Kennedy Accepts Waugh Award

Dubuque, IA—Amanda Kennedy accepted the third annual Waugh Award during Origin Design’s 40th Anniversary Celebration held on May 6, 2022 at the Diamond Jo in Dubuque.

The Waugh Award was created in honor of IIW/Origin Design co-founder, Dennis Waugh, who retired at the end of 2018 after 37 years of service. The award recognizes an Origin employee owner that supports and furthers its Mission-Vision-Values, while exhibiting the traits of Waugh, including passion, generosity, leading by example and loyalty.

Several nominations were received for the Waugh Award—Kennedy was unanimously selected by the Waugh Award Committee. “Amanda is approachable, kind and is always willing to lend an ear. She has a positive, can-do attitude and is always willing to jump in and help the team out, wanting the best for Origin Design and its employee owners. She’s very involved in the community, participating in various organizations and volunteering, while proudly wearing Origin apparel,” as described in the nomination.

Kennedy, Project Support Team Leader at Origin Design, accepted the award from Pat Ready, PE, President & CEO of Origin Design. “Amanda is a true ambassador of Origin Design—she’s kind, helpful, trustworthy and loyal. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient for this year’s award. I’m proud to call her my colleague and friend,” said Ready.

Ready presenting Waugh Award to Kennedy.

“ Being the recipient of this award, means so much to me. Denny is someone I’ve always looked up to. When I started here 14 years ago, he was (and still is) a great role model and always took time to answer questions and mentor staff. ”

Amanda Kennedy Project Support Team Leader

Left to Right: Pat Ready, Amanda Kennedy, Dennis Waugh, Barb Waugh

Today, we remember and honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Our offices will be closed Today, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We will return to normal business hours on Tuesday,

Happy National Accounting Professionals Day! Today we’re recognizing the team who keeps our finances clear and our business moving forward. Your insight helps guide decisions and supports our success every day. Thank you for all you do.

Yesterday, we were proud to serve as the Keynote Sponsor for East Central Iowa Council of Governments Local Government Recharge Day, featuring Kate Moreland. The afternoon was filled with meaningful connections and collaborative conversations among community leaders.

15 years of excellence! Congratulations to Nick Rettenberger on this amazing milestone. Your dedication inspires us every day!

Every project starts somewhere. Stay tuned next week for a three-part video series and see what architect, Zach Thielen has been up to!

Access to advanced healthcare close to home matters.Architect, Andrew Busch, and our team partnered with Jones Regional Medical Center to design a new, in-house MRI Suite that improves access, efficiency, and patient experience while planning for future growth. It’s another example of how collaboration and thoughtful design help communities thrive.Learn more about the project and the partnership behind it: https://origindesign.com/.../designing-for-what-matters...

On Friday, our survey crew fired up the grill, broke out the bean bag boards, and celebrated some big milestones, wrapping up a major field effort supporting the Catfish Creek Sewer Improvement / Middle Fork project, adding survey services to our Davenport office, and kicking off construction season the right way!From time in the field to time spent back at the office, it’s safe to say our crew knows how to get it done.

In April, we celebrated two incredible women who have left a lasting mark on Origin Design. Congratulations to Lynn, who devoted 31 years to our team and began her well-earned retirement at the beginning of the month, and Mary, who concluded an incredible 40-year journey with us yesterday.Their hard work, loyalty, and the relationships they built will remain a part of our story. We are grateful for the countless memories, dedication, and heart they have shared with us over the years.We wish Lynn and Mary the very best in retirement and thank them for their lasting impact on Origin Design!

Elevated tower or ground storage? Our Water Resources Team Leader, Marc Ruden, PE, recently shared a real-world case study from Spillville, Iowa at the AWWA Iowa Section Region 1 Operator’s Meeting.Learn what factors communities should consider when modernizing water storage systems on our blog. https://origindesign.com/.../elevated-water-tower-vs...

At Origin, giving back is part of who we are. On Friday, Engineering Designer Luke Althaus used his employee volunteer day to help Mrs. Althaus and her second grade classroom plant trees at Kennedy Elementary School. By offering every employee a dedicated volunteer day, we encourage giving back to meaningful causes and supporting the communities where we live and work.

Employee owned since 1999.

This Sunday, April 26, marks the anniversary of Origin Design becoming an ESOP. Recently, a few members of our team attended the NCEO Conference in Milwaukee, where we deepened our understanding of ESOP culture, leadership, sustainability, and employee engagement.

At Origin Design, employee ownership means more than a retirement benefit. It means building sustainable wealth, fostering leadership at every level, and investing in shared long term success.