions for the complex modeling work that we perform.

“I know that both Kathryn and Walt, above anything else, have our backs. And that, to me, is the most important factor in this decision [to continue to work with the City on this project].”

Another example of our commitment to clients can be seen in our work with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in rural California. These projects are often contentious due to new regulatory requirements. With this understanding on a recent project, our team took the time to travel to the project site and attend several meetings with the client to answer questions and build trust with the community. The client shared, “I have been the Planning and Building Services Director for 15 years and with the department for 25 years. I have never felt compelled to acknowledge and thank a consultant – until now. Your team was a pleasure to work with. Professional and skilled, are two words that come to mind “

At West Yost, our commitment is also to do what’s right and that means that we take responsibility when something does not go as planned. A recent example of this was to fix a challenge with a new pump installation, which required additional piping and valving. Additional field visits were needed to trouble-shoot the issue and identify what was needed to fix the problem. By prioritizing the client’s needs, we swiftly resolved the issue, taking full responsibility for the costs and ultimately got the pump station working as intended.

Ultimately, our success is driven by collaboration. Whether it’s bringing together cross-functional expertise for a regional water supply project or hosting client workshops to tackle complex planning decisions, we want our clients to benefit from our team’s collective knowledge in an engaging way. Our project managers make conscious efforts to engage face-to-face, ensuring that we are in sync with our clients’ needs, no matter how challenging the circumstances.

As we look to the future, West Yost remains committed to being the water firm of choice for both our clients and our team. By continuing to invest in the long-term success of our clients, we know we are contributing to resilient, sustainable water infrastructure that serves communities for generations to come.

By Greg Chung, Vice President at West Yost

Greg Chung has experience in a wide range of civil and environmental engineering disciplines; he specializes in wastewater treatment, biosolids management, and resource recovery at wastewater treatment plants. His experience includes planning, design, construction-related services, and start-up and commissioning of wastewater treatment, water recycling facilities, and resource recovery facilities. Greg has also executed projects in a variety of project delivery methods, including design-bid-build, design-build, design-build-operate, and energy performance contracting.