Her persistence and partnership-building have helped turn long-held visions for impaired waterways, including the Kids Creek and Grand River restoration projects, into transformational realities backed by millions in funding. For Tonya, engineering is more than solving technical problems. It is a chance to connect people, science, resources, and vision to create lasting change.
Tonya’s commitment to Northern Michigan extends well beyond her work at ECT. She is a longtime volunteer with The Watershed Center’s Adopt-a-Stream program and serves as Executive Director of the Grand Traverse Ski Club, where she helps young athletes develop confidence as a part of something bigger.
Whether she is restoring a watershed or supporting a young skier, she is driven by the same goal: building a stronger future for our communities, together. Two guiding philosophies shape how she approaches both her work and her life.
The first is a belief borrowed from Steve Jobs: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Tonya says she is grateful every day for the people she has the honor of working with. “They inspire me because they care and are truly driven by wanting to make the world a better place.”
The second comes from Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde, a novel that left a lasting impression on her early in life. Its message that small acts of kindness can ripple outward continues to shape how Tonya lives and works, with generosity and a desire to help, through volunteer and grassroots efforts that strengthen the communities around her.
Tonya embodies the values ECT shares, and her leadership reflects our mission to inspire environmental and economic advancement for a more resilient future.
Her colleagues feel that energy every day. “Working with Tonya is amazing,” says Riley McKenna. “Her superpower is her infectious energy to anything and anyone she touches. She will do just about anything to support her colleagues and the projects she touches, and still do it with a smile. Working with Tonya is an absolute joy and makes you excited to accomplish whatever is in front of you.”
Join us in congratulating Tonya by sending her an email, and to learn more about ECT’s culture and values, visit ectinc.com/culture.
