CSI Fellows Share the Impact of Being a CSI Member

The start of a new year is an ideal opportunity to reflect on how you would like to invest in your career. Being part of CSI means you are building relationships within a community that can help you find answers faster and expand your knowledge.

Recently, we asked the 2025 class of CSI Fellows how being CSI members has informed their lives and careers.

Cam Featherstonhaugh, IV, FCSI,
Lifetime Member

“It’s been the single most impactful thing I’ve done professionally, at least from a volunteer perspective. But that volunteerism in CSI has advanced my career in ways that I could never have foreseen. The leadership experience alone gave me so many opportunities, but also the education and support helped me actually get better at my job, which my employers and colleagues have always found useful. It’s a combination of nuts-and-bolts learning with leadership training that is so valuable. It allows me to keep my head in the clouds and my feet on the ground.”

Randall Lewis, FCSI

“The reality that all segments of our industry are working together on equal footing to make the industry better is a bedrock principle and fits well with my service attitude. Because of this community, I have a network of trusted advisers in other fields at my fingertips.”

Tom Lanzelotti, FSCI, CDT

“When I joined CSI, it was at the request of Bill DuBois. I was his buddy and mentor when he joined Gensler, and I grew to respect him as a professional and as a person. I have to say at first, I was not 100 percent on board as I took CSI for a test drive, but taking Bill’s advice, I stuck with it, found my niche, and worked to make it a valuable experience. CSI has helped to put the finishing touches on me as a professional. It has filled my knowledge gaps, it has grown my network, it has given me a greater perspective, and in a nutshell, it has helped me be a better professional. CSI, in my mind, is the best professional organization for design and delivery professionals, affording the opportunity to collaborate and share a common language and vision.”

Charles Hendricks, FCSI, CDT

“CSI has empowered me to be a mentor, trust in my design instincts, and value technical expertise in the construction industry. At the first National CSI Conference I attended, Bob Molseed, FAIA, FCSI, took me around and introduced me to other CSI members who greeted me, not as a young person, but as a peer in the industry I had just entered. Bob and many other CSI members taught me the importance of hearing everyone’s voice around the table as an equal.

“Ray Gaines, AIA, FCSI, my first industry boss and now business partner, often said about CSI, ‘If you want to see something happen, you need to put in the time to make it happen.’ He encouraged me to learn leadership skills by allowing me to put time into CSI and encouraging me to take on challenges that I did not think I was ready for, such as joining the Central Virginia CSI chapter board just after graduating from the University of Tennessee.

“From being a selected speaker at National CSI conferences, to the local chapter trusting me to serve as president, to serving on a variety of local, regional, and national CSI committees, CSI has consistently shown me that they value all members of the construction industry. Each of us, no matter our level of experience or profession, is treated as an equal.

“CSI has empowered me to trust that my opinions and instincts mattered even from a young age in an industry where older voices often carry more weight. The most important lesson I have learned from CSI is that you need to build a strong network of trusted peers to advance in the industry and build a career.”

CSI Membership: A New Year’s Resolution You Can Keep

You’ve seen how CSI membership benefits CSI Fellows. Now, make a New Year’s resolution that can positively impact your career. Join CSI to grow your network and knowledge, and enjoy these benefits:

• Networking opportunities by joining a local chapter near you. You also get the opportunity to attend events at other CSI chapters nationwide.
• Unlimited access to the full online archive of Tech Talks and WebReaches.
• Discounts on certification exams, study materials, events, online courses, and more.
• Professional support from fellow members via the online CSI-Connect community.

As a CSI member, you become part of a community that elevates your profession and drives innovation across the industry. Find out more at csiresources.org/joinrg/join