Recognizing the People Who Bring The ORC Way to Life: The 2026 ORC Culture Awards

ORC celebrated nine leaders whose everyday actions exemplify The ORC Way at its recent 2026 Leadership Summit in Columbus, Ohio. The ORC Culture Awards recognize individuals who consistently bring to life our five core values and the 25 Fundamentals that define our culture and shape how we serve our clients, support one another, and deliver exceptional results.

The impact of this year’s awards extends far beyond the nine honorees. 234 nominations were submitted, recognizing 73 leaders from across the company and capturing powerful stories of adaptability, ownership, coaching, and genuine care. Together, these stories reflect a culture that is lived every day throughout ORC.

The process was built for integrity. The eight peer awards were nominated by leaders from across the business, then decided by a panel of executives who reviewed the nomination stories with names and titles removed — weighing only the substance of each story and its alignment to The ORC Way. The ninth and highest honor, The ORC Way Award, was nominated by employees, straight from team members writing about their own leaders. Each award maps directly to ORC’s Fundamentals — so the stories told that night were our values showing up in real work, on real teams.

This year’s honorees:

For the leader who stays adaptable through change and ambiguity.

Laura leads through change by making room for her people to grow into it. Even with a full plate, she keeps her door open — answering questions, talking through problems, and turning tough moments into collaborative ones rather than leaving anyone to solve them alone. She has trusted team members to step into bigger, high-stakes roles and then steadied them there: supportive, clear, and never micromanaging. Her people describe someone who is consistently available, gives actionable guidance instead of leaving questions hanging, and makes the whole team feel confident that challenges are something they will work through together.

“Even with a full workload, she makes time to talk through issues and give clear direction — it never feels like you’re solving the hard problems alone.” – a teammate’s nomination

For accountable, long-term, owner’s thinking.

With Dan, there is no such thing as “that’s not my job.” Whether it’s negotiations, title work, a landowner concern, or project strategy, he jumps into whatever keeps a project moving — and never asks anyone to do something he wouldn’t do himself. What sets him apart is how freely he shares what he knows; colleagues describe learning an enormous amount from him because he takes the time to mentor and answer questions. He stays calm and solution-focused under pressure, treats every role on the team as valuable, and turns performance conversations into two-way discussions about where someone wants to grow.

“There’s no such thing as ‘that’s not my job’ with Dan — his focus is always on doing what’s best for the client and making sure the team succeeds.” – a teammate’s nomination

For the leader who listens, builds trust, and includes everyone.

When his office went through real upheaval, Ben stepped in and steadied it — not by taking over the noise, but by listening. He rebuilds trust one honest conversation at a time, and his people say they never hesitate to share an opinion, even when they see something differently, because he genuinely weighs their input before deciding. He treats colleagues as thought partners, gives them room to lead high-visibility work, and owns his own missteps openly. Calm under pressure and generous with credit, Ben is the kind of leader people want to work for.

“I’ve never left a conversation feeling dismissed or unheard — that mutual respect makes me more engaged and more willing to speak up.” – a teammate’s nomination

For clear feedback and growing their people.

Sarah sets clear expectations, holds her team accountable, and treats every person with dignity — from day-one 1:1s to the hardest transitions. New team members describe how quickly she makes space for connection, setting a regular cadence early so they always know they have access to her. She recognizes good work, trusts people with real responsibility — including helping train others — and patiently walks teammates through unfamiliar tools and processes. The result is a team that feels supported, included, and motivated to keep growing.

“She set up dedicated 1:1 time right away and made space for connection from the start — it helped me feel supported as I got acclimated.” – a teammate’s nomination

For challenging the status quo and finding a way.

Nick gives his people room to run — space to take ownership, try new things, and make the big calls. That trust is balanced by a sharp eye for risk: he’s the leader asking “have you considered that?” and catching issues before they land, which makes everyone’s final decisions better. Approachable and steady, he creates an environment where people feel trusted to execute and confident they have the oversight and perspective they need. His teams credit that balance — freedom paired with thoughtful challenge — as a big reason they’ve grown.

“As long as I could explain my reasoning, Nick trusted me to make the call — and he always helped me pause, assess the risks, and think through the details.” – a teammate’s nomination

For proactive, timely, clear communication.

Kale sets the standard for straight talk and steady follow-through. In his check-ins he keeps the important things visible — priorities, goals, roles, development — and revisits them over time rather than dropping them after one conversation, so his people always know where to focus. He connects day-to-day decisions to the bigger picture of where ORC is headed, gets ahead of issues before they become problems, and pairs honest feedback with genuine recognition. His teams describe clear expectations, real accountability, and check-ins that come before anyone has to ask.

“Kale checks in regularly — not just when he needs something, but to ask if I need help. He listens, and he takes my opinion into account.” – a teammate’s nomination

For putting the team before ego and uplifting others.

Tracy puts her team first — every bit as supportive when things go wrong as when they go right. She expands what her people are trusted to do, pulling key roles deeper into project work and listening for their ideas on how to do it better. She coaches leaders to step up out of the weeds and into leading, and she’s often first to raise her hand to try something new. When a teammate is stressed or fears they’ve dropped the ball, Tracy’s steady, good-humored response puts it in perspective and helps them move forward — her team knows that no matter what, they’re covered.

“When things go well, Tracy is supportive — and when things go wrong, she’s just as supportive. Knowing she has my back changes everything.” – a teammate’s nomination

For putting clients first and delivering with care.

Jill leads with patience, encouragement, and collaboration. Her steady focus on open communication and professional development keeps her team aligned and growing — and that care carries straight through to the clients on the other side, who feel the consistency and follow-through. She’s a leader who keeps people moving in the same direction without losing the personal touch.

“Jill leads with patience, encouragement, and collaboration — her focus on open communication keeps our team aligned and growing.” – a teammate’s nomination

Awarded to the leader who best embodies the totality of The ORC Way, our cultural north star.

The event closed with its highest honor. Nine members of Linda’s own team — more than any other leader this year — took the time to nominate her, and the reason is remarkably consistent: Linda makes her team feel like a work family. With people spread across several states, she’s intentional about bringing everyone together, planning around real lives, and getting to know her team and their families. She protects work-life balance, celebrates the wins big and small, and offers help in a way that feels like a hand, never a hammer. She’s encouraging, patient, calm, and quick to recognize good work — and she has quietly pursued new work just to give her team long-term stability. Nine nominations. One cultural north star.

“She takes the time to get to know you and your family — that’s rare these days. Her leadership creates one of the best work environments I’ve ever been part of.” – a teammate’s nomination

“What makes these awards special is where they come from,” said Kayshia Kruger, Vice President of People and Organizational Development. “Every winner was chosen from the words of the people who work with them – 234 stories, judged on substance alone. You can’t script that kind of recognition. It tells you exactly what kind of leaders we have, because the people closest to them said so.”

Congratulations to all nine honorees – and to all 73 leaders nominated this year. Every name represents someone a teammate took the time to recognize. Thank you for shaping The ORC Way, every day, in every office.