People leave companies for all kinds of reasons. They pursue new opportunities, take on different challenges or look for something their current role cannot offer. But what makes someone choose to return, or boomerang, back to an organization?
For Sofia Hartman, Carl Gutekunst, and Casandy Ma, time away from BKF became an important part of their careers. Each left for a different reason and then gained experience they’ve recently brought back to BKF.
Sofia, a Water Resources Project Engineer, wanted to build deeper expertise in resiliency. Carl, a Land Development Project Manager, wanted more leadership responsibility early in his career. And Casandy, Technical Accounting Manager, wanted to step back from day-to-day management and find a different balance. But each returned with new skills and a clearer sense of what they valued in a workplace.
A New Direction Leads Back to BKF
For Sofia Hartman, the return journey was driven by a passion for water resources and climate resilience. Her BKF story actually started twice. First as one of the Sacramento office’s earliest high school interns, and later as a full-time civil engineer after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
After beginning her career at BKF, she left to deepen her expertise at a specialized water resources firm. The experience gave her valuable technical knowledge, but also highlighted aspects of BKF she had taken for granted.
“I realized there are certain things that BKF offers employees that are not industry standard,” she said. “The flexibility, understanding that employees have lives outside of their jobs, and the people it attracts.”
Today, through BKF’s acquisition of Lotus Water, Sofia gets what she calls “the best of both worlds” by working on climate resiliency and sea-level-rise projects like the Colma Creek Restoration and Adaptation Plan, while benefiting from the resources and culture she originally valued at BKF. Her reason for returning was simple: “I get to make a lasting impact on my community working on climate resiliency projects.”
Seeing BKF Through a New Lens
Carl also started with BKF early in his career. After two years in Redwood City, he moved to a smaller firm where he was quickly exposed to project management, contractors and team leadership. Years later, that broader industry experience gave him a new perspective on BKF.
“People choosing to return demonstrates something beyond simply saying it is a ‘good place to work,’” he said. “You see a piece of the pie and begin to understand that the culture at BKF strong.”
What stood out most upon returning was mentorship and career development. “There is a true incentive to try to get people promoted. It makes the teams individually stronger.”
Asked why he came back, his answer was simple: “Projects, culture and mentorship.”
Casandy’s story offers a different perspective. After helping grow BKF’s accounting team for years, she left to find a less demanding role as she began thinking about retirement. But after spending time elsewhere, she found herself missing something she hadn’t fully appreciated before: the people.
“I came back because I see the talent of the accounting team that I respect,” she said. “Here, I have people I can partner with and work through challenges together.”
Her year away reinforced how much she valued BKF’s culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. In her words, “In the end, I still pick BKF.”
Coming Back Stronger
These aren’t stories about returning to exactly where you started. Sofia came back with deeper technical expertise. Carl returned with years of project management and leadership experience. Casandy brought additional systems and accounting experience.
And BKF had evolved, too.
That may be what makes boomerang careers so valuable. People leave for good reasons, grow in ways they might not have otherwise, and sometimes return with more to contribute and a clearer understanding of why they choose BKF again.
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BKF Boomerangs’ Journey: Why Some Employees Choose to Come Back
