Alison Bailin
Thank goodness for ping pong tables.
No, CHASSE Building Team Vice President and Project Director Fred Bueler doesn’t play professional ping pong when not leading teams in the construction and remodeling of K-12 schools across the Valley. “I actually got interested in building in the first place after years of using my family’s ping pong table as a space for my thousands of Legos,” says Bueler, known for his team’s work on Scottsdale’s Cheyenne Traditional School, Phoenix’s Madison Meadows Middle School and both Tempe’s Wood and Frank Elementary Schools, among others.
Fast forward to February 2001.
“That’s when I visited the snowless ASU while looking into colleges. As you can imagine, I immediately decided to trade the snow for sunshine,” says the Missouri native, who earned his degree in civil engineering with a concentration in construction in 2006 and worked with Foursite before joining CHASSE in 2008.
The family-owned business – both the 2020 Tempe Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year and a 2021 AZ Business Magazine Most Admired Company – not only gave Bueler a career but a deeper purpose he continues to explore today.
“Our team is focused on ‘building to make a difference,’” says Bueler. “This extends to what we believe in doing for the community as well. And because we are a sustainable and profitable company, we must maximize our ability to make a positive difference in the community we serve.”
Once comfortable in his workload – and while growing his family with his wife Joelle to include three young sons – Bueler began to extend his company’s philosophy into other areas of his life. “I volunteered for several years with the Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club, at one point chairing both Brokers for Kids and Agents Benefitting Children, two of the organization's biggest events," says Bueler.
When Bueler completed his service to the organization in 2016, he began to volunteer as a member of the Scottsdale Charros.
“Our mission is to serve as Scottsdale’s Goodwill Ambassadors while raising funds via Spring Training and other outlets so we can make annual grants and donations to organizations in need with a clear focus on education,” says Bueler. “Currently, I am the 2022 Baseball Chairman for the spring training at Scottsdale Stadium, home of the San Francisco Giants.”
Come March, Bueler and his fellow members will host the iconic Charro Lodge located in right field of the Scottsdale Stadium. It's a one-of-kind spring training experience for fans and guests. “Through the event, the work we are able to do is significant,” says Bueler. It includes the funding of:
· The Future Teacher Scholarship,
· Education Grants,
· Outstanding Student and Educator Awards, and
· Scottsdale Community College Scholarships.
The event also provides grants to dozens of local non-profit charities every year that support programs for youth, education, arts, sports, and health throughout the Greater Scottsdale Area and surrounding community. Bueler is also actively involved in one of CHASSE’s biggest philanthropic programs.
“In an effort to enhance the construction process on school campuses where we are working, we engage the actual students through our own STEM-based program,” says Bueler.
The program, for which Bueler serves as the volunteer chair, helps implement a background in construction in schools. This curriculum includes classroom instruction and assemblies, allowing students to learn about the construction process, have firsthand experience on the construction of their new school, and learn about the different career paths the construction industry offers.
“For example, for an entire school year, we held school-wide student assemblies on campus at Frank Elementary School to introduce students to topics like construction and STEM,” says Bueler. “The presentations talked about all the different components that make up a construction site. We talked about surveying, concrete, masonry, roofers, electricians, and so much more.”
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This article originally appeared in the bimonthly Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, Jan/Feb 2022 issue, Vol. 11, No. 1.