Adams and Christy of Tighe & Bond recognized as “40 Under 40” leaders

Westfield, MA Tighe & Bond employees Sarah Adams, AICP and Jean Christy, PE were recognized by Business West as “40 Under 40” leaders at an award ceremony at Holyoke’s Log Cabin. Adams and Christy are two of 40 award winners selected from a pool of nearly 200 applicants. The award recognizes exemplary leadership both on the job and within the community.

Project planner Adams is a vital member of Tighe & Bond’s land use and transportation team. She began working with the firm in 2015 and has contributed to energy-related projects, including solar, wind, energy-from-waste, and hydropower generation developments located throughout the Northeast. Adams provides permitting support for projects at the federal, state, and local levels, and prepares environmental documentation such as initial studies and environmental impact reports. 

Recently, she was involved with the EBCNE award-winning redevelopment of the Mt. Tom Coal Plant site in Holyoke. 

Adams belongs to numerous professional organizations including New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE). She was named to the Board of Directors for NEWIEE in 2018 and was instrumental in launching a Rising Professionals Group earlier this year. Adams is also a dedicated mentor and coach for young girls through the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program. Through GOTR, she helped implement girl-driven community impact projects that include goods and funding drives for local animal shelters, a “Pennies for Puerto Rico” campaign to supply vital water filtration technologies in the wake of Hurricane Maria, and school ground cleanups.

Adams said, “I feel very connected to Western Massachusetts and enjoy investing in its future. I’m fortunate to have an unbelievably supportive work family and to work for a firm that encourages community involvement. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if a whole cast of characters hadn’t invested their time and energy into helping me learn and understand my strengths and opportunities, so it’s important to me to do the same for other young women and girls.”

Senior engineer Christy has been part of the Tighe & Bond team since 2012 and has 16 years of experience in management, design, permitting and construction of civil engineering design projects. As a key member of the land use and transportation group, Christy’s expertise has enabled her to work on projects ranging from site and roadway design to complex stormwater management analyses.

She also is known to share her professional experiences as a mentor to junior staff working on site and stormwater design. Christy carried this giving mentality into her work in communities throughout Western Massachusetts. In 2016, she founded her nonprofit Three’s Company T1D Support after her three children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Christy’s mission is to raise awareness about type 1 diabetes and provide support for families living with the disease. Through this non-profit, Christy and her family organize fundraising events to support research for a cure and better treatment of the disease.

“Being named a ’40 Under 40’ leader means I’m doing something right. I’ve always worked hard and volunteered my time, without any expectation of being recognized for it. This recent recognition of my work outside of Tighe & Bond feels overwhelming. The support that I have received from both people with direct connections to the diabetes world, and those who don’t know anything about the disease, is astonishing. People genuinely want to help and are willing to lend a hand without hesitation, you just have to ask,” said Christy.