On a crisp morning, the CDH Partners team traded their drafting tools and laptops for heavy-duty gloves and trash grabbers, stepping directly into the mud along the banks of the Chattahoochee River tributaries. In partnership with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, our architects and project managers spent the day clearing away debris to help restore a waterway that serves as a vital life-giving resource for our entire region. For us, stewardship is not just a corporate value listed on our Careers page but a hands-on commitment to the land we call home. We are proud to encourage this level of involvement by offering philanthropy hours as a core employee benefit, giving our staff the dedicated time they need to support the causes that matter most to them.
To ensure that community service remains a tangible priority rather than just an aspiration, CDH supports these efforts by offering paid philanthropy hours as an employee benefit. This allows our staff the dedicated time they need to step away from their regular project work and invest directly in local causes. Supporting the people and places around us is foundational to our firm culture, a philosophy recently explored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in an article discussing how a values-first approach shapes our team and our growth strategy. You can read the full feature on the Atlanta Business Chronicle website.
“As designers and planners, we are constantly shaping the physical landscape of our communities, but our responsibility as neighbors goes much deeper than the buildings we create,” says Melissa Cantrell, President and CEO of CDH Partners. “We believe in paying our civic rent. That means actively showing up for the community, putting our values into motion, and investing our time and energy to ensure Georgia remains a vibrant, healthy place for everyone.”
Collective Action for a Healthier Community
The cleanup day brought plenty of energy to the riverbanks, turning the effort into friendly competition to see who could haul in the most debris. While one group earned the bragging rights for gathering the heaviest bags of discarded plastics and tires, the true impact was felt by the local ecosystem. The natural drive to innovate and solve problems is at its best when directed toward a greater public purpose, ensuring that our vital waterways remain clean, safe, and thriving for families and neighbors to enjoy. This day of service served as a powerful reminder that caring for a community requires both thoughtful design on paper and physical effort on the ground.
Connecting Environmental Design and Public Service
This hands-on dedication to the Chattahoochee mirrors the deep civic commitment of our leadership. CDH President and CEO Melissa Cantrell serves on the Board of Directors for One Cumberland, where her role was instrumental in the fundraising efforts for New Day Palisades. This 15.8-million-dollar rehabilitation of the Paces Mill unit at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area focuses on transforming a beloved public space into an accessible, resilient asset for the public. You can learn more about the ongoing vision and park enhancements directly on the New Day Palisades website.
By incorporating advanced bioswales and native meadow restoration, the infrastructure naturally captures stormwater, filters out pollutants, and reduces erosion to protect the river’s water quality. Welcoming over 270,000 annual visitors, the facility’s modernized park amenities and ADA accessible boardwalks ensure that this natural treasure is open to every member of the public. By revitalizing public spaces that had been untouched since the 1970s, New Day Palisades honors the environment while uplifting the local community.
Whether we are volunteering along a muddy riverbank or collaborating on long-term civic infrastructure, CDH Partners is guided by a singular, enduring goal: to leave our shared communities healthier, stronger, and more resilient for generations to come.
