When Frank Woodard and Al Curran founded Woodard & Curran in 1979, they instilled a people-first culture into the fabric of the firm. They did this because they wanted to build a gratifying and fulfilling place to work so that employees would have the resources and the motivation to grow alongside the company. Every year we take a moment to celebrate Frank and Al’s legacy and recognize the people who are strengthening the firm today during our Founders Day event.
During Founders Day, we announce the winners of our employee-designed and employee-run recognition program that honors people who have displayed excellence in one of the company’s core values: technical expertise, safety, client service, and culture. We announce the winners during Founders Day as a reminder of what drives success at Woodard & Curran—exceptional people working together to deliver exceptional solutions for our clients. By highlighting just some of the people who strengthen the expertise, excellence, and energy of our firm, we hope to empower every employee to take ownership and pride in being a part of Woodard & Curran. This year, we wanted to extend our recognition of these amazing employees beyond the walls of the firm and publicly acknowledge some of the people responsible for our continuing success.
The Safety Excellence Award is given to employees who have shown a personal commitment to improving safety and health in the workplace. This year’s winners were Andrew Rowe and Joe Hurley. Andy is a Technical Manager and the shale gas services’ representative on the firm’s safety liaison committee. No matter how small a field effort is, Andy always insists on taking a moment to discuss potential hazards and brings this commitment to safety back to the office—making every environment he enters a safer and healthier place for all. Joe, a Senior Client Manager, has been an integral part of the company’s electrical safety program since its creation in 2008. This year he stepped up as the sole trainer, teaching 10 classes in seven states, reaching 90 employees!
The Client Excellence Award recognizes people who have made a significant impact or contribution to a client that went above and beyond the call of duty. This year, Renee Lanza and Steve Lauria won this award. Steve, an experienced engineer and Project Manager, made an exceptional effort to support a client at a critical meeting. He made it a priority to make sure the client was well represented as he was the only person attending who understood all the details of the project. When Renee was an Engineer 3, she stepped up to fill a vacant Superintendent role for a client during a time of transition. She has since been promoted to Project Engineer and continues to go the extra mile for all the clients she works with.
This year, Cathy Rockwell and Scott Hawk won the Mike Alberi Technical Excellence Award for their contribution to the firm’s knowledge and position in the marketplace. Cathy has advanced Woodard & Curran’s expertise and brand in the remediation field through her technical leadership on complex site remediation, including sustainable remediation practices and emerging contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane and PFAS. Scott Hawk was recognized for his work advancing the firm’s expertise with the 3D Design software Revit through his personal knowledge and time spent training the rest of his team at Woodard & Curran.
Finally, the winners of Al Curran Core Culture Award were Althea Masterson and Celeste Labadie. Althea’s commitment to the firm spanned over 25 years until her retirement this spring, and her consistent dedication to the firm’s mission and values was inspiring. Althea led the charge for countless community/volunteer activities across the company. Celeste is the current Assistant to the CEO, but also plays an important role in promoting sustainability initiatives at Woodard & Curran and serves as the Secretary to the Woodard & Curran Foundation. Celeste is passionate about the environment and her enthusiasm, commitment to sustainability, and organizational skills has been instrumental in bringing about change.
We are grateful to all this year’s winners, and to everyone who works hard to make Woodard & Curran the thriving company it is today!
