Culture
MFA Marks 30 Years with a Day of Learning, Connection, and Celebration
For thirty years, Maul Foster & Alongi has helped communities become better places to live, work, and gather by reimagining written-off land, planning for what comes next, and helping turn aspirations into reality.
Since opening our doors in 1996, MFA has remained committed not only to delivering exceptional work in our communities but also to creating a company worth showing up for. That commitment was evident on September 18, 2026, when employees from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond gathered in Portland, Oregon for a day dedicated to sharing knowledge, strengthening relationships, and celebrating our collective success. Together, we shared ideas, lessons learned, and project successes through our annual Technical Symposium before ending the night with a 90s-themed celebration honoring MFA's 30-year journey and the people who continue to shape its future.
Kicking Off the Day: MFA's Tech Symposium
What Is the Tech Symposium?
MFA held its first Technical Symposium in 2014, bringing together employees to share knowledge, explore emerging ideas, and learn from one another across disciplines. What began as an opportunity for staff to showcase innovative projects and technical expertise has grown into a company-wide event that not only celebrates curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning, but also creates valuable opportunities for employees to connect face-to-face and strengthen relationships across offices, teams, and service areas.
A Day of Learning and Collaboration
This year's Tech Symposium kicked off with a special message from MFA founder, Neil Alongi, who reflected on one of the principles that has guided the firm for three decades: good work begets good work. He also emphasized the importance of connectedness, collaboration, and the synergy that comes from bringing people together in person. That theme carried throughout the day, as every presentation highlighted the power of teamwork across disciplines and the value of combining diverse perspectives to better serve our clients.
Throughout the day, presenters highlighted innovative projects, emerging technologies, and lessons learned from work across MFA's service areas. Presentation topics ranged from identifying compliance opportunities during site visits and leveraging successful projects to expand client services, to MFA's 30-year GIS and data journey. Attendees also heard project success stories across a range of services including litigation support, land banking, and environmental cleanup efforts, while gaining insight into growing service areas like energy, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and the integration of artificial intelligence into our daily workflows. The day served as a reminder that some of MFA's greatest strengths lie in our ability to learn from one another, work together, and continually evolve to meet our clients' changing needs.
Celebrating 30 Years of MFA
An Evening to Remember
As the Tech Symposium concluded, the celebration continued with MFA's 30th Anniversary Party. Themed after the decade MFA got its start, our employees traveled back to the ‘90s to commemorate 30 years of growth, impact, and community. In addition to fanny packs, parachute pants, and butterfly clips, the evening featured a sit-down meal, caricature artist, photo booth, hot dog stand, ice cream truck, and a packed dance floor, giving employees a chance to let their hair down, connect, and relive a little ‘90s nostalgia.
Celebrating Employees Who Live Our Values
The evening also included a special recognition ceremony honoring employees who exemplify MFA's core values of innovation, collaboration, agility, respect, excellence, and community. Congratulations to this year's award recipients:
- Josh Elliott, PE – Innovation
- Amanda Bixby, LHG – Collaboration
- Joe Mixon – Agility
- Justin Hansen – Respect
- Meaghan Pollock, LGH – Excellence
- Seth Baker – Community
Here’s to Building the Next 30 Years
The day served as a powerful reminder of what has fueled our success from the beginning: talented people, meaningful relationships, and a shared purpose of building stronger communities. Thank you to everyone who presented, participated, and helped make the day memorable. Here's to the next 30 years of building community together!
