A 25+ Year Career! Celebrating Diane Edwards

Intentional, warm, welcoming, eager to help, up for a challenge, supporter, caretaker, heart and soul of the office; all these characteristics are used to describe ISG’s Storm Lake Support Specialist, Diane Edwards. Over the past 25+ years, she has served as a loyal, and hardworking employee owner. This month we celebrate Diane and her impact here at ISG as she nears retirement.

Part-Time to Fast-Paced

Diane's journey at ISG began in January of 1997. She spent 14 years with Kuehl and Payer before their merger with ISG and has spent the last 11 with the firm. Starting off part time, she did a lot of filing and organizing for all kinds of projects, as well as helping maintain the office. Eventually, she went full time, taking on a stronger presence at Storm Lake and more responsibilities as mentioned by her longtime colleague, Ivan Droessler:

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‍“Diane is a hard worker and has been an asset to the office by providing the many administrative things that we take for granted.” – Ivan Droessler, Senior Civil Engineer

‍Staying organized and embracing challenges is something that has made Diane successful in keeping up with fast-paced administrative tasks and what she considers vital skills for someone in her position. For her, it is not a “When I get to it, I’ll get to it” but more of a “I’m going to do it and I am going to do it when I see it” mindset.  Below, colleague Tom Grafft describes one of his favorite memories of Diane that showcases her sense of urgency:

‍“I once saw Diane sitting on the floor sorting documents, and she sprung to her feet and ran down the hall to answer the phone as quickly as possible.  Did I mention she was wearing a skirt and high heels?  If there was a 15-meter-high heel Olympic race, Diane would dominate the event!” – Tom Grafft, Water/Wastewater Group Leader

‍Being open minded and ready for anything is also something that Diane recommends for someone just starting their career at ISG. “Hit the ground running” and embrace opportunities to take on new challenges.

Cards, Connections, Community

The ISG employees at the Storm Lake office have played a big role in why Diane loves her job so much and has stayed with the firm all these years. Some of her favorite memories from the office have been listening to her colleagues play cards at lunch. “It's fun to hear laughter, get away from the work and screens, and just enjoy life a little.” Diane also enjoys the office Christmas parties and the potlucks with other employee owners and their families. “A lot of employees have spouses and kids. So, it is nice being able to see them and put faces to names when they come to our office events,” says Diane. The close relationships she has formed with so many at Storm Lake have made it bittersweet to say goodbye to as she approaches retirement. Her ability to easily connect with others in the office, tendency to bring people together, tenacity for a job-well done, and fun personality have made her an integral and beloved part of ISG’s Storm Lake Office culture, productivity, and sense of community.

In celebrating Diane and all that she does in Storm Lake, the below ISGers wish to acknowledge the following ways she makes a difference:

‍“She reminds us to communicate and ensures that we take the time to care for the office and coworkers around us.”- Amanda Goodenow, Civil Engineer

“As a team we always state that Diane takes care of all her Storm Lake team members more like our mom than simply a fellow coworker. She makes sure we always have what we need and then some for each event, daily activity, or meeting. She also surprises us regularly with the baking of a late-night treat during a long week, or is just the smiling face we need to see after a bad meeting. Simply put, Diane has always been a big portion of the heart and soul of our Storm Lake Office!” - David Doxtad, President

A Proud Employee Owner

Diane is just one of many employee owners here at ISG. In 2017, ISG transitioned from firm ownership to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This means ISG is 100% owned by its employees. Diane is a proud employee owner at ISG and believes that being an employee owner keeps employees’ time, performance, and talents engaged in the firm.

Outside of ISG

Diane is not just a Support Specialist. She is also a mother, grandmother, farmer, traveler, and so much more! Diane and her husband have four sons and live on a farm where they have raised thousands of hogs and cattle. Diane has been very involved with the family farm, and prior to ISG she helped out regularly with taking care of the hogs. The farm is one of her favorite places to be, especially when her grandkids are there. These days taking care of her grandchildren and volunteering are a few of Diane’s favorite pastimes. Diane and her husband also enjoy traveling when they can, having traveled to Australia and Peru on past trips.

Thank You Diane!

People like Diane set ISG apart. Her dedication, work ethic, welcoming presence, and fun personality positively impact, not only her fellow employees work experience, but the experience of the clients and communities we serve. With that, ISG wishes to congratulate Diane on her 25+ year career at ISG and thank her for all she does to help make a positive difference in and out of the office.

‍“I so appreciate ISG and how they have grown and see the needs of the company and offices. They are a great company to work for.”- Diane Edwards, Support Specialist