Pros
Great place to begin a career, with many, many good qualities. First, Marstel Day has a truly authentic conservation ethic. This company practices what it preaches-- voluntarily offsetting its carbon from airline miles, donating relentlessly to local environmental causes and organizations, company-wide volunteering on Earth Day, and installing tons of green office practices (nearly to a fault--more on this later). For someone who is passionate about conservation, I can't describe how satisfying it is to feel like you're working for a "good guy" -- while making private-sector money. Second big pro is the project staff: young, smart, professional, and passionate about the environment. Third, although the current portfolio is one-dimensional, the company is very forward-thinking and well-positioned to offer meaningful sustainability solutions and guidance to DOD (whenever DOD decides it's ready to listen).
Cons
Most of Marstel-Day's problems lie in its day-to-day business management and internal communication. As it has grown, the company has assumed some of the more troubling qualities of its "iron lung" main client, most notably its suffocating bureaucracy. The neurotic internal checks and religious devotion to template have a chilling effect on the creativity of the work produced. There is also an inflexible adherence to a flat corporate structure, even where it's not appropriate. The company does not sufficiently train incoming staff on the nuances of the flat vision, causing inefficiency and confusion among staff who are more accustomed to traditional management structures like the rigid hierarchy of the aforementioned client. The company's green practices, while certainly admirable, are so ambitious that they end up leaching time from project work. Six-figure analysts pulling weeds in the company garden is not good business, anywhere. Lastly, as a victim of the recent mass layoff, I found the partners' choice of email as the delivery method to be disrespectful, although I am sympathetic given the unprecedented circumstances.