Fisher Associates relocates to downtown, partners with RCSD for education

You could say Fisher Associates just became the prime delegate for the “We Love Rochester” campaign.

The multidisciplinary consulting firm of engineers and surveyors officially christened a new downtown office at 180 Charlotte St. on Monday morning, becoming part of what the City of Rochester sees as a revival in the old east Inner Loop area.

“Rochester is going through a renaissance and Fisher Associates is proud to be a part of it,” Roseann Schmid, CEO of the firm, said at a morning news conference. “Great things are happening in this city and we now have a front-row seat.”

Fisher specializes in projects related to transportation, land development and energy. Offices had been in Henrietta, but Schmid said downtown is where employees want to be, so the more than 50 employees are now working in revamped space that once housed Isaac Heating and Air Conditioning.

“Frankly, the younger generation prefers to be in the city,” she said. “They prefer to live and work in the city. We felt to be an attractive employer, we needed to be in the middle of it all.”

City officials are certainly glad to have them, as plans spearheaded by Mayor Lovely A. Warren are coming to fruition, Deputy Mayor Cedric Alexander said.

“There’s a lot of energy in the city and lot of energy to come,” Alexander said. “The city is at a new place in our history. You know that growth is coming, and Fisher Associates left the suburbs because they want to be around the energy and growth, to be a part of a new history.”

The firm also wants to be a part of educating the students of the city through a work-based learning program, where the community becomes the classroom. Fisher Associates has partnered with the Rochester City School District to introduce students to the engineering and consulting fields. Fisher Associates Career Training, or F.A.C.T., will host students throughout the year.

“This program will prepare our students to be global citizens in our economy,” said Rhonda Neal, executive director for career pathways & college and business partnerships for the RCSD. “It’s important not just for the students but for the communities in which they live.”

High school students in grades 9-12 will be involved, but so, too, will middle school students in grades 6-8, Neal said.

“This can be a win-win for us,” Schmid said. “We see a shortage in some fields (land surveying, for one). Exposing students to these opportunities can eventually feed the work force.”

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