McGill Honors Its Most Tenured Employees

MCGILL VALUES OUR EMPLOYEES  |  January 18, 2022

Last month, McGill honored employees with tenure awards in acknowledgment of and gratitude for their years of dedicated service to the firm. Our tenured staff not only contributes a wealth of experience and knowledge of functions, procedures, and policies — but they also serve as mentors to new hires and help sustain excellent, long-standing relationships with our clients.

McGill’s tenured employees assist us in maintaining steady performance in an industry that is rapidly changing, and we are fortunate to still have them on our team after all these years.

MEET THIS YEAR’S TENURED EMPLOYEES

The following tenure awards were presented at McGill’s annual Christmas party last month.

10 years of service:

Gary Wood started with McGill in the summer of 2004 and worked as a civil-site designer through 2008, before returning in 2015 as a civil-site planner — totaling a decade of service to the firm. Gary said the best part of McGill has always been “the people.”

When asked what the most rewarding aspect of his job is, Gary said, “The challenge of pushing the limits of the design software to find new ways to do produce a more accurate product, and I also enjoying training others, and how we have embraced technology.”

Buddy Edmisten first worked with McGill as the Lenoir Water Plant Superintendent in the 1970s and early 1980s, and later as the utilities director, where he worked closely with employees in McGill’s Hickory office. Buddy retired from Lenoir in 2011 after 43 years and began working part time with McGill. “The people make McGill a great place to work,” noted Buddy.

“My job is to keep in contact with plant superintendents and utilities directors and provide help, if needed,” Buddy explained. “The rewards come when I can offer McGill’s services and help the many friends I have made during my 53 years in the business.”

Buddy said, “McGill continues to bring in young engineers but has retained so many of the experienced ones who can work with them, share their knowledge, and help them learn the importance of client relations.”

20 years of service:

Christine Brown started working with McGill after moving to Hickory in 2001. She said, “My main focus early on had been working on the stormwater, erosion, and sediment control permitting processes for a variety of projects, but I immediately realized the importance of this aspect in all projects. My projects included large and small subdivisions and commercial buildings, such as medical facilities, industrial parks, schools, large data centers, and solar farms.”

With the support of McGill, in 2009, Christine obtained her Certified Professional in Stormwater Quality (CPSWQ) and in 2010, received the Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC). Christine explained, “These certifications and the projects assigned to me throughout my years at McGill have grown my skill set and allowed me to take on more responsibility working with clients and seeing projects through from concept to final build out. As I continue to work on civil projects, I am also working with municipal clients to help them develop their stormwater programs and offer stormwater inspection and reviewer services.”

“McGill is continuing to grow — not only bringing in new employees but also expanding services,” Christine further stated. “The good decisions that have been made by McGill throughout good and bad economies and the challenge of COVID, have kept us strong without compromising services. The high standards of professionalism and caring for employees have not changed.”

Mike Norris has built McGill’s land planning and recreation practice to serve communities across three states and has been awarded numerous honors since joining the firm 20 years ago. Parks, streetscapes, greenways, and trails come to life thanks to his distinct vision, knowledge, and skills.

Mike is recognized for immersing himself in the communities where he serves in order to better understand their unique needs and culture. He is a dedicated steward of urban regeneration through the enhancement of outdoor living and the driving force behind the overall success of McGill’s renowned land planning and recreation department.

Mikes’ thorough and meticulous approach to planning and designing is exemplified by the Haywood Streetscape project in Asheville, North Carolina. He thoughtfully took into account the large number of people who utilize the area, including shoppers, workers, residents, buskers, and visitors, when planning the building phase. “Due to the high activity, our team worked with City staff to develop a deliberate and methodical construction sequence in order to have as little impact as possible to the surrounding area during construction,” said Mike.

WHY MCGILL’S EMPLOYEES STICK AROUND

Tenured employees not only add tremendous value to the firm, but they also demonstrate that working for McGill is a rewarding and positive experience. We take pride in employing some of the industry’s brightest and most talented engineers, and we make it a priority to support them in all areas of their careers.

Christine Brown said that when she started at McGill, she immediately felt like she was in the right place. “The term professional integrity comes to mind as I think back about first impressions of the company. When you look forward to going to work every day, you realize you are surrounded by good people.”

LEARN MORE

Click here to learn how you can become a part of the McGill family — a place where you will be supported and valued from new hire, through tenure.