2023 Core Values Spotlight

DECEMBER: David Harvey, Planning Services Planner

When the power unexpectedly went out toward the end of a work day, the entire office was left in darkness. (We later learned that a nearby construction crew had accidentally cut a line that affected our office.) Battery backups were beeping away, and many of us still in the office were trying to get things saved and closed before losing backup power. My own screens went dark, and I tried to use my laptop to finish what I was working on. David came over unprompted to see if I needed help. He offered to fix the battery and got my screens back on. He then went around to the rest of the people left on the second floor and ensured everyone else was doing okay before returning to his desk to close up and go home. It was very kind of him to take the extra time to check on everyone before leaving, simply because he knew he had the knowledge to help anyone else struggling with the backup batteries in the absence of our IT person.

*Submitted by Ashley Nye, Marketing & Branding Specialist

What sets this example apart?
Dave is living our core values by taking initiative in an unexpected situation and helping those around him. Rather than ignoring the issue and heading home for the day, Dave responded to the outage issue and asked every single person if he could help them. This also helped ensure nobody would lose important progress or information. Thank you, Dave, for assisting Our People in times of need!

NOVEMBER: Brett Conyers, Civil Engineering Project Engineer

The engineering department had quite a bit of transition this summer. When a fellow employee moved away at the same time that some restructuring occurred, additional stress was placed on some of the project managers, myself included. Brett Conyers helped immensely by covering some of the projects, asking what he could do to help me, and taking over a few projects that wouldn’t be mine after the restructuring. He did this while still managing his own work and already putting in extra work. He has also been able to handle issues that come up while I’ve been on PTO or during days full of meetings. I greatly appreciate Brett’s assistance during this transitional time.

*Submitted by Caleb Beasley, Civil Engineering Project Manager

What sets this example apart?
Brett is living our core values by stepping up on short notice and taking on more responsibility. He saw that Caleb needed assistance and offered to take on more work to ensure that all projects currently in progress would be done correctly and on time. Thank you, Brett, for striving for excellence by being a resource for Our People!

OCTOBER: Eli Muehlich, Municipal Services Technician

Eli has been helping the construction department cover jobs while team members are on vacation. I have had a demanding schedule this week due to multiple projects starting and requiring an observer presence simultaneously. Eli has been willing to get up at 4 am to cover the construction team’s projects, and then has made time to stay late until even 7 pm to help with coverage on my projects. He is always helpful and enthusiastic and embodies what E&A teams are about. I know our team appreciates him and wants him to get the recognition he deserves for the long hours he puts in to help others and keep projects running smoothly.

*Submitted by Katlyn Bradfield, Municipal Services Technician

What sets this example apart?
Eli is living our core values by putting in extra time and effort to help a team in need. Eli’s spirit of helpfulness across departments is an exceptional example of Engineering Answers. His flexibility towards fluctuating workloads across the company is genuinely admirable. Thank you, Eli, for serving Our People to push Our Company toward excellence!

SEPTEMBER: Dave Horstmeyer, Construction Administration Technician

Dave is an exceptional co-worker with expertise in his field. He knows his work well, better than most, and he cares about his work. This can be seen in a recent project where Dave showed me how the pipe was installed and spent multiple afternoons showing me what to look for as we watched the contractor. Another example: For the sanitary and storm sewers of a different project, Dave took ample time to guide me through the plans and what each part meant and guided me with the contractors in knowing what to observe. In my three years and four internships here at E&A, Dave has proven to be one of the most knowledgeable people I have worked with and one of my best supervisors. Dave takes pride in teaching the right and wrong ways to do things and takes time to explain things so that they make sense. Thanks to Dave and his expertise, I have learned much more this summer than I could have imagined. Dave has proven to be an expert in his field and a good friend.

*Submitted by Andrew Hukill, Civil Engineering Intern

What sets this example apart?
Dave is living our core values because he is an excellent example of what it means to be proactive and intentional in teaching others. Dave has exceeded his expectations to ensure Andrew gets the most out of his E&A internship while providing his expertise in the field. Thank you, Dave, for being a great leader and teacher at Our Company for Our People!

AUGUST: Mike Scaturro, CST III, Land Surveying Party Chief

I met a client and multiple contractors at a job site for a pre-construction meeting. The landscape contractor had completed removals and added topsoil to the site before our survey crew (Mike Scaturro & Nick Johnson) arrived. Our survey crew had stakes in the ground and continued installing stakes during our afternoon meeting. A contractor asked if we could get a center point staked for a circular piece of concrete connected to a proposed sidewalk. I asked Mike if they had planned to stake this particular spot, and he looked at his comp sheet and said it was not marked to stake, but they could get something staked close to the needed point, which made the contractor happy. It made me very proud to witness our survey team representing E&A and being able to provide excellent customer service in the field.

*Submitted by Matt Tiarks, PLA, ASLA, CPSI, Planning Services Landscape Architect

What sets this example apart?
Mike is living our core values by treating Our Customers with the utmost respect and going above and beyond his team’s scope of work. He didn’t hesitate to provide excellent customer service and did what needed to be done on the spot to satisfy the contractor’s needs. Thank you, Mike, for providing additional services to help bring our projects to fruition and serving Our Customers and Our Company without question!

JULY: Tony Harris, Civil Engineering Technician

As a result of a shortage of CADD work in the Lincoln office, Tony mentioned his background in surveying and his desire to help. Tony’s timing was great, as the Omaha survey CADD technicians have been very busy lately. Tony worked with Brian Haverkamp on an ALTA survey in Ashland, and the Lincoln survey crew did the fieldwork. Everything came together well, and a nice drawing was produced. Tony has also been a help to Bill Thomas (Lincoln land surveying project manager). We appreciate Tony looking for more work and wanting to help the team. He is very coachable and has a great attitude.

*Submitted by Jason Headley, RLS, CFed S, Land Surveying Department Manager

What sets this example apart?
Tony is living our core values because he was running low on work and took the initiative to reach out and find additional tasks to keep himself utilized and billable. This helped out not only the Survey Department but Our Company as well by offering a helping hand to his coworkers in a time of need. Thank you, Tony, for living our core values and providing your time and effort to Our Company!

JUNE: Danny Kaven, Civil Engineering Technician, and Bob Florence, CADD Manager/Facilities Coordinator

Jason Thiellen offered up a desk that he didn’t need anymore. I said I would take the desk, but I didn’t have a truck to bring it back to my home in Lincoln. I asked Tom Nussrallah if I could borrow an E&A truck to get the desk to Lincoln. He said yes, but then talked with Danny and Bob, as they were already scheduled to be in the Lincoln office. Bob contacted me and offered to bring the desk to Lincoln. He then talked with Jason, who brought the desk to the Omaha office. Then Danny and Bob brought it to Lincoln and delivered it to my house. Our core values talk about family, but you don’t always realize it until it affects you directly. I appreciate everyone going out of their way to help me.

*Submitted by Blake Spiers, Transportation & Public Works Designer 

What sets this example apart?
Danny and Bob are living our core values by going above and beyond to help Blake transport the desk. These two took the time to coordinate with Jason, generate a plan, and even deliver the desk to Blake’s home in Lincoln. This is living our core values because this speaks to Our People helping out their fellow colleagues in a time of need. Thank you, Danny and Bob, for living our core values and providing your help to Blake!

MAY: Jeremy Nichols, Civil Engineering Designer

I was walking by when Jeremy Nichols went into Eric Schaben’s office to discuss a survey request that he needed. Shortly after, I received an email from Jeremy outlining his survey request, which was clear, concise, and professional. His email exemplified perfect naming conventions and communication skills.

Not only did Jeremy take the time to personally connect with Eric, but he also ensured there was no room for error in his follow-through with the information provided. This is an excellent example of the professionalism, connection, and attention to detail our company expects from each department. Jeremy takes the time to Engineer Answers, and it shows.

*Submitted by Sam Lawrence, Land Surveying Assistant Project Coordinator

What sets this example apart?
Jeremy is living our core values by practicing exactly what we preach with the correct communication skills needed at E&A to provide Excellent Service. He had a face-to-face conversation with Eric and then followed up with an email to ensure there was no room for error. Thank you, Jeremy, for being a great example of what it means to serve Our Company with your attention to detail!

MARCH: Justin Abbott, Systems Administrator

I was recently working with a very large engineering file, and the person I was training couldn’t open the file. I called Justin to check the trainee’s computer, and he made a suggestion which was a tool that seemed to work for the issues we were having. He offered his time for a quick training session on this new process to see if it would be helpful for our future asbuilt projects. Within 45 minutes, he created a document for us to use, gave a 15-minute training, and let us ask questions. Justin’s help was so appreciated!

*Submitted by Holly Baty, Municipal Services Technician

What sets this example apart?
Justin is living our Core Values by going above and beyond to help with a company IT issue. He saw a problem and quickly found a solution that would be helpful and save time in the long run. Thank you, Justin, for being dedicated to helping Our People!

FEBRUARY: Danny Kaven, Civil Engineering Technician

We were struggling with an as-built drone topography that was too large to share with external clients and we needed a quick solution, but lacked the specific knowledge to address it ourselves. I asked Danny for any suggestions and he came through with a solution that we could verify and use immediately. I was then able to compare our design surface to the as-built surface and, with confidence, inform the engineer and external clients of the results. With the high demand of both clients and contractors at this time of year, it is critical that their needs are met as they are requested.

*Submitted by Mike Rupp, Civil Engineering Technician

What sets this example apart?
Two things stand out with this situation: first, Mike quickly understood that he needed help and utilized the resources available to him. He didn’t waste time; rather, he was focused on getting the job done asap. Second, Danny also recognized the situation and made it his priority until it was resolved. Clients generally do not understand the complexity of what we do, but they do appreciate timely answers. Great job to both Mike & Danny!