Tag: 3BL

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey to date.

My name is Otaro Alaka. I am a Nigerian American who grew up in Houston, Texas. Before joining GoDaddy, I was a professional athlete, playing for both the Baltimore Ravens and the Arlington Renegades. My time in the NFL was riddled with injuries so I had to make the difficult decision to close that chapter and begin exploring opportunities beyond football.

What attracted you to join GoDaddy?

The opportunity to work for a company like GoDaddy felt like a no brainer. A global tech company with 20 million customers worldwide seemed like a great landing spot for me. Getting to learn from and interact with the people here aligned with my goals to expand my technical knowledge while exploring a career that I have become passionate about.

While going through the interview process and asking current employees about their experiences, everybody shared a common answer: “The people here are amazing.”

That is what excited me the most about joining GoDaddy.

Are there any unexpected ways in which your sports background helps you in Customer Care?

Many of the skills and habits that I developed through my sports background have proven highly transferable in my professional life. It can be pretty easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged with the amount of information and tools that are needed to do this job effectively. However, my attitude and approach helped keep me on track and gave me the edge I needed to succeed. That attitude and approach came from 20 years of playing football.

How do you stay motivated and disciplined in your learning journey?

For me, its all about patience and consistency. Staying committed to your goals is crucial, even when you’re not seeing instant results. It’s all a part of the process. What’s most important is that you show up everyday with a positive mindset, an eagerness to learn, and a hunger to get better every day.

What advice would you give to athletes considering a career beyond sports?

I would tell them they already have everything they need. Learning something new takes time and there will be growing pains. The intangibles that were required to play your sport will be the keys to success in the career you choose.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Outside of work, I love spending time with friends and family. I like to travel, listen to music, and work out. But most importantly, I love to eat!

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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See where entrepreneurship is thriving alongside America’s favorite sport. Visit getstarted.godaddy/otaro.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

The Aflac Global Investments team is proving that meaningful change often starts with a single step. For the third year in a row, a small group of volunteers from this New York City team has organized a group walk every day as part of Miles for Miracles, raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer and blood disorders treatment and research — this year, walking a total of 9,474 miles and claiming the top spot for amount raised.

What began as a simple idea has quickly turned into a powerful movement of compassion and action. The walk reflects Aflac’s long-standing commitment to children and families affected by cancer and blood disorders. Inspired by the company’s 30-year partnership with the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Global Investments team wanted to find their own way to contribute.

“We manage financial assets every day, but this effort is about investing in something far more important — help for children with cancer and blood disorders,” said Brad Dyslin, executive vice president, global chief investments officer and president of Aflac Global Investments. “Every mile we walk and every dollar we raise through Miles for Miracles brings us closer to a world where no child has to face cancer or a blood disorder.”

The group raised a total of $28,581 during this year’s Miles for Miracles event, bringing their three-year total to more than $61,000 with all proceeds benefiting childhood cancer and blood disorders programs. Beyond the fundraising impact, colleagues have been able to connect in new ways — sharing stories, cheering one another on, and uniting behind a cause bigger than themselves. During his recent visit to their Wall Street office, President of Aflac Incorporated and Aflac U.S. Virgil Miller joined their walk. This daily activity has strengthened bonds across the team and has been a great way to reinforce Aflac’s commitment to wellness.

“I am so proud of Global Investments for their initiative and passion, and I commend the entire team, under Brad Dyslin’s leadership, for putting The Aflac Way into action,” said Virgil. “With each step in Miles for Miracles, the Aflac Global Investments team is proving that small actions, fueled by heart and purpose, can add up to a giant leap toward curing pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Examples like this are what make every day ‘A Great Day at Aflac!’”

“It is inspiring to see how the Global Investments team rallied around this cause,” added Max Brodén, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer. “As CFO, I’m focused on numbers every day, but this effort is about more than numbers. This effort shows how we can use our collective energy and resources to make an impact on the lives of others.”

The Aflac Global Investments team hopes their efforts will inspire others across Aflac and beyond to get involved. Learn more about Aflac’s 30-year, $191 million commitment to those with pediatric cancer and blood disorders by visiting https://www.aflacchildhoodcancer.org/.

Aflac WWHQ |1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

Z2500946 
EXP 10/26

At Viatris, we believe that mental health is an essential part of overall wellbeing. This World Mental Health Day, we reflect on the many ways our teams and partners around the world are helping to raise awareness, expand access, and create spaces of understanding for those living with mental health conditions.

Our work in 2024 included initiatives collectively aimed at promoting awareness, educating and training healthcare providers, conducting research and developing treatments with governments and institutions.

Promoting Awareness

• Supported “Tear Away the Silence” live podcasts by ‘mentl,’ a United Arab Emirates mental health advocacy platform. The campaign reached approximately 5.5 million people, contributing to reducing stigma and empowering people’s mental health and wellbeing journeys.
• Collaborated in Türkiye with the Association of Psychiatric Sciences and Research (PiBAD) on the “Hayata Varım” Mental Health Disease Awareness Campaign to break down barriers to mental health care access.
• Continued to support the Yellow September Campaign, “Love Me, Love Myself,” in partnership with the Brazilian Association of Family, Friends and People with Affective Disorders (ABRATA).
• Supported the “Words Matter” project in Mexico to educate the media on how to speak and write about mental health conditions and treatments.

Education and Training

• Supported the development of a line of care guidelines in Brazil to improve access to care, reduce stigma and optimize diagnosis and treatment in primary care. The guidelines include clinical flowcharts, evidence-based treatment protocols, training for primary care doctors, continuous patient follow-up and integration with specialized mental health networks.

Government and Institutional Partnerships

• Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Egyptian Ministry of Health to provide funding for the “Your Health is Happiness” program, part of the government’s broader 100 Million Health program. The program aims to include mental health screening for 2 million people and addresses issues such as depression, anxiety, autism, and addictions to substances, gaming and the internet in addition to supporting public awareness campaigns and capacity.

Research and Treatment Development

• Filed applications to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan for approval of Effexor® to treat adults with generalized anxiety disorder, an indication for which no other treatment option is currently approved in Japan. Viatris in 2024 published Phase 3 study results into the treatment’s efficacy and safety.

Exploring Art in Spain to Understand and Address Mental Health 

Also in 2024, the Viatris Foundation in Spain brought together psychiatrists and art experts for a unique event at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía to explore new ways to understand and talk about mental health. Participants at the “La Mente sobre el Lienzo” – or “Mind on Canvas” – event included a guided tour of some of the museum’s most iconic works and discussion about how art can offer comfort, support and provide an outlet for expression to people living with mental health conditions.

During the tour, various works were examined in depth, each linked to a psychiatric analysis. Each work served as a starting point for reflecting on how art can symbolize deep emotions, life experiences and internal struggles often faced by those living with mental health conditions.

Authored by Baker Tilly’s Norris James

Not-for-profit (NFP) leaders and boards are confronting a growing and often unseen threat, cyber and fraud risk. No longer confined to the information technology (IT) department, cybersecurity and fraudulent incidents now erode organizational trust, disrupt essential operations, drain financial resources and jeopardize the very mission not-for-profits serve. Ransomware can paralyze donor databases, phishing schemes reroute critical funds and data breaches can expose supporter information, putting relationships and reputations at risk.

The lesson is clear: cyber and fraud risk is not just about systems, it is about stewardship. For not-for-profit management and board members, the real test lies not in how firewalls are configured, but in how governance is exercised. Cyber resilience must be treated as an essential facet of fiduciary; mission continuity depends on it.

The expanding cyber risk landscape

Today’s cyber risks are more sophisticated, interconnected and consequential than ever. Key challenges for NFPs include:

• External threats: Advanced phishing and ransomware campaigns that target unsuspected users and fundraising platforms
• Internal threats: Fraud tied to vendor payments, treasury operations or credit card misuse often enabled by weak oversight
• Converging risks: Cyber incidents that seamlessly evolve into financial crimes, combining technical disruption with regulatory penalties, legal liabilities and reputational fallout
• Emerging vulnerabilities: AI-driven phishing campaigns, third-party vendor exposures and cloud misconfigurations extending risk beyond the organization’s perimeter

The implications are profound: cyber risk has evolved beyond a technical hazard managed by IT departments. It is now a governance priority, requiring an integrated oversight model that aligns asset protection, layered defenses, threat detection and response, financial controls and mission resilience under the board’s stewardship.

Smarter strategic questions

Leadership elevates oversight, clarifies strategic priorities and ensures resilience is built into organizational decision-making. Smarter strategic questions can be grouped into four key domains:

Assets and access

• What are our most critical digital and financial assets, and who can access them?

Resilience and response

• If our first line of defense failed, what safeguards would remain?
• How quickly would we detect and contain a breach or fraudulent transaction?

Reputation and confidence

• What aspects of our reputation are most vulnerable during a cyber incident?
• Are our cybersecurity investments proportionate to our actual risk exposure or driven by vendor marketing?

Governance and culture

• How actively is our board engaged in scenario planning for a live cyber or fraud event?
• What cultural signals do leaders send daily, reinforcing vigilance or tolerating complacency?

These are not technical questions, they are governance questions that determine whether cyber resilience siloed within IT or becomes part of the organization’s long-term strategic foundation.

Governance as the linchpin

Times and again, fraud risk exposure in not-for-profits traces back not to outdated technology, but to lapses in governance. Common gaps include:

• Inconsistent or absent policies for vendor approvals, treasury authority, bank signatories and expense disbursements
• Weak access controls across donor, payroll, vendor and payment platforms
• Lack of segregation of duties leaves organizations vulnerable to insider misuse or unintentional error

Without disciplined governance, even the most advanced cybersecurity tools can fail to protect an organization. With effective governance, technology becomes part of a broader culture of structural resilience that protects trust and mission.

A cyber resilience agenda: Four imperatives

To strengthen defenses and sustain trust, not-for-profit leaders should embrace a targeted resilience agenda, elevating cyber oversight as a strategic priority at the board level:

1. See through assumptions (assess vulnerabilities): Commission impendent reviews that test not only systems but also controls, policies and oversight processes. Never assume defense are sufficient until proven.
2. Close governance blind spots (strengthen governance): Codify and enforce financial and operational policies that eliminate structural weaknesses. Ensure that accountability frameworks connect fraud prevention, cyber oversight and fiduciary responsibility.
3. Invest with strategy, not hype (invest wisely in technology): Deploy advanced tools, such as endpoint detection, behavioral monitoring or incident response automation, where evidence shows actual risk exposure. Always integrate new tools within a layered defense strategy rather than relying on silver-bullet fixes.
4. Build a culture of vigilance (instill awareness): Cyber resilience is not episodic. It requires daily reinforcement through tone at the top, staff education and accountability mechanisms that normalize vigilance rather than treating it as an exception.

The leadership imperative

1. The reality is simple: cyber risk is not an IT problem; it is a leadership and board governance problem. It directly challenges donor confidence, financial integrity and mission continuity, making cyber resilience inseparable from fiduciary duty.
2. The defining question for every not-for-profit leader is: In safeguarding our digital and financial systems, are we truly protecting our mission?
3. Leaders who can answer “yes” will do more than defend infrastructure, they embed vigilance into governance, align investments with real risk and build resilience into strategy. Ultimately, these leaders won’t be defined by the cyber threats they faced, but by the trust they upheld and mission impact they sustained.

Baker Tilly can help

Our NFP-specialized cyber risk team can help your organization proactively protect and address its cybersecurity and IT risks. We can evaluate your current controls, deliver recommended improvements and provide assurance that your cybersecurity controls are working. Beyond cybersecurity, our board governance services facilitate enhanced decision-making and reinforce effective risk management practices.

Contact our team to learn more about how we can help drive your mission forward.

By Rodolfo Perez, Ph.D.

IWBI is proudly collaborating with leading industry organizations to support efforts that can lead to improved transparency and other opportunities for buildings and organizations worldwide to unite in efforts to end modern slavery in the built environment.

What is modern slavery, and why does it matter?
Many of the people working on the extraction of raw materials, in the manufacturing of products or in the construction of a building are forcefully deprived of their fundamental human rights, where they are deceived or forced into exploitative situations that they cannot refuse or leave. Broadly, these situations are catalogued as “modern slavery” and may include human trafficking, forced labor and debt bondage. According to Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index, in 2021, 50 million people were living in modern slavery. Through passport retention and other coercive strategies, people are forced to work and live under inhumane conditions.

Construction and manufacturing are prone to exploitation, as labor shortages grow and sites can be staffed with coerced workers where lax regulation and lack of enforcement is the norm. The construction ecosystem accounts for more than 13% of global GDP and more than $13 trillion in spending worldwide (Global Construction Perspectives). Because of its disaggregated nature and the sheer number of raw and composite materials, construction is considered among the high risk sectors for forced labor. As supply chains are broad, complex and often unknown, the building sector can be susceptible to inadvertently supporting these harmful practices.

From identifying the challenge to driving solutions

Modern slavery is not exclusive to the construction and building product manufacturing industry. For example, the apparel and agricultural industries also are at risk for exploitation. The International Labour Organization (ILO) promotes decent work conditions and the adoption of fundamental conventions to protect workers’ rights around the world. Many legal frameworks and regulations promote awareness and transparency in the supply chain towards identifying modern slavery situations. Example regulations include Modern Slavery Acts of Australia (2018) and the UK (2015), the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, Canada’s Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act, and California’s Transparency in Supply Chains Act. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires large companies to disclose their efforts towards assessing and improving labor conditions in their supply chain through one of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS S2, Workers in the Value Chain).

In addition to regulations, the urgency of the problem has prompted many companies to take actions to avoid direct or indirect engagement with modern slavery practices. Taking notes from playbooks first written by the apparel and food industries, certifications are becoming available for manufacturers and for sources of raw materials. Such programs may require demonstration of support for fundamental responsible labor practices through third-party verification of claims and onsite visits, plus chains of custody that clearly trace the origin of goods. Some companies perform labor audits to their suppliers and deeper in their supply chains. Still, the level of awareness and pervasiveness of the problem requires manufacturers of all scales to significantly ramp up efforts to improve their own labor conditions and demand labor dignity and traceability in their supply chains.

Companies can also support fair labor practices through their corporate policies and by vetting goods and services throughout their procurement processes. As a cultural and humanitarian center, Grace Farms Foundation has brought people together across sectors to advance the Design for Freedom Movement. Design for Freedom works to end modern slavery and eliminate forced and child labor in the building materials supply chain. Through the release of the Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit, Grace Farms is raising awareness and promoting ethical practices within the built environment. The Toolkit provides background information on the scope of modern slavery, features high-risk raw and composite materials, areas where extraction and manufacturing has been particularly prone to exploitation, and provides tools and resources for architects, designers and contractors to explore material transparency and start conversations with manufacturers and suppliers about responsible supply chains.

“The design and construction sector has acknowledged responsible material procurement is not only a priority, but a critical lever for change. This industry recognition represents a shift that design is advancing beyond aesthetics, performance, and sustainability to now also incorporate human dignity. The Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that can be used to enhance material transparency, accountability, and human rights due diligence.”
— Nora Rizzo, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, LFA | Ethical Materials Director, Grace Farms Foundation

The role of WELL
Building upon these initiatives, the WELL Building Standard includes two relevant strategies to help companies to assess and address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains.

• In feature C17: Responsible Labor Practices of the Community concept, organizations are required to list, map, commit to and report progress to establish and maintain fair and human-centric labor practices for contracted or employed groups traditionally prone to poor working conditions such as cleaning, catering, construction, security and building maintenance.
• Elimination of the embodied suffering in building products is the target of the strategies under X13: Fair Labor in Building Products in the Materials concept. In these strategies, organizations are required to install products from manufacturers that can demonstrate provision of living wages to their employees, that procure raw materials from certified and/or more transparent supply chains, and that assess, disclose and confirm fair labor practices on their suppliers. Much of this feature was inspired by the work of Grace Farms and aligned with strategies listed in the Design for Freedom International Guidance & Toolkit.

Collaboration is key

Consistent with IWBI’s governance process of engaging stakeholders during the standard development process, these WELL strategies were developed after years of consultation with global industry leaders, a key element to address this worldwide problem. We built these strategies with the goal to empower concurrent initiatives to help propel the movement towards better and truly restorative built environments. For example, IWBI has joined with organizations such as Grace Farms Foundation, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International Living Future Institute under the umbrella of mindful MATERIALS to align efforts to select more responsible building products. Together, through such collaborative efforts, we hope to continue to make progress in how the built environment works and operates in an effective and positive way.

IWBI promotes sustainable supply chains as part of its larger focus on social sustainability – the practice of managing and optimizing an organization’s impact on its people, community and broader societal systems. To learn more about leveraging WELL to promote social sustainability, view this resource.

View original content here.

Originally published on NCPA.org

Recently, Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) announced a new collaboration aimed at improving heart health in rural communities in the United States.

NCPA has launched a program in partnership with BMS to address health-related social needs and care coordination for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) by piloting community health worker specialized training for pharmacy technicians. Pharmacist-community health worker teams in 25 rural pharmacies across Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri will be trained through a rigorous curriculum to more effectively evaluate patients with higher risk of CVD and guide them toward appropriate healthcare providers for further care and evaluation.

Additionally, NCPA is creating new access points at these same independent pharmacies for screening, monitoring and management of cardiovascular disease, funded through a separate and independent grant by BMS, as part of a pilot program to evaluate the impact of enhanced access to critical healthcare services in medically underserved communities.

CVD disproportionately impacts rural Americans, with adults in rural areas facing a 19% higher risk of developing heart failure and being 1.5 times more likely to die of CVD than adults in urban areas. Community pharmacies are often the only access point to connect patients with critical healthcare services in many rural geographies. BMS and NCPA’s commitments to address healthcare disparities in rural America aim to improve healthcare delivery and, ultimately, outcomes.

“Too many patients in rural America face barriers to cardiovascular care—barriers that tragically cost lives,” said Andrew Whitehead, vice president and head of Population Health at Bristol Myers Squibb. “Through our collaboration with NCPA, we are confronting these challenges head-on. By supporting the NCPA Community Health Worker training for pharmacy techs to further assist in the continuity of care for patients in these communities, we’re helping to close a critical gap in our healthcare system and reaffirming our commitment to creating equitable access to care for all.”

“We are pleased to partner with BMS to improve access to care for people in rural communities,” said B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA, CEO of NCPA. “The NCPA Innovation Center has partnered with the 25 rural pharmacies to improve cardiovascular outcomes through care coordination, screenings, transition of care interventions, and making sure patients have access to the medicines they need to sustain and improve health. Community pharmacists and their teams are increasingly playing a bigger role in the healthcare of Americans, and we are excited to create new, sustainable models of pharmacy-based care.”

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is a US-based organization that represents the interests of nearly 19,000 independent pharmacies across the country, many of which are located in areas where healthcare is hard to find, and one-third of which are in communities of less than 10,000 people.

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Spills in oil fields, whether produced water, hydrocarbons, or other fluids, demand swift and effective response to minimize impacts on potential receptors, the environment, and operations. This live panel discussion will provide practical strategies for managing oil field spills from first response through closure, with insights from both risk management and field practitioners. 

Key approaches the session will highlight include: 

• Prompt spill response to contain impacts and safeguard receptors
• Field screening methods that support efficient decision-making and help avoid over-remediation
• Comprehensive documentation of work, burn rates, waste management, and sampling data
• Effective remediation techniques such as flushing, excavation, addition of amendments, and land farming
• Collaboration with regulatory authorities to access critical data and streamline closure
• Featured speakers in this panel discussion include Seth Kagan, Vice President, Head of Environmental Claims at Aspen, David Grounds, Visionary HSE & Regulatory Leader with 22+ years of oil & gas experience, and Troy Bernal, Senior Consultant & Spill Response Subject Matter Expert at Antea Group USA. The discussion will be moderated by Rosemarie Hebner, Esq., Senior Consultant at Antea Group USA, ensuring a dynamic conversation that bridges, insurance, operational, and consulting perspectives. 

Together, this expert panel will equip attendees with actionable strategies to strengthen spill response and remediation programs, whether for produced water releases or broader oil field incidents. 

Join us on October 28^th at 2pm ET for this live panel discussion.

Register Here!

Download the report

Welcome to the third edition of the KPMG ESG Assurance Maturity Index. Since we inaugurated this series, significant developments have unfolded, and the sustainability landscape has shifted in decisive ways.

This year, KPMG surveyed senior executives and board members with ESG reporting and assurance knowledge at 1,320 companies across industries and global regions, with a mean revenue of US$16.8 billion. Of these, 310 companies identified that they reported and obtained assurance over their sustainability disclosures in accordance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) for financial years beginning on or after January 1, 2024 (Wave 1). We also expanded the sample size to include respondents from Africa, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, to ensure representation from across each continent.

The Index captures a pivotal moment. As regulatory frameworks such as the CSRD and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards gain traction, organizations are being called to act — not merely react. The data reveals that while some sectors are advancing with confidence, others are still navigating early stages. Yet across the board, the message is clear: ESG assurance is not a destination, it is a journey that demands courage, clarity, and commitment.

Want to know how your company measures against your peers? Complete our short survey to find out!

ESG Assurance Maturity Index benchmarking tool

Read more on kpmg.com

ST. PAUL, Minn., October 9, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group USA, a leading environmental and sustainability consulting firm, today announced its pro bono involvement in addressing PFAS contamination in the water supply of the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, located on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota.

The Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, serving approximately 250 students and 50 teachers, support staff, custodians, bus drivers, and others, has been grappling with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in its water supply. Routine sampling discovered that four to eight PFAS compounds were present in the water from the school’s four on-site supply wells. This contamination may have been ongoing at the school’s current site in 1984, with the most likely source being the use of floor waxes and coatings containing PFAS compounds for over 30 years. Repeated cleaning, reapplication, and water disposal to the onsite treatment system likely led PFAS compounds to enter the groundwater supply. These “forever chemicals” are linked to various health risks, and the long-term exposure for the school community has necessitated urgent action.

Antea Group President and hydrogeology expert, Bob Karls, is donating his time and specialized knowledge to the ongoing remediation efforts by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, who are actively collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and several State agencies. Support of this project is part of Antea Group USA’s broader corporate social responsibility program, which dedicates 1% of annual profits to pro bono work for non-profit organizations.

“We are honored to contribute our expertise to the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in their pursuit of clean and safe drinking water,” said Bob Karls, President of Antea Group USA. “This pro bono project underscores our deep commitment to environmental stewardship and supporting communities in need, especially when facing complex challenges like PFAS contamination. Our goal is to provide the technical hydrogeological insights necessary to secure a new, clean water source for the school and protect the health of its students and staff.”

Bob serves on the board of Northern Waters Land Trust, a local nonprofit dedicated to conserving northern Minnesota’s watersheds, lakes, and wildlife. Through Northern Waters Land Trust, he learned about the school’s water issues and, with Antea Group’s support, committed to addressing the supply challenges affecting students and staff.

Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Superintendent Dan McKeon shared, “Discovering that water at the school was unsafe for consumption was devastating. There are families who for generations have sent their children to the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, so the thought of the water being unsafe created a lot of frustration and fear. Having people like Bob on our team has helped us turn the corner from fear and frustration to hope and a sense of safety down the road. His expertise has been invaluable, as has his gentle and considerate approach to this sensitive project.”

Multiple water treatment options and new water sources were evaluated based on cost, environmental impact, and user concerns. The preferred solution involves drilling into a protected aquifer approximately 300 feet deep. Test wells have confirmed suitability, and engineering work is now underway to install new supply wells and connect them to the school’s water systems. The existing wells will be properly decommissioned, and continued monitoring of both shallow and nearby wells will ensure the contaminated groundwater is no longer used.

“In collaboration with our multi-agency team working to alleviate our PFAS concerns, Bob’s knowledge and expertise has assisted Leech Lake and the school to understand this emerging science, guiding us through our options, avoiding costly treatments and encouraging all parties to find clean water,” shared Brandy Toft, Environmental Director for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. “Bob’s engagement has greatly assisted us to do things right the first time—proactively—so we can secure clean and safe water for our children.”

Antea Group USA is proud to partner with the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in this vital effort to protect the health of students and staff and ensure a healthier future for the community.

About Antea Group USA: Antea Group USA is an international environmental and sustainability consulting firm that partners with clients to create a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable world. By combining industry expertise with a global perspective, Antea Group USA offers a wide range of services, including environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consulting. Learn more about Antea Group’s expertise in PFAS management.

About Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School: The Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School is a K-12 Tribal school located on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota. It provides education and a supportive learning environment for approximately 300 students and faculty. Learn more: www.bugonaygeshig.com

About the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe: The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is a federally recognized, sovereign Native American Tribe located in north central Minnesota. The LLBO is committed to the responsible operation of government, preservation of our heritage, promotion of our sovereignty, and the protection of natural resources for our elders and future generations, while enhancing the health, economic well-being, education, and our inherent right to live as Ojibwe People.

Media Contacts: 

Alison Bryant
Antea Group
alison.bryant@anteagroup.us

Michael Chosa, Communications Director
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
mike.chosa@llojibwe.net

AI is reshaping agriculture – and CNH, a world-class equipment, technology and services company, is at the forefront of this transformation. In one of the world’s oldest industries, they have been supporting farmers through innovation and engineering for over 180 years. Today, as they face challenges such as constrained farming land, a changing climate and labor shortages, CNH are delivering AI-powered solutions that help them work smarter and more sustainably.

On CNH combines, tractors, and sprayers, AI systems make complex decisions in real time, from steering vehicles to optimizing inputs all to improve productivity and yields. Technologies such as SenseApply™ sprayer automation use machine vision to apply treatment only where needed, cutting herbicide use and increasing productivity for farmers each year.

In their latest A Sustainable Year story, CNH experts, including Head of Technology Strategies and Product Innovation, Francesca Protano, share how AI is making farming smarter, faster, and more sustainable. The story also features insights from Dr. Dennis Buckmaster, professor and expert in digital agriculture and AI at Purdue University, on how AI and connectivity are shaping the future of farming.

Read the full story here.