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Navigating through COVID-19 continued from page 7

“A positive I’ve seen is having more interaction with people in social person; I like the interaction with designers, field ops,
other studios,” he said. “Especially since Food and Beverage clients, vendors, and subcontractors. Video conferences can
is in a separate building, my main pool of interaction was the get you so far but it’s still hard to make a connection… that
people I sit near within my studio when I work in the office. Since has been my largest struggle. It’s hard to make a personal
working from home, it’s just as easy to call someone from my connection with someone via a Zoom meeting.
studio as it is to call someone in another studio so I’ve been “For the past 15 years I spent 25-40% of my days on the
taking advantage of this time to learn more from team members road. Being home for breakfast, lunch and dinner with my
outside my studio.” wife and daughter is not something I would ever want to give
“One thing I’ve learned is that you have to learn to adapt no back. I’ll take facetiming with a subcontractor over [having to]
matter the circumstances,” said George Donkor. “You have to facetime with my wife and daughter. The best part of working
learn to stay motivated and work through the difficult moments remotely is you can schedule your day as opposed to your day
with whatever tools you have available.” scheduling you.”
Tim Sandberg has found some aspects of his new work Team members all around Gray have embraced the necessity
environment to be challenging, but he’s also enjoyed being of working from home and practicing social distancing in
home during this time. their jobsite responsibilities. A few have found remarkable
“Design-build is an inherently collaborative and interactive ways to give back to people working on the frontlines in our
8 work environment, and those who work well with others thrive communities: healthcare workers. As worry over personal 9
protective equipment shortages were being reported around
while those who run alone get trampled,” said Tim. “I am a
the country, the BIM team and A/E Operations in the Lexington From Kentucky increased preparation for buying trips as well as calculated time
Office decided to use their 3-D printer to make face shields. The delays to account for theses logistical hurdles. For personal
group produced around 70 face shields that were donated to to Zambia: safety, it becomes a matter of “taking it seriously” as safety is
hospitals and doctors, including those working at the University not really a thing here. Since our first day on the jobsite we have
of Kentucky; the University of Louisville; an Emergency Room been pushing safety. Gray was generous to donate funds to
in Nashville, Tennessee; and two local dentist offices. The face Mark Garrison buy our crew work suits, gloves, safety boots and protective
shield recipients said they were greatly appreciated by both eyewear. I still get lofty glances when reminding them to wear their
medical staff and patients. glasses. Now with COVID-19, the hospital has increased its PPE
We’re still not sure when the COVID-19 pandemic will be uses his talents requirements for anyone entering the facility. We are also required
behind us, or when we’ll be back to a “new normal.” One to enter from a designated entry point that is separate from
thing we do know is we’re impressed and thankful for all of our patient entry. Despite these issues we keep moving forward and
team members for rising to the occasion. Together, we will get overseas continue to work towards the goal of providing MMH with a new
through this. theatre they can use to serve the Zambians.
The project as a whole is going well but we are behind
Clockwise, from left: Team members practice social distancing on the Diageo jobsite. Just over a year ago, BIM/VDC Specialist Mark Garrison schedule by about 4-6 weeks. This is mostly due to logistical
Terry Filter has the cutest little co-worker. Chris Elder with Gray Ohio Valley shared
this images of a table with COVID-19 preparedeness instructions and materials on moved to Zambia, Africa along with his wife and four children. hurdles we have faced over the past 2-3 months. We also
the Agtech Scientific project. George Donkor gets some work done while keeping his They have been working tirelessly to build a new surgical center received notice that the U.S.-based contractor who was hired
11-month-old cozy and nearby. as volunteers with World Medical Mission, the medical arm of to complete the solar, back power and medical gas systems
Samaritan’s Purse. Below, Mark has summarized his time in has backed out of the project. We had worked with him months
Zambia as an update for his Gray family. before our departure on the design. They were scheduled to arrive
for installation and commission the building upon our departure.
Veepe mwane! It is unfortunate but also pushes the responsibility of this portion
It’s been over a year since we left Kentucky for rural Zambia of the project back on the hospital in order to get it complete.
to oversee the construction of a new surgical center at Mukinge We are hoping to provide as much assistance as possible but
Mission Hospital (MMH). It has been the most challenging, difficult we know our remaining time here is running short. We were
yet rewarding project that we have ever done. Without a doubt, scheduled to return to the U.S. in April but COVID-19 has limited
it’s been one of the most gratifying years of my life. The challenges travel. So here we are in June still going and working towards the
have been many but we have been able to work alongside the project’s completion. We are hoping we can remain as long as
Zambians to formulate solutions while also building a great team. possible but know we only raised support for 12 months.
At the core our team is made up of 12 guys but we have been as The world we live in has changed but we still must keep
high 30 depending on the day’s tasks. pressing forward. Working at Gray for for nearly eight years before
The two biggest challenges we have had to overcome are 1) this project prepared me in ways I couldn’t have foreseen. The
Logistics and 2) Personal safety. With increased global awareness core values of Gray have proven invaluable to us throughout the
of COVID-19 this has brought about increased challenges for project. We want to thank everyone at Gray for your support and
both. As for logistics, we are now subjected to a two-week encouragement over the past year. In many ways it feels like our
quarantine whenever we leave the district and return. The closest Gray family is along with us on this journey. Please feel free to
grocery is 2.5 hours away and the building supply store is an email us at markwgarrison@gmail.com. We enjoy reading your
additional four hours. We have had to make calculated decisions messages and hearing about life back in Kentucky. We look
about when we plan these trips and who goes. Our truck has forward to hearing what we’ve missed in your lives and sharing
a 15-ton weight limit which is also factored in. We have needed our adventures with you all when we return.