Inaugural award recognizes the values of commitment, passion, and being a great team player.
Last December, President and CEO Bobbi Westerby turned her annual tradition of year-end recognition over to the people that make up ECT. She challenged her company to identify colleagues that are committed, passionate and great team players. The result was 21 nominated employees, a dynamic name for the honor, a special recognition, and the first winner of the Monarch Award: Project Manager Kurt Hansen.
“It is an honor to receive the Monarch Award,” Hansen said. “My coworkers push me every day to be a better consultant, person, partner, and father. It is a gift to be able to requite the passion and kindness.” Based in the firm’s Lombard, Illinois office, Kurt has been providing natural resource consulting and permitting expertise for clients at ECT since 2021.
“This award reflects the values that shape ECT’s culture,” said Bobbi Westerby, president and CEO. “It’s not just about celebrating one person. It reinforces what truly matters to us and mirrors the kind of people we want at ECT—people who care about the work, about each other and about doing the right thing. Kurt represents that well.”
In addition to recognizing Kurt, colleague Josh Allen (Director, Arkansas) was named the founding recipient of the Monarch Award. While he was nominated for the 2025 award, Josh consistently stood out during early discussions, when the executive team considered employees who exemplified these essential values prior to the award’s conception.
Lastly, Maggie Sinner (Associate Scientist, Texas) received firmwide recognition for her creative submittal that led to the award’s namesake after the monarch butterfly. She noted that monarchs reflect these essential values through their multigenerational migration, sharing, “Monarch butterflies are found everywhere ECT employees are. It is a species that our teams regularly consider in their work.” In recognition of her contribution, a donation was made in her name to Monarch Joint Venture, a nonprofit organization dedicated to monarch conservation.
The Monarch Award is not only a recognition; it’s a celebration of the values that matter most at ECT: commitment, passion, and being a great team player. By honoring these employees, the award reinforces a culture that inspires dedication, shows how ECT staff model these values every day, and inspires the next generation of talent to carry them forward.
Inspired by a culture that celebrates these values? Explore careers at ECT.
