Wellness

Wellness at Freese and Nichols includes offering the right insurance for our staff’s needs, which is reviewed annually. For example, in 2025, we introduced HealthCheck360, a wellness program that includes a complimentary biometric screening and a short health assessment for benefits-eligible employees. We also added a hospital indemnity benefit and increased the employer contribution to the health savings account (HSA). In 2023, we added a contribution to the dependent care flexible spending account, with Freese and Nichols contributing $1,000 to all accounts, and today, 121 employees are enrolled in this benefit. In 2022, we adjusted our benefits to include a Paid Parental Leave Program for primary and secondary caregivers. This benefit has been very popular with our employees, with 48 employees utilizing the paid parental leave program in 2025, resulting in 6,554 hours of leave used by staff to spend with their growing families. 

Our plans offer access to discounts on health products and programs you use every day, including things like vision and hearing care, gym memberships, mind/body programs and alternative medicine. Our MyWell-Being Program provides corporate memberships at the YMCA, healthy snacks in our breakrooms, fun fitness activities and an annual reimbursement for activities or purchases that help you focus on your everyday health.

As of October 2025, the firm rolled out Blissbook, a new and improved policy handbook, to all employees in digital format. Included are four policy updates to support employees:

• A compassionate leave, formerly bereavement leave, extension
• Increased bonuses for professional certifications
• Dress code updates
• Upfront paid time off for new full-time hires effective October 1, 2025

Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program is a resource for every employee – and everyone in his or her household – to help with just about anything, including childcare, handling stress, financial management, legal assistance, mental health and finding a physician.

Benefits With an Impact

• Freese and Nichols’ insurance plan covers the lives of roughly 2,400 people
• 22 of our benefits offerings are paid for completely by the firm
• Freese and Nichols offers benefits to true half-time employees working 20 hours per week – a unique benefit, as many firms do not offer benefits for staff working less than 30 hours per week

Recruiting and Retention

Recruiting efforts are determined by several factors, including workload, upcoming project needs and areas for technical growth. We continually monitor backlog and workload projections with our division managers, group managers and practice leaders to keep a pulse on the needs of our various teams and listen to our employees through regular check-in meetings and our annual employee engagement survey as we work together to maintain a manageable workload for employees and managers.

Our recruiting efforts span across the U.S., leveraging technical professional organizations networks such as the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). We also focus our recruiting efforts on other technical professions, such as planning, environmental, architecture and construction management. From Fall 2023 – Fall 2025, our university recruiting teams participated in 17 career fairs at campuses in several states. In 2025, we hired interns and new grads from 56 schools.

Recruiting is only the first step in building a strong workforce. Freese and Nichols is equally committed to creating meaningful experiences that help employees build connections and grow their careers. In 2026, we hosted our inaugural Intern Kickoff, bringing interns from across our regions together for three days of interactive learning, networking and professional development. The event introduced interns to our culture, leadership and colleagues while fostering relationships that strengthen engagement and support long-term career success at Freese and Nichols.

Leadership Development

Freese and Nichols is committed to developing leaders to support long-term success. The purpose of our Leadership Development Program is to cultivate leaders through immersive learning, peer collaboration and strategic development experiences that drive personal and organizational success. The program spans 12 months and combines in-person learning with virtual development and peer collaboration. For front-line leaders, foundational leadership skills align with core competencies like effective communication and driving results; for team managers, building leadership depth and developing others aligned with competencies such as attracting talent, developing teams and driving engagement; for group managers, business acumen and advanced talent strategies align with competencies such as driving vision and purpose and strategic mindset.

Involvement with K-12 Schools, Universities and Licensure/Certification Exam Preparation

Our staff are regularly involved in promoting careers in our industry. At the university level, we often give presentations on topics like career development and professional licensure and share specific technical expertise. We also volunteer with organizations that target high school-aged youth, such as MATHCOUNTS and the ACE Mentor Program of America, as well as at a variety of STEM and K-12 school events and career days. For those pursuing a new license or certification, Freese and Nichols staff often lead workshops and study groups open to anyone, both within and outside our firm.

Learn More

• LinkedIn: Staff from Greenville and Charlotte Participate in MATHCOUNTS Competition
• Shad Comeaux Teaches Principles of Site Design at Texas Southern University
• Freese and Nichols Invests in San Antonio ACE Mentor Program Students
• Mat Leclair’s Commitment to Aiding the Next Generation of Professional Engineers
• Austin Office Hosts Urban Planners for AICP Exam Prep Workshop

Our reporting system indicates that in 2025, our teams donated roughly 9,700 hours to more than 350 organizations, including ACE Mentor Program of America, Audubon Texas, Future City Competition, Feeding Tampa Bay, Trees of Atlanta, United Way, Victory Over Violence, Water for People and more. 

We believe living out our LEADS values as we “Serve Always” is a true differentiator. We blend our commitment to client service with deep involvement in our communities and professions, resulting in enduring benefits to the world around us. Since 2019, our employees have volunteered more than 34,970 hours to various charitable, civil and professional organizations.

Learn More

• LinkedIn: Florida staff support oyster shell restoration in Tampa Bay
• LinkedIn: Raleigh staff support the Waters of Wilson stormwater initiative
• LinkedIn: Texas environmental team helps restore oyster reefs in St. Charles Bay
• LinkedIn: Oklahoma City staff participates in statewide Great American Cleanup

Corporate Giving

In 2025, Freese and Nichols invested more than $703,000 in local communities through charitable contributions and sponsorships. From community and nonprofit organizations to professional and client organizations, our contributions are important to the success of our industry and span our locations across Texas and the U.S.

To strengthen our community impact, Freese and Nichols has expanded decision-making to the local level, empowering divisional leaders to work alongside employees and community partners to identify opportunities that best reflect local needs. This approach enables each division to make meaningful contributions while operating within companywide guidelines, keeping our giving aligned with Freese and Nichols’ mission, values and strategic priorities.

Freese and Nichols has been involved in and engaged with the United Way since the 1970s. Our CEO, Brian Coltharp, served as a board member of United Way of Tarrant County from 2018 to 2024, as Co-Chair of the Annual Campaign in 2021, and as Chair of the Annual Campaign in 2022.

We sponsor a company-wide United Way campaign every fall, resulting in our largest combined donation to a single charitable organization. The campaign includes the opportunity for employees to donate to United Way via payroll deduction and participate in fundraising activities planned by each office. Freese and Nichols matches every employee donation, dollar-for-dollar. In 2025, our United Way campaign raised more than $330,000 – one of the best in our history.

Below is just a sampling of our more than 1,000 corporate giving beneficiaries over the last five years.

Reducing Workplace Injuries

While we always encourage reporting injuries to supervisors and the safety team, even if they seem minor, our number of OSHA recordable injuries remains well below the industry average.

We accomplish this with a handful of tactics and trainings, including expanding our partnership with WorkCare. WorkCare operates a 24-hour phone line that allows staff to talk to an occupational health nurse or physician to determine whether an injury requires evaluation or treatment at a clinic. Nurses can recommend self-care measures or help direct staff to a facility that specializes in workplace injuries and has the necessary information about our company contacts and workers’ comp insurance. Now WorkCare can assist Freese and Nichols with injury case management, significantly shortening the time it takes an injured employee to return to work healthy.

Freese and Nichols’ Voices Committee

Our Voices Committee was formed in 2020 to help foster a workplace that reflects and contributes to the diverse communities in which we do business. Because our work is devoted to improving communities, Freese and Nichols is committed to fostering a workplace and business environment where every individual is valued, respected and supported. We champion inclusive practices that recognize each person’s contributions and promote fairness in opportunity. Just as we support one another internally, we’re also here to help our clients reach their goals in serving all the people in their communities.

In 2025, Freese and Nichols’ second annual Taste of the World Potluck brought employees together across offices to celebrate heritage, belonging and community through the universal language of food. From homemade favorites to treasured family recipes, employees shared dishes that reflected their cultures, backgrounds and personalities. It was a moment of togetherness that embodied our LEADS value to ‘Engage as Family.’

Learn More

• LinkedIn: Florida staff celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
• LinkedIn: Companywide event celebrates culture and connection at Taste of the World Potluck
• Freese and Nichols again named a top workplace for women by Fortune

Diversity in Hiring

We recognize the historical gap in our industry in the employment of women and minorities in technical roles and have placed a value on recruiting in these areas as we grow geographically and expand our service offerings. We have numerous staff members who are members of the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and our technical staff actively network at chapter events and regional conferences to develop relationships with clients, seek out potential employee candidates and network with peers.

For the 2024-2025 University Recruiting Hiring Season:

• 46% of Intern hires were female
• 38% of Intern hires were racial/ethnic minorities
• 47% of university hires (new graduates plus interns) were female
• 47% of university hires (new graduates plus interns) were racial/ethnic minorities

Through intentional relationships with universities that align with our growth plans, employee referrals and a recruiting strategy that extends beyond campuses, we reach a broad pool of talent for our internship and new graduate positions. Our university recruiting efforts focus on institutions that graduate some of the nation’s largest engineering talent pools, with an emphasis on campuses located in the communities where we have offices and employees actively engage with students. Strategic schools are selected based on factors such as program relevance, existing relationships, talent pool size and diversity, hiring success and proximity to our office locations. We evaluate candidates based on their skills, experience and potential, creating opportunities for talented individuals from diverse educational backgrounds.

Mentor-Protégé Program

For more than two decades, Freese and Nichols has developed mutually beneficial relationships with Small, M/W/DBE and HUB firms, specifically through our collaborative mentor-protégé partnerships. Some of these relationships are sponsored and managed by our municipal clients, and others have organically grown through our ongoing relationships and our own internal program. We are currently participating in two Federal mentor-protégé partnerships.

Our partnership begins with an agreement that sets expectations for both parties, a mentor-protégé plan and regular meetings to provide opportunities and education. Sessions between our firms include sharing best practices and knowledge of current industry regulations; sessions on strategic planning, risk management, human resources, IT, sales and marketing; recommending accounting efficiencies; and positioning together for client projects that would benefit both parties.